Li Zhi(1527~1602) was a prominent Chinese philosopher, historian and writer in the late Ming Dynasty. Li Zhi was born to a Hui family in Quanzhou, Fujian Province.
李贽(1527~1602)，号卓吾，卓越的中国明朝末期哲学家、历史学家、作家，出生在福建泉州，回族。
He became the prefect of Yao' an in Yunnan Province, but retired from office in protest at the age of 54 after a 20-odd-year official career.
李赞曾任云南姚安府知府，但是他在做了20多年的官之后，于54岁时辞官。
After his retirement he wrote and taught in Huang'an in Hubei Province, and was unusual in the fact that he accepted female students.
李费辞官后在湖北黄安著书、教学，并招收女学生。

Li Zhi openly adopted the stance of a heretic and wrote, "I dislike Confucianism, I don't believe in Daoism (Taoism) and I don't believe in Buddhism; so whenever I see Daoist priests I detest them, whenever I see Buddhist monks I detest them, and whenever I see Confucian scholars I detest them even more."
李贽公开采取异端姿态，写到:“余自幼倔强难化，不信道，不信仙、释，故见道人则恶，见僧则恶，见道学先生尤恶。”
At that time, political power in China was in the hands of the Confucian scholars and the Confucian ethical code was regarded as sacred.
当时儒家学说一统天下，儒家伦理原则被认为是神圣不可侵犯的。
Nevertheless, Li Zhi had the courage to advocate abandoning Confucian ethics. At the same time, Li denounced the Song and Ming schools of Confucian idealist philosophy as hypocritical, proposing a version of utilitarianism instead.
然而，李赞却敢于提倡放弃儒家伦理，并公开谴责宋明理学太虚伪，提出功利主义哲学。
In the field of literature, Li held that a writer must express his own personal opinions with the "pure, true heart of a child."
在文学领域，李贽提出“童心说”，认为作家应该用“绝假纯真的童心”表达自己的个人观点。
In 1591, "upright" high officials, annoyed at Li' s exposure of the hypocrisy of Confucian morals, sent their lackeys to Li' s residence at the Yellow Crane Pavilion in Wuchang to expel him from the Province.
1591年，“正直”的高官因李贽揭露了儒家道德的虚伪而大为光火，派侍从到李贽在武昌黄鹤楼的住处将他驱逐出省。
Li was accused of “having defamed Confucius and of lacking moral principles" and of being an “absolute heretic".
李贽被称诽谤孔子，毫无道德原则，是绝对的异端。
In his later years, Li moved from place to place trying to avoid persecution, and finally took refuge in Tongzhou (present-dayTongzhou District) in Beijing' s eastern suburbs with an old friend, Ma Jinglun.
李贽晚年四处逃难，最后与老友马经纶躲在北京东郊的通州(今北京市通州区)。
At the time, the authorities considered Li' s progressive thought to be a serious menace and labeled him as "an advocate of irresponsible and immoral doctrines" and as 'one who seeks to mislead the people".
当时，当权派认为李贽的进步思想是严重的威胁，称他是“敢倡乱道，惑世诬民”。
In the spring of 1602, during the reign of Emperor Wanli, Li, then 76, was arrested, imprisoned and hounded to death.
1602年春，万历帝在位期间，76岁的李贽被捕人狱，迫害致死。
His friend Ma Jinglun later buried his body.
后来，李贽的好友马经纶为他治丧。
After Li' s death, an order was issued that all his published and unpublished works be burned, and no further copies made.
李贽去世后，著作被通令烧毁，不再印制。
Despite this order, however great maiority of Li Zhi' s works have survived.
然而尽管下了这道命令，李贽的大部分作品还是流传了下来。