Míngjiā 名家

 ‘School of Names’, one of the intellectual traditions recognised in early Chinese bibliographical and historical sources. Its members are traditionally associated with discussions of names (míng), realities (shí), classification, and argumentation. Figures commonly linked with the míngjiā include Huì Shī and Gōngsūn Lóng. Unlike the Confucians, Mohists, and Legalists—whose discussions of naming were closely connected with ethical, political, or administrative concerns—the míngjiā are often characterised by their sustained interest in naming and distinction-making as subjects of inquiry in their own right. The relationship between the míngjiā and the Mohists remains a subject of scholarly debate, particularly in discussions of the origins and development of Chinese logic.