生平

清朝道光二年（1822年）魏源29岁参加顺天乡试，考中举人，试卷得到宣宗褒扬，但此后会试却落第，房考刘逢禄深感可惜。1840年至1841年，曾参与裕谦戎幕，依照英国战俘的口供编成《英吉利小志》。1841年7月，在镇江与林则徐相遇，纵谈时事和今后对策。1843年1月，依靠林则徐在广州翻译的报纸并以林的《四洲志》为基础写就50卷的《海国图志》，而魏源撰写该书时曾长年待在南京，其宅邸即小卷阿。后魏源捐内阁中书，直到道光二十五年（1845年）方中进士，殿试位列三甲第93名，以知州分发江苏，赞权兴化。官至高邮州知州。1847年，魏源前往广州、澳门，访问知名儒者陈澧，会晤葡萄牙理事官，又前往香港，采购各国书籍，将《海国图志》拓展为60卷。1853年，依据西方新出著述，如葡萄牙人马吉士的《地理备考》，续写为100卷。

晚年隐居杭州，潜心佛教，法名承贯。病逝于杭州。《清史稿》有传。

著作

著有《海国图志》一百卷，《圣武记》，辑《皇朝经世文编》120卷。《海国图志》书中阐述了作者「师夷长技以制夷」的思想，主张学习国外先进的科学技术以抵御外国的侵略，使中国走上富强的道路。但是对基督教的认识也有偏见，认为外国传教士把华人的眼睛挖出来，配以铅粉，炼制白银，因此而致富。《圣武记》中对宗喀巴的生卒年、西藏佛教的活佛转世制度起源的错误记载，影响直到民国时期。在佛教方面著有《无量寿经》会集本——《摩诃阿弥陀经》。

近年有《魏源全集》出版发行。

注释

Biography

From an early age, Wei espoused the New Text school of Confucianism and became a vocal member of the statecraft school, which advocated practical learning in opposition to the allegedly barren evidentiary scholarship as represented by scholars like Dai Zhen. Among other things, Wei advocated sea transport of grain to the capital instead of using the Grand Canal and he also advocated a strengthening of the Qing Empire's frontier defense. In order to alleviate the demographic crisis in China, Wei also spoke in favor of large scale emigration of Han Chinese into Xinjiang.

Later in his career he became increasingly concerned with the threat from the Western powers and maritime defense. He wrote A Military History of the Holy Dynasty (《圣武记》, Shèngwǔjì, known at the time as the Shêng Wu-ki), the last two chapters of which were translated by Edward Harper Parker as the Chinese Account of the Opium War. Wei also wrote a separate narrative on the First Opium War (《道光洋艘征抚记》, Dàoguāng Yángsōu Zhēngfǔ Jì). Today, he is mostly known for his 1844 work, Illustrated Treatise on the Maritime Kingdoms, which contains Western material collected by Lin Zexu during and after the First Opium War.

British India was suggested as a potential target by Wei Yuan after the Opium War.

The creation of a government organ for translation was proposed by Wei.