Biography

His surname was originally Gao (高), but he changed his name to his uncle's. Wei was born in Qiongzhou and spent most of his early life and career in Sichuan, holding the post of prefect over several towns. At the intercession of his friend Zhen Dexiu, he was summoned to court and promoted to Minister of Rites; he subsequently held a number of other court posts. Despite being held in high esteem as a philosopher by many of his contemporaries, Wei was criticised for his inability to make profound changes to the government system in which he operated. He was satirised by a contemporary acting troupe as an ineffectual drunkard (the actors were flogged after Wei made a complaint against this slander).

Wei established a school in his home province, where he taught a philosophy based on the Cheng-Zhu school, but influenced by the works of Zhang Shi. Wei was somewhat less rigid in his adherence to the Cheng-Zhu school's precepts than other teachers, and as a result attracted students from other schools of Neo-Confucian thought. He emphasised the connection between nature and morality, and believed that knowledge and capability were innate; despite having a strong moral position and clear stance on personal practice, he was not a great innovator and is generally considered to have promoted the existing teachings of the school rather than creating new concepts within it.

After his death, the legend sprang up that Wei's ghost traveled the mountains in the company of the spirit of Zhu Xi.

生平

祖父魏革，娶妻高氏，有七子二女。父魏孝璹过继高家，改名高孝璹，有六子。「英悟绝出，日诵千馀言」，人称神童，十五岁写《韩愈论》。

庆元五年（1199年），进士及第。授签书剑南西川节度判官。

开禧元年（1205年），除秘书省正字，后迁校书郎。以亲老乞补外任，出知嘉定府（四川省乐山县）。

嘉定三年（1210年），因父亡，辞职回家守孝，筑室白鹤山（梧州邛崃市区西郊）下，创建蒲江鹤山书院授徒讲学，士争从之，世称「鹤山先生」。守孝期满后，先后至汉州、眉州、沪州任职，有治绩。力主抗金，献边防十策。受朱端诬告，连降三官。复为礼部尚书。官至端明殿学士。

宝庆元年（1225年），因不满史弥远矫诏，废赵竑、立赵昀为帝，被贬居靖州六年，并创建靖州鹤山书院，宋理宗曾赐御书「鹤山书院」以嘉奖他的讲学活动。

晚年以端明殿学士、佥书枢密院事督视京湖江淮军马，曾指挥宋军克复襄阳。

嘉熙元年(1237年)，卒于绍兴府安抚使官所。赐太师，諡文靖。葬于枫桥镇高景山金盆坞，诏赐第宅于苏州南宫坊（现书院巷）。

学术

《宋元学案.鹤山学案》记载鹤山生平及学术思想。鹤山与朱熹及其弟子辅广、李燔有往来，又与陆九渊之子陆持之友好，并吸取心学的精华。魏了翁对《周易》极有研究，重视王弼、邵雍等人的见解，认为：「大抵性善之义具于《易》。」他认为：「辞、变、象、占，《易》之纲领，而繇、彖、象、爻之辞；画、爻、位、虚之别；互、反、飞、伏之说；乘、承、比、应之例，有不知则义理阙焉。」。黄百家称：「鹤山识力横绝，真所谓卓荦观群书者。」了翁对河图、洛书、「先后天易说」亦深信不疑，直言「戴九履一之图其象圆，五行生成之图其象方，是九圆而十方也，安知邵子不以九为图，十为书乎」。

著作

著有《鹤山先生大全文集》一百九卷、《九经要义》二百六十三卷、《周易集义》、《易举隅》、《周礼井田图说》、《古今考》、《经史杂抄》、《师友雅言》。词有《鹤山长短句》。

传记

《宋史•卷四百三十七•列传第一百九十六》

清黄宗羲《宋元学案卷八十•鹤山学案》

清缪荃孙《魏文靖公年谱》。

研究

《魏了翁文学研究》，张文利著，中华书局出版，2008年11月。

注释