Wu Longhui: Who is the real Neo-Confucianism?

Mr. Tang Junyi, an overseas neo-Confucian, has published ten volumes by China Social Sciences Press and several volumes by Guangxi Normal University Press. However, due to various reasons, the whole picture of Mr. Tang's works has not been fully displayed, which has also affected the academic research of mainland scholars on Tang Junyi. The publication of Complete Works of Tang Junyi (Kyushu Publishing House) and Huangdi Neijing, a 39-volume edition, will certainly benefit scholars and contribute to their research.

Mr. Tang Junyi devoted himself to writing all his life. Its purpose is to dredge the lifeblood of China's cultural life, protect human dignity and keep the value standard, and its wish lies in the awakening of this cultural consciousness. His philosophical system of "Three Directions and Nine Realms" tries to cover all kinds of value forms of human culture, and all kinds of ancient and modern philosophies, integrating Chinese, Western, Indian, Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in one furnace. Under the background of the intersection and conflict between Chinese and Western cultures in the past century, it practiced the academic approach of integrating Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism and internalizing Indian China, which had a far-reaching impact on the development of modern philosophy in China. The Complete Works of Tang Junyi published by Kyushu Publishing House, based on the Complete Works of Tang Junyi published by 199 1 Taiwan Province Student Publishing House, re-edited, proofread, supplemented and classified some of Tang Junyi's works. The new edition tries to fully present Mr. Tang Junyi's love and persistence for the Chinese nation and China's traditional culture in the era of "flowers and fruits falling", as well as his belief in "self-cultivation of spiritual roots" and his creative spirit of returning to nature; At the same time, it truly presents its ideal humanistic thought system of "establishing three poles" and "opening three realms", integrates three major cultural systems of China, China and its unique life track as a real person, a real Indian and a real modern world.

Because the country has vigorously promoted traditional culture in recent years, Chinese studies seem to be hot. In this upsurge, Confucianism is dominant. As a result, all kinds of "masters of Chinese studies" appeared, and the Bible reading classes taught students by rote to make profits and make money, and various Confucian seminars and workshops gradually increased. I paid attention to the Six Classics and lied ... but the real Neo-Confucianism, such as Tang Junyi, Mou Zongsan and Xu, is not well-known and influential in the mainland. Not only that, some people who study Confucianism have degenerated into pseudo-Confucianism and legalism, and they are in cahoots with powerful people.

Generally speaking, the academic circles tend to think that although authentic Confucianism has no democratic thought, it has people-oriented thought. Meng Ziyun's "people first, the country second, and the monarch is light" is the most vivid embodiment. This kind of thought is obviously against the technique of the weak and untouchable advocated by legalists. Yuan Di Ji of the Han Dynasty: "Emperor Xiao Yuan ... was soft-hearted and good at Confucianism. Seeing that many scribes were used in the previous dynasty, he arrested ... tasted the swallow and said calmly:

Your majesty's punishment is too deep, so it is advisable to use Confucian scholars. Xuan Di said: The Han family has its own system, which is based on the hegemony of Taoism. Why pure moral education and politics?

"The emperors of past dynasties, the vast majority ruled the world with Confucianism, just as they said," all generations are good at the Qin political system ".

As Mr. Qin Gui said, after the Opium War, some of the best elites in China, such as Guo Songtao, who was stationed in Britain, were influenced by Confucian culture. They all saw the superiority of the Anglo-American democratic system, and they praised it with Confucian words, praising it as the "rule of three generations" that Confucianism yearned for. Liu Xihong, who served as the ambassador to Britain with Guo Songtao, can be described as "finishing Fu Jian in the late Qing Dynasty". He didn't hear a bad word about China's traditional system above the imperial court, but in his diary he praised Britain's democracy and thought it was much superior to China's autocratic imperial system. Therefore, it is logical that Mou Zongsan, Xu, Tang Junyi and others in the new Confucianism unanimously oppose legalism, totalitarianism and autocracy. What needs to be distinguished is that they also oppose legalism, totalitarianism and absolutism, but they have different starting points.

According to Liang Ruiming, a student of Tang Junyi, in Tang Junyi's view, the democratic system is superior to other political systems. "The social politics under a democratic system may not be perfect, but there is a real democratic system, so anyone who abuses power will not be allowed. Therefore, politicians in democratic politics dare not openly violate the law like politicians under autocratic monarchy and aristocratic autocracy. A democratic political system has universal laws and a universally recognized law of power succession. It does not adopt consanguinity, nor does it give orders according to individual power. It only chooses meritocracy according to objective rationality, and it is still superior to other systems in principle. " Not only that, Tang Junyi also stressed that "if the democratic system is to be implemented beautifully, it is necessary to improve the moral quality of the people through education at the same time. To improve people, we cannot just make laws. No matter how strict the law is, it cannot absolutely stop people's selfish behavior. To make up for the deficiency of democratic politics, it is necessary to cultivate legal awareness and improve people's moral awareness and conduct, which depends on education and cultural work. Therefore, the basis for the perfection of democratic politics still lies in the implementation of cultural education. "

Tang Junyi believes that although democracy is the best choice now, it is still not ideal. He advocated rule by courtesy, rule by man and rule by virtue, and advocated the transition from a "good democratic political system" to an "ideal democratic political system". From the perspective of "ideal democratic system", "China should retain the advantages and ideals of rule by courtesy, rule by virtue and rule by man, and at the same time have a system to prevent the rulers from unrestrained power desire. There are two aspects to be done: (1) developing people's universal objective will and establishing a goal.

Rule by law and rule by man

A system to prevent the political and moral will of the people in the government from declining; (2) In order to make all citizens accept the guidance of the principle of sex, it is necessary to cultivate a profession in Germany and support and promote the moral will of people in the government with rational principles. "

In my opinion, Mr. Tang Junyi is suspected of being too high in Chen Yi. However, his admiration for democracy is particularly worthy of deep thought by those who study Confucianism in Chinese mainland.