Summarize the development of the history of Confucian classics in China.

The source of Confucian classics is far-reaching, which can be traced back to the time when Confucius began to write books, up and down for more than 2000 years.

Confucian Classics refers to studying the Confucian classics in ancient China, explaining their literal meanings and clarifying their meanings. Confucian classics are the main body of China's ancient studies, which contain rich and profound thoughts and a large number of precious historical materials, and are the core components of Confucianism.

The so-called Confucian classics now generally refer to thirteen Confucian classics, namely Zhouyi, Shangshu, Shijing, Zhouli, Yili, Liji, Chunqiu Zuozhuan, Chunqiu Yanggong Zhuan, Chunqiu Guliang Zhuan, Analects of Confucius, Xiaojing and Erya. But the early Confucian classics were not the Thirteen Classics.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period (from the 6th century BC to the 5th century BC), Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, returned to his hometown of Shandong after a long-term failure in political activities, compiled and compiled some traditional documents and formed the Six Classics. Sima Qian pointed out in Historical Records of Confucius' Family that Confucius edited books, poems, rites and greetings, compiled a part of the Book of Changes and created the Spring and Autumn Annals on the basis of historical materials from Lu. Whether the Six Classics was written by Confucius has always been controversial. But the consistent direction is to agree with Confucius' leading editorial position, and the original text is not original by Confucius. Since then, Confucian scholars have studied Confucianism with the Six Classics as teaching materials. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the Six Classics has been recognized as a treasure book.

Confucian classics originated in the Western Han Dynasty. There was a doctor in the Qin Dynasty. Because Qin Shihuang adopted Lisi's suggestion, he burned books and buried Confucianism, and concentrated books and academics all over the country in Xianyang City. After the death of Qin, Xiang Yu burned Xianyang, resulting in the loss of a large number of pre-Qin classics, and the Six Classics were not spared except the Book of Changes.

At first, the Han Dynasty did not attach importance to these Confucian classics. Since the Wenjing period, a large number of books have been donated and ancient books have been collected. Some elderly Dr. Qin and other Confucian scholars either recited the burned classics orally, or took out the classics hidden in the Qin Dynasty again, so that they could be handed down from generation to generation. Due to the different interpretation systems, different schools appeared, but the versions were basically the same, and later they were collectively called Jin Wenjing.

At the end of Emperor Jing of Han Dynasty, Duke Lu built a palace, destroyed Confucius' house and found some classics on the wall of the old house. During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Hejian Wang Xian collected a large number of classic documents from the people, the most important of which was Zhou Guan. When Emperor Gaozu Xuan Di proclaimed himself emperor, there was another woman's rotten old house in Hanoi, which won several copies of Shangshu. These unearthed documents are all written in ancient Chinese characters during the Warring States period. Compared with the popular Five Classics, they are different not only in the number of articles and the number of words, but also in the content. From then on, they are collectively referred to as "ancient classics".

After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, in order to adapt to the unified political situation, he strengthened centralized rule, ousted hundreds of doctors and respected the Five Classics doctors exclusively. Since then, Confucianism has dominated, and the Five Classics of Poetry, Calligraphy, Ceremony, Book of Changes and Spring and Autumn have surpassed the status of ordinary books and become sacred legal classics and must-read classics for the majority of scholars. Confucian scholars in Han Dynasty mainly taught and explained the Five Classics. Since then, Confucian classics have been officially published, which can be regarded as the inheritance and development of pre-Qin Confucianism.

Confucian classics were born.

Confucian classics in Han dynasty

When Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty set up doctors in the Five Classics, there were several doctors at a time, and there were disciples under them. Mentoring is divided into several "teacher theories", that is, several schools. There were seven doctors of Five Classics in Liang Wudi. After Emperor Wu, Confucian classics became increasingly prosperous, and doctors gradually increased. By the time of Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty, fourteen doctors had been identified. According to the "History of the Scholars in the Later Han Dynasty", "Therefore, there are five classics doctors, and each teaches the family law. Shi, Meng, Jing, Shang Shu, Ouyang Xiu, Da Xiahou, Xiao Xiahou, Shi, Qi, Lu, Han, Li, Da, Chunqiu. These fourteen schools all belong to the study of Confucian classics, and their official status remained until the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

The characteristic of Confucian classics in modern literature is to subtly explain Confucius' thoughts and inherit and carry forward Confucianism. The study of Confucian classics in modern literature regards Chunqiu as the jing yuan of Confucius' eternal legislation, and its mainstream is the study of Yang Gong in Chunqiu. Gongyangxue, that is, the subtle meaning expounded in the biography of Gongyangzhuan in the Spring and Autumn Period, mainly includes unity, right, hatred, three unification, three generations unification, system reform and treating thieves with courtesy. During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Dong Zhongshu, a master of ram science, and Gong, a politician who was good at applying the theory of ram science to real politics emerged. After the promotion and practice of generations of Confucian scholars, Confucian classics, represented by Gongyangxue, was deeply valued by the emperors of the Han Dynasty and always occupied a dominant position in the politics of the Han Dynasty.

There are two trends in the development of Confucian classics in the late Western Han Dynasty: on the one hand, due to Dong Zhongshu's explanation of disaster, Fu Rui and the feeling between man and nature in the Study of Yang Gong, the consequence of the logical development of Confucian classics in this paper is the proliferation of divination, coupled with the superstition and advocacy of rulers, and Confucian classics gradually become theological; On the other hand, because Confucian classics inherit more colors of primitive Confucianism, their theories inherently contain criticism of reality, which is more and more intolerable for the gradually strengthened monarchy. In this case, from the middle of the Western Han Dynasty, folk professors began to study China's ancient classics.

The classics that China's research on ancient classics is based on are generally ancient books discovered by the people after the mid-Western Han Dynasty. Because they were written in ancient Chinese characters before the Warring States Period, they are called China ancient classics. The study of China's classical masterpieces and China's modern masterpieces is not only the difference of written texts, but also the difference of their interpretation and research methods. Confucian classics in modern literature think that Confucius is the "prime king" of "legislating for the Han Dynasty", while Confucian classics think that Confucius is only the collation and preservation of classic documents, and he is a teacher who "speaks without deeds, believes in the ancient times"; Modern Confucian Classics thinks that the Six Classics are all written by Confucius, entrusted by Confucius' political thoughts, and many of them are of great significance, while ancient Confucian Classics thinks that the Six Classics are the records of ancient cultural regulations and political aphorisms of sages. Modern Confucian classics pay attention to profound meaning, while ancient Confucian classics pay attention to the understanding of the original meaning of scripture and the clarification of the legal system. If the focus of modern Confucian classics is political philosophy and historical philosophy, then the focus of ancient Confucian classics, which has been tit-for-tat since the end of the Western Han Dynasty, is historical materials and linguistics.

The rise of Confucian classics originated from Gu Liang Zhuan in the Spring and Autumn Period and was established as a doctor in the late Western Han Dynasty. During the reign of Wang Mang, Liu Xin strongly advocated learning China's ancient classics and made them become doctors of the new dynasty. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, although China's ancient classic research was not established as a doctor, it belonged to folk theory, but its influence was growing, gradually surpassing and overwhelming China's modern classic research. As the development of Confucian classics in the later period became more and more complicated, for example, the word "Yue Ruo Ji Gu" can explain 100,000 words, and it is bound by the so-called "forget the past" and "family law". Coupled with the entanglement with Chen Wei, people gradually abandoned Confucian classics. On the other hand, the study of China's ancient classics is less restricted by "learning from the teacher" and "family law", and more free and concise; Secondly, it has less relationship with divination and is more rational; Thirdly, it gives up the criticism of modern Confucian classics and has more advantages in maintaining absolute monarchy. Therefore, in the long-term struggle of modern Confucian classics, ancient Confucian classics won the final victory. Jia Kui, Xu Shen, Ma Rong, Fu Qian and Lu Zhi. He was a master of classical Chinese classics in the Eastern Han Dynasty, with many disciples and great influence. However, only He Xiu has made great achievements in the study of modern Confucian classics, and his Biography of the Spring and Autumn Ram is the only modern Confucian classics that has been completely circulated to this day.

In the long-term debate on the study of China's ancient classics, the two gradually infiltrated and merged with each other. The White Tiger View Conference held in the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 79) was an important academic conference held by the government to communicate the similarities and differences between ancient Chinese and Confucian classics. The result of the meeting was written by Ban Gu as "White Tiger Tong De Lun", also known as "White Tiger Yi Tong", referred to as "White Tiger Tong". Based on the Confucian classics of modern literature, White Tiger Tong initially realized the unification of Confucian classics. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zheng Xuan, a master of Chinese studies, made a comprehensive summary of modern Chinese classics and put forward his own views. Zheng Xuan is based on studying China's ancient classics, but he can absorb the advantages of China's modern classics. His attitude is rigorous, seeking truth from facts, and there is no doubt, thus surpassing his predecessors. From then on, Zheng Xue prospered, which not only marked the end of the dispute over the study of classical Chinese classics, but also marked the decline of the study of Confucian classics in the Han Dynasty, and later the study of modern Chinese classics also disappeared.

The Han dynasty was the most prosperous era of Confucian classics, and the study of Confucian classics in the ruling and opposition parties became a common practice. There is a folk proverb quoted in The Biography of Han Weixian, which says, "The golden jade is outside, but the defeat is among them". In the Han dynasty, "ruling the prison by Confucian classics" was a major feature of the combination of Confucian classics and dynasty politics, and it was also a major symbol of the prosperity of Confucian classics in the Han dynasty. Confucian scholars, through judicial practice and private school education, changed customs and customs, and deeply implanted Confucian classics into ordinary people.

Confucian classics in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties

Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties were the period when Confucian classics went from decline to division. During Cao Wei period, there was an argument between Wang Xue and Zheng Xue. Wang Xue refers to the Confucian classics system founded by Wang Su. Wang Su is Si Mazhao's grandfather, so Wang Xue won the support of Sima's family. His notes on Shangshu, Poetry, The Analects of Confucius, Li San and Zuo's Chunqiu, as well as Yi Zhuan written by his father, are all listed as official schools. The argument between Wang Xue and Zheng Xue is not purely academic, but a strong political struggle. This debate also marks the decline of Confucian classics in Han Dynasty.

Wang Bi and Yan He made great achievements in the study of Confucian classics in Wei and Jin Dynasties. Wang Bi's Annotation to Zhouyi broke away from the old way of interpreting Zhouyi with imagery and divination in Han Dynasty, and created a new way of interpreting Zhouyi with righteousness and speculative philosophy, which is a great change in the history of Confucian classics. The Analects of Confucius compiled by Yanhe has a great influence on later generations. The characteristics of Confucian classics in this period are the gradual metaphysics of Confucian classics.

Confucian classics in the Southern and Northern Dynasties were also divided into southern studies and northern studies with the political opposition between the North and the South. According to "History of the North Scholars", the Book of Changes of the Southern Sect respected Wang Bi, abandoned the number of images and promoted righteousness. Shangshu is popular with Confucius' biography of China ancient literature, while Zuozhuan is popular with Zuozhuan. Zheng Xuan is the master of Zhouyi and Shangshu, while Zuo Zhuan is the master of Xiao Jing. "Southerners are simple and get their essence; The north is deep and the branches and leaves are poor. " In terms of academic style, Xue Nan was greatly influenced by metaphysics and Buddhism, and he was able to learn from others' strong points, which reflected the improvement of his philosophical thinking ability, while Beixue was influenced by the simple fashion of northern nomadic people and maintained the characteristics of Confucian classics in Han Dynasty.

Sui and Tang Confucian classics

In the Tang dynasty, the study of Confucian classics was based on the need of selecting scholars and was promoted by the power of the state. Kong's Justice of the Five Classics is a masterpiece of this era, and it is also the summary and peak of Sinology since Zheng Xuan. On the one hand, its compilation became a textbook for scholars, on the other hand, it also symbolized the establishment of the legitimacy of the government in the holy system, which influenced the later classical compilers headed by the government, such as the Complete Book of the Five Classics in the Ming Dynasty, the Yongle Dadian in the Qing Dynasty and the Complete Book of Siku. Confucian classics in this period were also introduced to South Korea and Japan, which became the code followed by other countries. The Japanese emperor established his political and legal status with Confucian classics.

Confucian classics in song dynasty

Neo-Confucianism rose in Song and Ming Dynasties. Since Chao Dynasty, Neo-Confucianism has reinterpreted, questioned, revised and deleted the ancient classics in order to return to the pre-Qin classics, and expounded its own conservative or radical views. During this period, four books, The Analects of Confucius, Mencius, Daxue and The Doctrine of the Mean, appeared, which were defined as the need to restore the thoughts of saints and repositioned as ideological works beyond the Five Classics.

Confucian classics in Ming dynasty

The Ming Dynasty continued the Neo-Confucianism line of the Song Dynasty. On the one hand, the government compiled the official version of classic texts, on the other hand, the strength of southern Confucian classics gradually increased. For example, Wang Yangming was the most important Neo-Confucianism in the Ming Dynasty. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, almost all Confucian scholars had Wang Yangming's heroic spirit, and organized societies in succession to launch discussions, public opinions and impeachment in the ruling and opposition parties, confronting corrupt governments and eunuchs, forming fierce and bloody party struggles, which laid the internal cause for the demise of the Ming Dynasty. Another part of Ming dynasty exiles, pirates, businessmen and scholars took Japan as an important base to carry out activities, which further promoted the study of Confucian classics in Japan. For example, Confucius, Mencius and Wang Yangming were all respected by ministers and shogunate, and Zhu Shunshui's thought of "respecting the king" and "rejecting the foreign countries" with The Spring and Autumn Annals as the core influenced the political tone of the Mito school, which in turn caused a great trend of thought in the Meiji Restoration.

Confucian classics in Qing dynasty

In the early Qing Dynasty, influenced by the demise of the Ming Dynasty, scholars began to think about the disadvantages of Wang Yangming's route. On the other hand, due to the Qing emperor's practice of literary inquisition and the compilation of Si Kuquan Shu and Ming Shi, the practical study and textual research route of Confucian classics with less political intervention were particularly developed, with special emphasis on studying Confucian classics in a large number of ancient books, philology, phonology and exegetics, and even further textual research. In the late Qing Dynasty, there were many rams who advocated radical reform based on the needs of the times, among which Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao of Changzhou School were the most powerful and active figures.

Confucian classics after the Republic of China

After the Republic of China, because a large number of western learning and political movements replaced the original ideas of Confucian classics, many ideas appeared under the influence of the two. Generally speaking, the idea of completely rejecting western learning no longer exists, but there is still a line dispute between "taking learning as the body and using western learning" and comprehensive westernization. Hu Shi said in the article "On Six Classics as the Source of Leaders": "The Confucian classics are all ancient historical materials except Mencius and Book of Rites." [1], Hu Shi regarded the Book of Songs as a literary work, not a classic [2]. The authority of ancient Confucian classics declined, and Confucian classics gradually declined. In the 1920s, He Jian, Chen and others advocated that the school should resume the course of Confucian classics, which met with many objections.

After the partition of the two sides of the Taiwan Straits, Chinese mainland spared no effort to crack down on Confucian classics, especially during the Cultural Revolution, especially in Chinese mainland. This route led some scholars to think that "the Cultural Revolution was the summary of the May 4th Movement". In contrast, Taiwan Province Province at that time kept the classical ideas completely and properly. Today, facing the impact of western human rights thought and the social demand of reform and opening up, Chinese mainland began to re-examine the contents of Confucian classics, trying to establish China values that can compete with western values from the standpoint of Confucian classics, and gradually set up academic research units at the beginning of 2 1 century. This action has attracted the attention of East Asian cultural circles, including Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea and other countries, all of which have shown great interest in the establishment of this value. On the other hand, in Taiwan Province Province, due to the rotation of political parties, under the thinking of de-China and re-localization, Confucian classics were kept low-key.

In Chinese mainland, there are political factors that must be avoided in the study of Confucian classics. These political factors originated from social movements such as vigorously advocating the elimination of the four old, the establishment of the four new and the overthrow of Kongjiadian in the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which caused great damage to the study of Confucian classics, and the study of Confucian classics was regarded as a political poisonous weed. After the reform and opening up, the study of Confucian classics mostly belongs to the Chinese Department, the Philosophy Department or the History Department.

In Taiwan Province Province, Shirley of Academia Sinica studies all the groups of Confucian classics, and the Chinese Department also gives lectures on Confucian classics in thought groups. In 2003, the National Kaohsiung Normal University established the Research Institute of Confucian Classics, which is the only research institute of Confucian Classics in the world at present, and keeps close contact with many departments related to Confucian Classics, non-governmental organizations promoting Confucian Classics and educational institutions reading Confucian Classics in Chinese mainland. The first director, Dr. Huang Zhongtian, and the second director, Professor Cai Genxiang, became the most important core figures in promoting Confucian classics in Taiwan Province Province. In 2006, the Economic Research Institute applied to set up a doctoral program, but it was rejected by the Ministry of Education.