What is the difference in the historical position of Taoism in China's traditional aesthetic thought in different historical periods?

Taoism is one of the main schools of China's ancient religious thought, and it is one of the important foundations of later Taoist theory. Representative figures are Lao Zi, Lieyukou, Zhuangzi, Shen Dao, Yang Zhu and Wang Xu. Taoism takes Tao, nothingness, nature and nature as its core concepts, and holds that there is nothing in heaven and nothing in earth, and everything has its opposite. On this basis, political and military strategies, such as ruling by doing nothing, protecting men with women, and being soft-hearted, were put forward, which had a great influence on China and even the world culture. Taoism has a history of more than two thousand years since the Spring and Autumn Period. The twists and turns of its development process are obvious. It was formed in the Spring and Autumn Period, flourished in the Warring States Period, frustrated in Qin Dynasty, brilliant in the early Han Dynasty, oppressed by Hanwu, revived in Wei and Jin Dynasties, and revived in the late Qing Dynasty.

foreword

Taoism, like Confucianism, runs through China's ideology and culture, especially the development of traditional culture. The development course of more than 2000 years has fully demonstrated its tenacious vitality. In its development process, in addition to its own perfection, progress and development, changes in external social conditions also promoted the development and evolution of Taoist thought. This paper mainly expounds and summarizes the different States of Taoist thought in different times and backgrounds from the social and historical factors, which reflects the influence of society on an ideology and culture.

This theory

First, the basic classification of Taoism

Taoism is named after the core idea of "Tao", which was first seen in the book Essentials of Six Classics by Sima Tan, a historian in the Western Han Dynasty. It is also called a moralist. Generally speaking, it can be divided into three schools: Zhuangzi School, Huang Lao School and Yang Zhu School.

Among them, the school of Laozi and Zhuangzi takes the avenue as its root, takes nature as its teacher, takes nature as its respect, takes inaction as its basis, and advocates self-denial, self-adaptation, unity of everything, natural Taoism and being far away from politics, which embodies the characteristics of "being separated from use", so it has become the spiritual home of literati in past dynasties away from cruel reality. Its representative figures are Laozi, Zhuangzi and Liezi. Based on nothingness, the Huang-Lao School absorbed the goodness of Confucianism and Mohism, summed up the essence of name and law, and advocated simplicity according to customs, inclusiveness, adapting to the times, living according to the Tao, governing the country according to law, simplifying the complex, and recuperating, which embodied the characteristics of "being immune to the complexity" and became the first-aid kit for successive governments to govern the world, and was also closely related to the prosperous times in ancient China. Its representative figures are Shen Dao, Tian Pian and Yuan Huan. Yang Zhu School advocates avoiding harm in life, attaching importance to oneself, attaching importance to the preservation of personal life, and opposing others' infringement on themselves and others. It belongs to another branch of Taoism, represented by Yang Zhu and Zi Huazi. After the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, it did not exist because it could not be tolerated by the world. But his lifelong protection thought was completely inherited by Taoism.

Second, the origin of Taoism

According to Hanshu, Taoist classics include Four Classics of Huangdi, Huangdi Ming, Records of Huangdi's Officials and Ministers, Miscellaneous Records of Huangdi, Limu, Yijing, Taigong, Xinjia, Xunzi and Guanzi. , suggesting that Taoism is related to the Yellow Emperor. In addition, unlike the origin of Confucian culture in Zhou Culture, Taoist scholars mostly come from Song, Chu, Qin, Qi and other countries, suggesting that Taoism is closely related to Yin and Shang cultures.

From the perspective of Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Shang Dynasty, the worship of everything was still prevalent in Yin and Shang Dynasties, and the objects of belief included all aspects of nature, such as river gods, mountain gods, sun, moon, stars, land gods and so on. Taoism's "nature", "self-transformation", "inaction" and "conformity" can all reflect this worship of everything in the world.

Third, the formation of Taoism.

At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, marked by the publication of Laozi's Tao Te Ching, Taoist thought has been fully formed.

Tao Te Ching put forward the idea of "governing by doing nothing", which became the governing strategy of some dynasties in China history (such as the early Western Han Dynasty). This thought can relieve the pressure of some people economically and play a certain role in the stability of early China. The Tao Te Ching has been annotated by many people in history, and even several emperors have annotated it. In the twenty-first year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty (647), Tao Te Ching was translated into Sanskrit and introduced to East Tianzhu. In the 23rd year of Tang Kaiyuan (735), Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty personally wrote Laozi. The famous Japanese emissary invited the old Amethyst and the "Buddha statue" of Laozi to return to China, which had an impact on the development of Japanese society.

Fourth, the prosperity of Taoism.

During the Warring States Period, Taoism formed three schools, namely, Yang Zhu School, Huang Lao School and Zhuangzi School. Except Zhuangzi School, Yang Zhu School and Huang Lao School both flourished for a while, among which Huang Lao School was the most prosperous. At that time, Huang Lao's thought not only became Tian Ji's thought of governing the country, but also had a great influence on hundred schools of thought through the contention of a hundred schools of thought, and also played a certain role in the Qin Dynasty during the Chu and Warring States periods, so that at the end of the Warring States period, what Mr. Meng called "Huang Lao's prosperity alone" appeared

The study of Huang Lao began in the Warring States and flourished in the Western Han Dynasty. Under the guise of Huangdi and Laozi's thoughts, it is actually a combination of Taoism and Legalism, which was formed by adopting the views of Yin and Yang, Confucianism and Mohism. In Tian Ji's general plan of governing the country, there have always been some basic principles, such as "obeying heaven and law", "obeying people's interests, forbidding people's evils" and "attaching importance to housing and benefiting agriculture" (of course, there are also some shadows of legalist thoughts, such as "adapting to the times and people's feelings" and "being cautious and strict").

Five, the setbacks of Taoism

Before the Qin Dynasty unified China, it organized people to compile Lv's Spring and Autumn Annals, which was mainly based on Taoist thought and integrated the theories of various schools. Obviously, Lv Buwei wants to take this as the ideology after the reunification. Lu's "Spring and Autumn Annals" absorbed a large number of Taoist theories of emptiness, quietness and inaction, and applied them to the political idea of being a monarch. He said, "A monarch has nothing false, so he can make everyone wise." Wisdom opposes incompetence, so it can make many people capable. If you can't do anything, you can make everyone do it. No wisdom, incompetence, inaction, what this gentleman did. ""it's not good for you. Secondly, you don't know anything. If you know, you are unprepared, and if you have something, you can't reply. If you are not ready, you will not be able to recover. This official is suspicious, and the evil has not yet arrived. " "The son of heaven is not complete, not extreme, not surplus. Will be missing, extreme reverse, and profits will be gone. "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals agrees with the pre-Qin Taoist thought of" doing nothing without doing anything ",which says:" The Great Sage does nothing without doing anything. " "Good is king, tired of discussing people, and worrying about things. "Lu Chunqiu believes that this superficial" inaction "can achieve the purpose of" governing the country by preserving things. " On the contrary, "people are good at showing their abilities, singing and self-motivation;" "People and ministers should not fight for positions, but should listen to their words; Is the monarch generation split, the result is bound to be the inversion of the functions of monarch and minister, resulting in confusion and danger. It should be said that these viewpoints in Lv's Spring and Autumn Annals originated from Laozi and developed Laozi.

However, Qin Shihuang, who was in power later, chose Legalism. Soon after the unification of China, he burned books and buried Confucianism, which frustrated hundred schools of thought, including Taoism.

This is the first time that Taoism has suffered since its origin, and it is also a serious turning point. Although it lasted for a short time, it did great harm to Taoist thought.

Sixth, the glory of Taoism.

After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, due to the destruction of long-term war, on the basis of reflecting on Qin's ruling thought, he began to choose Taoism as his ruling thought. After Liu Bang acceded to the throne, he adopted the advice of his uncle Sun Tong, restored etiquette, set up Mrs. Gongjiu, appointed Xiao He as prime minister, and adopted a policy of recuperation for the people. Encourage production and ignore taxes. At this time, due to years of turmoil and weak national strength, when Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang attacked the Xiongnu, he was besieged by Xiongnu Khan in Deng Bai, that is, the siege of Deng Bai. Since then, the Han dynasty adopted a pro-marriage policy and exchanged marriage and treasure for the peace of the empire. So there was no war in the early Han dynasty, and the people were able to recuperate.

During the reign of Emperor Liu Qi, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, he continued to adopt the method of ruling by Huang Lao without doing anything, and implemented the policy of paying taxes lightly and recuperating, serving people with virtue, restoring the great damage caused by years of war, reducing the burden on the people, and creating a prosperous era known as "the rule of culture and scenery."

Seven, the oppression of Taoism

After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty came to power, he adopted Dong Zhongshu's suggestion and advocated Confucianism, so the development of Taoism was temporarily suppressed. Abolished the thought of "Huang Lao talks about doing nothing" in Han dynasty and actively ruled the country; He adopted Dong Zhongshu's suggestion and began to reuse Confucianism. Although Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Yin and Yang, vertical and horizontal talents were used at the same time in Liu Che period, and the Han Dynasty has always been "based on Taoism", the adoption of Confucianism in Liu Che period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty made Confucianism get attention and gradually became the mainstream thought in China after two thousand years.

Eight, the resurrection of Taoism

During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, the wind of talking about metaphysics rose and Taoist thought revived. But this time, the focus is not on Huang Lao, but on the reinterpretation of Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi, which formed a profound metaphysics in Wei and Jin Dynasties. Since then, Laozi and Zhuangzi have become Taoist orthodoxy, which has continued to this day.

Metaphysics is the main philosophical trend of thought in Wei and Jin Dynasties, and it is a cultural trend of thought produced by the integration of Taoism and Confucianism. It can also be said that Taoism is a new way of expression, so it is also called new Taoism.

From the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Jin Dynasty, it was more than 200 years of troubled times. With the disintegration of the unified dynasty in the Eastern Han Dynasty, Confucianism, which ruled the ideological circle for nearly 400 years, began to lose its charm. Scholars are generally tired of the tedious style of study of Confucian classics in the Han Dynasty, the grotesque and shallow divination, and the platitudes of the three cardinal guides and the five permanent members, so they turn to find a new foothold and indulge in metaphysical philosophical debates. This argument is like the salon of later generations, where elegant celebrities (the famous "seven sages of bamboo forest" represented by Ji Kang and Ruan Ji are the embodiment of Wei and Jin Dynasties) get together to talk about metaphysics, which was called "talking clearly" or "talking about metaphysics" at that time.

Nine, the hidden Taoist priest.

After the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, although Taoist thought has repeatedly become the first aid kit for governing the country after chaos and the spiritual sustenance of some literati after frustration, it is mostly marginalized and can only continue to play a role in the fields of literature, art, science and technology. In addition, Taoism has been combined with Buddhism, forming a Chinese-style Buddhism-Zen; Taoism also played an important role in the formation of Neo-Confucianism and Yangming's Mind.

X. The revival of Taoism

In the late Qing dynasty, with the impact of the west, the Confucian ruling order was strongly impacted, Taoism and the western concept of freedom and democracy were interlinked, and Taoist thought was revived again. 199 1 Dong Guangbi first put forward the concept of contemporary neo-Taoism, which was put forward at the beginning of the 20th century. At first, people used it to refer to metaphysics in Wei and Jin Dynasties and Taoism in Qin and Han Dynasties, but later it was gradually abandoned because it was not as accurate as the latter. The present neo-Taoism mainly refers to the contemporary neo-Taoism, which was first put forward by Mr. Dong Guangbi in the article Contemporary Neo-Taoism. In his article, Neo-Taoism refers to those scientists who have made outstanding contributions inspired by Taoist thought. Physicists and historians of science, Hideki Yukawa, Joseph Needham and capra, are called "contemporary neo-Taoists".

Later, it received a warm response from Chen Guying and others. Since then, new theories have emerged, such as Taoism, Taoism, heaven liberalism, self-reform, etc., among which theories similar to Taoism have been applied and popularized in real life. Mr. Gong Zhebing further expanded the connotation of Neo-Taoism. He believes that anyone who agrees with Taoist thought, inherits Taoist tradition, establishes a new system and applies it under new conditions can be called new Taoism. Some folks also believe that modern people are willing to live according to their own nature and do not object to others living according to their own nature, all of which are new Taoists.

conclusion

People's understanding is from the shallow to the deep, and they are often confused by the superficial phenomena of things, so there is a repeated process. Everything in the world is moving and changing, and nothing is static. Therefore, people's understanding of an idea can only be completed by repeating it from cognition to practice and then from practice to cognition. The development of Taoist thought is tortuous, in fact, the development of other thoughts is also tortuous.

The political nature of Taoism has now withdrawn from the historical stage, and more advanced ideas such as Marxism support the development of our society. However, the essence of Taoist thought cannot be forgotten. After thousands of years of elutriation in the long river of history, it has blossomed and borne fruit again and again.