Achilles Fang

Achilles C. Fang
Born(1910-08-20)August 20, 1910
DiedNovember 22, 1995(1995-11-22) (aged 85)
EducationHarvard University (Ph.D.)
National Tsing Hua University (B.A.)
American Baptist College (Shanghai)
SpousesIrene Pan (m. 1935-38, her death)
Ilse Martin (m. 1948-95, his death)
ChildrenFang Wei-ming
Bernard Wei-yin Fang
Madeleine Wei-hsien Fang
Scientific career
FieldsChinese literature, comparative literature
InstitutionsHarvard University
Harvard-Yenching Institute
Fu Jen Catholic University
Chinese name
Chinese方志浵
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinFāng Zhìtóng
Gwoyeu RomatzyhFang Jyhtorng
Wade–GilesFang Chih-t'ung

Achilles Chih-t'ung Fang (Chinese: 方志浵; August 20, 1910 – November 22, 1995) was a Chinese scholar, translator, and educator, best known for his contributions to Chinese literature and comparative literature. Fang was born in Japanese-occupied Korea, but attended university in mainland China. After completing his undergraduate degree, Fang worked for Monumenta Serica, a prominent scholarly journal of Chinese topics. He then moved to the United States, where he took up residency in Cambridge, Massachusetts, studying and teaching courses at Harvard University.

Fang was widely learned, and specialized in comparative literature, particularly in the studies of Chinese and German literature. His correspondence with Ezra Pound significantly influenced Pound's understanding of Chinese subjects, and his doctoral dissertation on Pound, an attempt to compile all the classical allusions in The Cantos, remains an important source for Pound scholars.[1]

  1. ^ Hightower (1997), p. 402.