Confucianism is the most influential school in ancient China. Confucianism, as the embodiment of China's inherent value system, is not an academic or school in the usual sense. Generally speaking, especially in the pre-Qin period, although Confucianism is the most influential school, it is only one of the philosophers, and there is no master-slave relationship like other philosophers.

The origin of Confucianism:

Han Shu Yi Wen Zhi: "Confucianism flows, because of Stuart's official position, helping people realize Yin and Yang." Wandering between the Six Classics, we should pay attention to benevolence and righteousness. Zu, Shun, Franchise Wen, Wu, and other masters all focused on his writing and put Tao in the first place. "

Some people think that Confucian refers to a profession that makes a living from religion and is responsible for various religious ceremonies such as mourning for the gods. "Confucianism is the teacher who asks for rain, so it evolved into the name of warlock" (On National Heritage and Original Confucianism).

Shuowen Jiezi: Confucianism, softness and warlock. According to Guo Moruo's textual research, "Confucianism" is a common name, and the title of Confucianism is not Confucius' own title, but Mohist's title to Confucius.

Zhuangzi commented on Confucianism's post-learning, "Be loyal to the world, do righteousness, decorate rites and music, choose human relations, be loyal to the world above, and turn to the people below. Will benefit the world "("Zhuangzi Fisherman ").

Founder of Confucianism:

Confucius (55 BC/KLOC-0 BC/-479 BC) was born in Qufu, Shandong Province in the Spring and Autumn Period. The most famous thinker, educator and politician in ancient China had a profound influence on the development of China's thought and culture, and he was also the most famous China person in the world.

"Historical Records Confucius Family" contains: "Since the son of heaven is the king, China's people who speak six arts compromise with Confucius. It is the most sacred! "

The development of Confucianism;

In the pre-Qin period, Confucianism was on an equal footing with other philosophers. Moreover, when Qin Shihuang was hit hard, it was the so-called "burning books to bury Confucianism." The Han Dynasty took the inheritance of three generations of Central Plains cultural orthodoxy as its basic line of cultural construction, and these three generations of Central Plains culture were the Confucian Six Classics. Confucius is famous for inheriting Chinese culture, so Confucianism itself is the cultural essence of the Chinese nation. Confucianism is lucky because it respects Confucianism by following Confucian classics, which is also one of the reasons. After the death of Confucius, "Confucianism is divided into eight schools" (Han Feizi), among which there are mainly two schools, one is Mencius' first-line preaching and the other is Xunzi's second-line preaching, which is the pre-Qin Confucianism. ...

Since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty "ousted a hundred schools of thought and respected Confucianism alone", Confucian Classics has been the official Confucian Classics. "History of Han, Art and Literature" records: "In the last years of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, Lu * * * Wang Huai Confucius wanted to broaden his palace." There are dozens of articles in the history of ancient literature in China. The Book of Rites, The Analects of Confucius and The Book of Filial Piety are all ancient characters. "Since then, there has been a distinction between modern Confucian classics and ancient Confucian classics. China classical scholars provide a classic model of hermeneutics, that is, "My Notes on Six Classics", which explains the meaning of the text by means of textual criticism and textual research on famous things. This kind of textual research, which paid attention to academic issues and ignored political life, was very popular in the Ganjia era. Scholars also provide a classic model of hermeneutics, that is, "Six Classics Note Me". Zhu Cheng's Neo-Confucianism and Lu Wang's Neo-Confucianism are all counted down this road with the help of classics to explain the spirit of the times or to give play to their new ideas. Later, Zheng Xuan, a master of Chinese studies, mainly studied China's ancient classics and accepted China's modern classics, ending the 200-year-long dispute over China's modern classics, and "Zheng Xue" continued. In addition to Confucian classics in the Han Dynasty, there were "southern studies" and "northern studies" in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. In the Tang Dynasty, there was also a theory of "learning from the south" and "learning from the north", which was the Confucian classics in the Han and Tang Dynasties ...

In the Northern Song Dynasty, in order to meet the challenge of Buddhism and Taoism, Confucian scholars abandoned the form that Confucianism in Han and Tang Dynasties focused on academic issues rather than political life. Explain the meaning in the classics in a straightforward form, and explore metaphysical philosophical propositions such as human nature, human heart, destiny and qi. This is "Neo-Confucianism". But Neo-Confucianism also includes Neo-Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism in Ming and Qing Dynasties, so it is also called "Neo-Confucianism in Song and Ming Dynasties". There are many schools of thought, such as Zhou Dunyi's "Lianxue", Shao Yong's "Xiangshu", Cheng Cheng's "Luoxue", Zhang Zai's "Guan Xue", Zhu's "Xue Xin".

By the May 4th Movement, although Confucianism had encountered unprecedented difficulties, modern neo-Confucianism had sprouted. In the voice of "knocking down Confucius' shop" and against the background of unprecedented setbacks of Confucianism, Liang Shuming stepped forward to defend Confucius, unveiled the banner of Confucian revival and became a pioneer of Neo-Confucianism.

Broadly speaking, Neo-Confucianism includes Liang Shuming, Xiong Shili, He Lin, Qian Mu and Feng Youlan in the first phase, Mou Zongsan, Xu, Tang Junyi and Fang Dongmei in the second phase, Liu in the third phase, and the fourth phase has also appeared, but the academic circles have not yet finalized it. Over the past 80 years, many people have taken this as their ambition. With their joint efforts, modern neo-Confucianism became one of the three important ideological trends in China in the 20th century (the other is Marxism, and the other is the westernization of liberalism).

Modern neo-Confucianism is called "Confucian capitalism", and it is predicted that in 2 1 century, Confucianism will undergo creative transformation after Confucianism in Qin and Han dynasties and Neo-Confucianism in Song and Ming dynasties, and usher in the third brilliant development.

The decline of Confucianism in modern times;

Confucianism takes the traditional feudal society as the material undertaker, while the traditional feudal society takes Confucianism as the spiritual undertaker. The disintegration of traditional society led to the loss of Confucius' authority. When China was bombarded by western powers, the anti-Confucius movement began in modern times, which experienced the peasant revolution trend of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the democratic trend of the bourgeois revolution, and the May 4th New Culture Movement which reached its climax.

More than 80 years ago, people were angry at the weakness of the country and called the tortoise crying out loud. A group of radical youths, mainly Hu Shi and Chen Duxiu, deeply influenced by Western learning and eager to save the country and strengthen the country, launched the May 4th Movement, which was the climax of China's anti-Confucianism in modern times. The athletes held the decisive gesture of "Down with Kongjiadian", denying that Confucianism has been the mainstream of China culture for more than 2,000 years.

As we all know, the May 4th Movement was robbed by the Cultural Revolution for the last time. This "Cultural Revolution" movement, full of strong political purposes, made Confucianism experience unprecedented doom. Hundreds of millions of people (many of whom are literate) shouted "Down with Kong Laoer" on the land of China, thus causing injustice to Confucius and Mencius' Confucianism and even to Confucius and Mencius himself. At this point, all Confucianism after the May 4th Movement and the Cultural Revolution seems to be notorious and dismissive. Some people even denounced it as "decadent Confucianism" and "Kong Laoer" as soon as they heard that it was "Confucianism" and "the way of Confucius and Mencius", and they were as nervous as an arrow with a bowstring, wantonly slandering it.

Confucian classics:

Confucian classics mainly include thirteen classics. There are six Confucian classics: The Book of Songs, Shangshu, Yili, Jing Yue, Zhouyi and Chunqiu. Qin Shihuang "burned books to bury Confucianism". It is said that Yue Ji was lost after the Qin fire.

On this basis, the Eastern Han Dynasty added The Analects of Confucius, The Book of Filial Piety and The Seven Classics.

Zhou Li, Book of Rites, Biography of the Spring and Autumn Ram, Biography of the Spring and Autumn Beam, Erya and Twelve Classics were added in the Tang Dynasty.

Mencius was supplemented in the Song Dynasty, and later the Notes to Thirteen Classics was handed down from generation to generation.

Thirteen Classics is the basic work of Confucian culture. As far as traditional ideas are concerned:

Yi, Shi, Shu, Li and Chunqiu are collectively called Jing.

Zuo Zhuan, Yang Gongzhuan and Gu Liangzhuan all belong to Chunqiu Jingzhuan.

The Book of Rites, The Book of Filial Piety, The Analects of Confucius and Mencius are all records.

Erya is an exegetical work of Confucian classics in Han Dynasty.

The later four books refer to the university (one in the Book of Rites) and the golden mean (one in the Book of Rites).

The Analects of Confucius and Mencius, the Five Classics refer to Zhouyi, Shangshu, Book of Songs, Book of Rites and Zuo Zhuan.

The main representatives of Confucianism:

Confucius, Mencius, Dong Zhongshu, Cheng Yi, Zhu (the most learned scholar after Confucius), Lu Shouren and Wang Yangming.

The characteristics of Confucianism:

First, regard Confucius as a teacher and an ideological leader;

Second, take Zhouyi, Shangshu, Shijing, Book of Rites, Zuozhuan and other books as classics;

Thirdly, a tension structure of benevolence, righteousness, propriety and righteousness has been formed ideologically;

Fourthly, from the inner sage to the outer king, we can learn from the achievements of the outer king through inner body and mind;

Fifth, paying special attention to the ethical relationship between people and applying it to political practice has become a guiding principle.

Learn from Confucianism:

For example, the vigorous and promising spirit of Confucianism inspires itself to strive for strength; Learn the Confucian spirit of loyalty to the country and cultivate their patriotic feelings; Learn from the Confucian spirit of "controlling benefits with righteousness" to enlighten us to treat material interests correctly, and learn from the Confucian spirit of benevolence to cultivate our noble sentiment of loving the people; Learn from the Confucian concept of integrity to cultivate their own self-esteem, self-improvement and independent personality.

Confucian words:

Confucianism was severely criticized by Mohism, Legalism and Taoism in the pre-Qin period, but was rejected by the rulers in the Qin Dynasty and the early Han Dynasty. In the Six Dynasties, it was challenged by metaphysics and Buddhism, and experienced an unprecedented anti-Confucianism upsurge in the May 4th Movement, but it has continued to this day. The reason is that Confucianism is rooted in China's inherent value system and can adjust itself at any time to adapt to the changes of the times and society. And to a certain extent, it is the most valuable knowledge system in the East, so that it is synonymous with Chinese studies (traditional culture) in a sense.

Confucianism has a history of more than two thousand years, and it is still circulating overseas. This is extremely rare in the history of world culture. "Liang Rengong once pointed out ... so we can say that the study of Confucian philosophy is the study of China culture. It is true that there are other schools besides Confucianism, and Confucian philosophy is not the whole culture of China; However, if Confucianism is removed, I'm afraid there is not much culture in China. "(Why do you want to learn Confucian philosophy? ) Ren Gong said that "studying Confucian philosophy means studying China culture", but there is no doubt that Confucianism is the mainstream in the cultural history of China for thousands of years. "Confucianism is the mainstream of China culture, and China culture is the life direction and form dominated by Confucianism" (on the modern significance of China culture from the contemporary mission of Confucianism, Mou Zongsan).

Confucianism is the core and discipline of Chinese studies, which could have been omitted. However, since the May 4th Movement, modern people have developed a sense of alienation from Confucianism and an inexplicable antipathy. Some extreme fallacies and heresies have flooded the world, confused people and gradually formed an influence in society.

In fact, affirming Confucianism as the main body of Chinese studies is not only based on the subjective feelings of modern neo-Confucianism and some scholars, but also has objective basis. The reason why Confucianism is the main body of Chinese studies is objectively determined by the basic spirit, extensive scope and historical development of Confucianism, rather than our wishful thinking.

Therefore, rejuvenating the country can be said to be the revival of Confucianism. However, the revival of Confucianism is by no means a "retro" misunderstood by some people, let alone a retrogression. But based on the attitude of Marxism "critically inheriting" the ancient theory, it is rationally dissected and applied. Confucianism can play an important role in the modernization process. Modernization is not a denial of tradition, but a sublation and a new solution. China's modernization still needs Confucianism, because any nation can stand among the nations of the world because it has its own traditional culture, and China's traditional culture is mainly Confucianism; Secondly, the modernization we want to achieve today is the modernization with China characteristics, and this China characteristic, of course, is indispensable to the Confucian color of China traditional culture.

Generally speaking, Confucianism will revive or the times will take it for granted. However, the revival of Confucianism is hardly the "only" cultural belief of China and the "only" spiritual pillar of China people today.

dao jia xue pai

Taoism is the most influential school of philosophy in ancient times. "History of Han Dynasty, Art and Literature" says: Taoism flows, because of historians, and records success or failure, survival, happiness, ancient and modern ways, and then knows that it is necessary to consolidate the foundation, empty it to be self-sustaining, humble and weak to be self-sustaining, and this gentleman is also skilled in the south. After the death of the founder Laozi, Taoism continued to develop along two routes. One is the political science of "inaction", which prevailed in the Huang-Lao school in the Warring States and the early Western Han Dynasty. This school advocates "governing by doing nothing", and the other school is a philosophy of life of "letting nature take its course", which has a far-reaching impact on future generations. Taoist thought occupies a very important position in Chinese traditional culture.

Laozi, founder of Taoism:

The year of birth and death is unknown. According to Records of the Historian, Confucius said that Laozi was "fascinated by dragons" after asking his disciples for gifts, which meant that Laozi was as majestic as a dragon and his realm was unfathomable. In fact, who is this world-class cultural celebrity Laozi has become a mystery as early as Taishigong's time. Historical Records: Biography of Lao Fei records that "Lao Zi was born in Qurenli, Chu County, and his surname is Li, whose name is Er, and Zhou Shoucang's history is also ... or Lao Laizi is also a Chu person ... or Lao Zi is Lao Zi, or not, and the world doesn't know whether it is true or not. Laozi, I am a gentleman. " That is to say, there were three Taoist Laozi, one was Li Er (before Confucius), the other was Lao Laizi (contemporary with Confucius), and the third was Tai Shixian (after Confucius). Tai Shigong generally thinks that the Laozi of Taoism is Li Er, but only Hu Shi, Zhang Xu and Ma Xulun inherited this view in modern times. Generally speaking, Confucius should be followed by Laozi's books, such as Liang Qichao, Feng Youlan, Gu Jiegang and other scholars. Others compromised the first two opinions. For example, Tang Lan argued that Lao Dan and Confucius should coexist. Qian Mu clearly pointed out that Laozi should be in the late Warring States period.

The origin of Laozi's thought is not very clear, and there are no ancient documents and no evidence in underground archaeology. However, judging from Lao Zi's work, Tao Te Ching and Zhuangzi, the thought of Tao did not begin with Lao Zi.

Lao Tzu once had a history of Zhou Shou's Tibetan room. This collection room is equivalent to a complex of modern libraries, archives, museums and treasure halls. Collection room not only collected books, historians' records and treasures of the Zhou Dynasty before King Wu, but also collected more than 100 historical books and ancient suicide notes of various vassal countries, as well as sacrifices of various countries that recorded the origins of various clans and the relics of adherents of Xia and Shang Dynasties. We all know that Jiuding made by Dayu is also here. Here, Lao Tzu came into contact with a large number of suicide notes at that time and in ancient times, which laid the foundation for his thought.

Taoist figures:

Since Lao Zi rode a green ox out of Hangu Pass and disappeared, his successors include Geng Sangchu, Guanyin, Lieyukou, Yang Zhu and others, with Zhuangzi as the representative.

On behalf of Zhuangzi:

About 369- 268 years ago, his life experience was like a mystery. "Historical Records" said: "Zhuangzi is also a Mongolian, named Zhou." Whether Mongolia is Chu or Song, even Tai Shigong doesn't know. "Historical Records" also said that Zhuangzi worked as a painter in Montaigne. Zhuangzi, written by Zhuangzi and his disciples, belongs to the philosophy of life, and its theme is "Let nature take its course".

Taoist classics:

Laozi, Zhuangzi, Liezi, Huang, Ji Jing, Wen Zi, Tian Zi, Four Classics of Huangdi, Lao Laizi.

Huaxia civilization began in Fuxi and flourished in the Yellow Emperor. At that time, the culture was a witch history culture, which produced the idea of Yi, from which Yin and Yang techniques and immortal techniques were produced. The concept of ceremony originally originated from offering sacrifices to ancestors, heaven and earth, ghosts and gods. During the Spring and Autumn Period, a hundred schools of thought contended and made a breakthrough in the chaotic ancient culture from their own perspectives. Confucius inherited Zhou Li and expounded it with the thought of benevolence, while Laozi expounded the thought of Tao.

The main connotation of Tao Te Ching;

There is a saying in academic circles that the book Tao Te Ching is simple and all-encompassing, and its academic thoughts are easily misunderstood. Speaking of Taoism, some people think it is a hermit philosophy of passive avoidance and no progress; It is a kind of life philosophy of wisdom and self-protection and not competing with the world; When it comes to witch culture, it is a trick; Others say that Lao Tzu is the originator of conspirators and so on.

At present, some words in the Tao Te Ching are quite different from the unearthed Tao Te Ching, and there is still controversy in the academic circles. Here just refer to the views of the masters and briefly introduce one or two.

In China's traditional thought, there are two systems, one is Confucianism and the other is Taoism. Laozi's thoughts can be found in Tao Te Ching.

way

The most important proposition in Laozi's thought is "Tao". What is Tao? Chapter 25 of Tao Te Ching says: "Things are born in harmony. Lonely, independent, walking around without danger, but everyone knows his name as the mother of heaven and earth, and his strong name is Da. Death is great, and death is the opposite. The old road is big, big, big and crowded. There are four in the domain, one of which is inhabited. " People practice the earth, practice the sky, practice the Tao, and the Tao develops naturally. "

This Tao is the innate source of the universe, and everything in the world will return to its starting point "Tao" no matter how it changes. Tao is intangible, material, primitive and independent, and heaven and earth are tangible and influenced by Tao.

It's nothing.

Everything in the world is born, and nothing is born. Everything in the world is famous and tangible, but the famous and tangible things must be rooted in the nameless and intangible "Tao". Nothing is the origin of all things in the world. In the second chapter of Tao Te Ching, it is said that "whether there is mutual strength, difficulty in complementing each other, length in phase, competition in phase, sound in phase, and consistency". It means that whether there is or not is complementary to each other, and it is not difficult to be successful. Therefore, there must be both invisible Tao and tangible things.

From the analysis of modern philosophy here, we can see that Laozi saw the contradiction in the development of things and the mutual transformation of contradictory things, so as to achieve affirmation through negation.

Do nothing. Do nothing.

The forty-eighth chapter of the Tao Te Ching says, "Learning without refinement, Tao without refinement, leads to inaction, inaction without exception ..."

Imitate others in everything, do more things every day, follow the Tao in everything, do less things every day, and finally achieve inaction.

Laozi realized affirmation through negation. In Laozi's view, Tao is natural, so nature should be inaction, and people should take Tao as an example. Let everything develop and change on its own, and inaction will become all-encompassing.

There are many viewpoints in Tao Te Ching. For example, starting from the objective laws of the universe, Laozi triggered "Tao gives birth to one, two, three and everything." Everything is negative and holds yang, and qi is harmonious "(Chapter 42), which is the basic schema of the creation and evolution of the universe. One is chaos, and the other is yin and yang. Taoism regards society, people and everything as a complementary structure of yin and yang, which is quite close to the principle of Yi and begins to involve the human body. Later, Chinese medicine, health preservation and Taoism all took Laozi's thoughts as masters.

mohists

Shang Xian and the monk are the basic political programs of Mohism. Mohism and Confucianism are also called "outstanding studies". The following is the concept of Mohism.

Ethics: put forward "universal love" and think that love should not be divided into intimacy, superiority and inferiority, and hierarchy. He thinks the world is chaotic because people don't love each other.

Political outlook: advocating "Shang Xian" and "Shang Tong", advocating talent selection, eliminating class ideology, ruling the world, advocating "self-defeating" and opposing all wars of aggression.

Economic outlook: Oppose extravagant life, advocate frugality, and put forward the ideas of "saving money", "saving burial" and "being unhappy".

Cosmology: put forward "fate", thinking that fate can not dominate people's wealth, emphasizing that it can be changed through the efforts of the day after tomorrow. In order to seek blessings and avoid disasters, he also advocated "respecting heaven" and "treating ghosts".

Mohism emphasizes thrift, and "universal love" is more difficult to follow than "benevolence", and because there are few records, it will not develop much in the future.

On behalf of:

Mozi

Thinkers and scholars in the late Spring and Autumn Period and the early Warring States Period, and the founder of Mohism. The surname is inexplicable Zhai, born and died from about 468 BC to 376 BC. He is from Lu, and he said he was from Song. Mozi was born a commoner, calling himself a "northern servant", and was called a "man in cloth" and a "bitch".

He used to be a doctor in the Song Dynasty, boasting that "the upper class has nothing to do, and the lower class has no difficulty in farming". He is a scholar who sympathizes with "the people of industry and agriculture". After learning from Shijiao, he inherited the law of Qing Dynasty. He also studied Confucianism, the art of Confucius, praised Yao, obeyed Dayu, and knew poetry, books and spring and autumn. Dissatisfied with Confucian rites and music, he abandoned Zhou Dao and used Xia Zheng.

Advocating not attacking, Shang Xian, Shang Tong, frugality, frugality, unhappiness, ambition, ghosts and fate, with universal love as the core. He is "correcting himself with rope and ink in case the world is in a hurry." In order to publicize his ideas, Mozi accepted many students and followed hundreds of disciples, forming a huge Mohist school. Mozi said "princes" and taught "one man should walk", which was almost "following people's words". Wherever I went, I went to Qi in the east, Zheng and Wei in the west, and Chu and Yue in the south.

Mozi is knowledgeable, skilled and well-made. He once made a "wooden kite" that could not fly for three days and nights. He was also good at guarding the city, and later learned to sum up his experience as 21 guarding the city. He also made some achievements in the theory of Ming Debate and became one of the founders of Ming Debate in the Warring States Period. Mozi's deeds can be found in Xunzi, Han Feizi, Zhuangzi, Lu Chunqiu, Huai Nanzi and other books, and his thoughts are mainly preserved in mohists after Mozi.