What are the core ideas of Laozi, Mencius, Confucius and Zhuangzi?

About Zhuangzi+Laozi and Confucius+Mengzi As we all know, the four in the title are representatives of Taoism and Confucianism respectively. These two schools of academic views are also very different. Here, let's analyze

Confucius

The great thinker and educator Confucius (551 BC? 479 BC), with the name Qiu and the character Zhongni, was a native of the state of Lu.

Confucius was a great thinker who founded the Confucian school.

First, he proposed ? Ren? s doctrine, that is, he asked the ruler to be considerate of the people, to love and cherish the people's strength, and not to excessively oppress and exploit the people, so as to ease the class conflicts.

Secondly, he advocated the rule of the people by virtue, opposing tyranny and arbitrary punishment. His doctrine later became the orthodoxy of China's feudal culture for more than 2,000 years and had a great influence on later generations.

Confucius was another great educator. In the slave society, only the children of nobles could be educated, and culture and education were monopolized by the government. Confucius organized private schools and recruited a wide range of disciples, breaking through the government monopoly and expanding the scope of education.

Confucius is said to have advocated ? teaching according to ability?

Confucius is said to have advocated the idea of "teaching the students according to their abilities". He taught students: learning knowledge should be frequently reviewed, ? to learn from the past to understand the new? The attitude of learning should be honest,? Knowing is knowing, not knowing is not knowing. ; to combine learning and thinking.

It is said that in his later years, Confucius compiled several ancient cultural texts, such as the Poetry and the Book, and also compiled the book Spring and Autumn Annals based on the historical materials of the state of Lu. This played a positive role in the preservation and development of ancient culture.

Mengzi

Mengzi (ca. 372 BCE to 289 BCE) was a great thinker of the Warring States period, one of the main representatives of Confucianism. His name was Ke, a native of Zou (present-day Zou County, Shandong Province). He was born in about the fourth year of King Lie of Zhou, and died in about the twenty-sixth year of King Blush of Zhou.

According to legend, Mencius was a descendant of the Meng Sun clan, a nobleman of the state of Lu. He lost his father at an early age, and his family was poor, so he was a student of Zi Si. After completing his studies, he lobbied the lords as a scholar in an attempt to promote his political ideas, traveling to the states of Liang (Wei), Qi, Song, Teng, and Lu. At that time, several great states were committed to enriching their countries and striving for unification through violent means.

Mengzi's doctrine of benevolent government was considered ? pedantic and far-flung and broad in matters?

Meng Zi's doctrine of benevolent government was regarded as ? He finally retired to lecture and, together with his students, ? ordering the Poems and the Books, describing the intentions of Zhongni, and composing seven articles of Mencius?

At the time when Mencius lived, a hundred schools of thought contended,? Yang Zhu and Mo Zhai's words filled the world?

Mengzi stood up for Confucianism and fiercely attacked it. Mencius inherited and developed the ideas of Confucius and put forward a complete system of thought, which had a great influence on the later generations, and was honored as second only to Confucius as the ? Sage of Asia?

Mengzi inherited and developed Confucius' idea of moral governance and developed it into the doctrine of benevolent government, which became the core of his political thought. He put ? pro-relationship? ,? and "long-lasting? principles in politics to ease class conflicts and safeguard the long-term interests of the feudal ruling class.

Mengzi closely integrated ethics and politics, emphasizing that moral cultivation was fundamental to good politics. He said: ? The foundation of the world is in the state, the foundation of the state is in the family, and the foundation of the family is in the body.? Later, the University proposed ? Cultivation, alignment, governance, and peace? was developed according to this thought of Mencius.

The highest category of Mencius' philosophical thought is heaven. Mencius inherited Confucius's idea of heavenly destiny, eliminated the residual meaning of personality god in it, and imagined heaven as a spiritual entity with moral attributes. He said: ? Sincerity is the way of Heaven.? Mencius stipulated the moral concept of sincerity as the essential attribute of heaven, and considered heaven to be the origin of the moral concepts inherent in human nature. Mencius' system of thought, including his political and ethical thought, is based on the category of heaven as its cornerstone.

Lao Zi

Surnamed Li Er Zi Bo Yang, posthumous name Dan, lived around the end of the Spring and Autumn Period between 580 and 500 B.C., as recorded in the Historical Records? Chu bitter county Li Township Qu Ren Li people? The name of the place is Li Township, Bitter County, Chu, which is now Zhengdian, Zhabei, Boyang County, Bozhou City, China.

Laozi served as ? History of the Zhou Collection Room?

Lao Zi was a historian of the Zhou Dynasty, who knew the books of the Zhou Dynasty and was very learned. Seeing the decline of the Zhou royal family, he abandoned his post and went west, where he met Yin Xi, the magistrate of the Hangu Pass. When he met Yin Xi, the magistrate of Hangu Pass, Yin Xi asked him to write a book, and Lao Zi wrote the next book. So Laozi wrote a book on the meaning of morality, more than 5,000 words, and went on to become a hermit. He eventually became a hermit. He eventually became a hermit and never knew where he ended up. (Historical Records)

The Tao Te Ching, also known as Lao Tzu, is a rich text with only 5,000 words, but it contains very rich and profound philosophical ideas. The core idea of Laozi's philosophy is? The core idea of Laozi's philosophy is that Taoism gives birth to all things. The universe as a natural process of creation and evolution, and all things in heaven and earth develop and change according to the laws of nature, while Taoism, the philosophy of Lao Tzu, is the core of his philosophy. Taoism is the origin of the world. is the source of the world. The essence of Laozi's philosophy is his simple dialectical thinking, that all things in heaven and earth are opposite to each other. , the two sides of the contradiction are interdependent and mutually conditional. It is also proposed that the two sides of the opposites can be transformed into each other, and things will always go to its opposite. In order to prevent it from going to the opposite side, he advocated that we should put ourselves in the position of the weak, thinking that ? Soft and weak is better than strong? This view has its rationality under certain conditions, but it ignores the struggle between the two sides of the contradiction and regards transformation as an unconditional cycle.

In political thought, Laozi advocated ? Wu Wei? , believing that only by doing nothing can we do nothing, reflecting the powerlessness of the rulers of the time and attempting to ease the sharp social contradictions. However, he had a strong opinion of the ? Hou Wang? s admonitions, such as ? The famine of the people is due to the amount of food and tax on their? ,? The people do not fear death, why do you fear death? But it is very incisive. The Laozi's view of history is backward, and calls for a return to the "small country with few people". The small country and the few people? The era of the small state and the few people, the time of? Neighboring countries look at each other, the sound of chickens and dogs are heard, and the people do not communicate with each other until they die?

Laozi philosophy has an important position in the history of Chinese thought, and many philosophers of later generations have been influenced by it to varying degrees. Since the Han Dynasty, no less than a thousand commentaries on Laozi have been published, which is rare in Chinese ancient literature. Laozi not only founded Taoism, one of the three major religions in China, but also his ideas can be said to have influenced the development of the entire history of Chinese philosophy later on, y affecting the ideology of the entire feudal society.

Zhuang Zi

(about 369 - 286 B.C.E.), named Zhou, with the character Zi Xiu, a native of the eastern suburb of the city of Mengcheng County (today's Dongcheng Road, Chengguan Town), was a famous thinker and literary figure during the Warring States period.

Chuang Zi wrote a book of more than 100,000 words in his life, which was titled "Zhuangzi". The emergence of this literature, marking the Warring States period, China's philosophical thought and literary language, has developed to the non-; far-reaching, profound level, is the treasure of China's ancient canon.

Therefore, Zhuangzi is not only a famous thinker in the history of our philosophy, but also an outstanding writer in the history of our literature. Whether in the philosophical thought, or literary language, he has given our thinkers and writers through the ages a profound, great influence, in our country's ideologists, literary history have a very important position.

Chuang Zi has done Mengcheng Lacquer Garden (in the present county on the north bank of the Eddy River Lacquer Garden site) officials of the small officials, but soon resigned. He was clothed in grass shoes, grits soup and wild vegetables, and lived in a quiet alley to write a book. When life was difficult to maintain, he borrowed food from the Marquis of the River.

When King Wei of Chu heard that Zhuang Zhou was a learned and virtuous man, he sent an envoy to Chiyuan (Mengcheng) to ask Zhuang Zi to be the prime minister of Chu. The envoy said that the king of Chu, after the will of the minister, Zhuang Zi said with a smile Chu said: ? Thousands of gold can be regarded as a heavy gift, and the position of prime minister can be said to be the most honored. But haven't you seen the oxen used in sacrifices? People fatten the cattle, red and colorful at the time of sacrifice, but still lead to the temple to kill for the sacrifice? I prefer to spend my days in the indifferent, not to do ?tititititititi? Zhuangzi in a joke? The metaphorical ox resigned from the phase? , and finally not for the prime minister of Chu.

In the early years of the Warring States period, the feudal lords were at war with each other, and there were frequent wars and social unrest. In such a social context, academic thinking is unprecedentedly active, academic schools competing, forming his unique philosophical system and ideological shore, only a hundred miles apart, so also known as their academic thinking as ? Lao Zhuang Vortex River of science?

Chuang Zi in his later years often fishing in the Pu water (now south of the city of Gorgon River), Eddy Water, swimming in the Hao Liang (now southwest of Fengyang Linhuai City, Anhui Province) to see the fish, and the fish and birds * * * Le, willing to live in a quiet and idle life.

Tang Tianbao yuan year (742 years), Emperor Xuanzong promulgated the marsh book, giving the name Zhuangzi as ? Nanhua Zhenzhen? , calling his book the Nanhua Zhenjing.

Throughout the ages, there have been a number of scholars who have studied Zhuangzi, whose writings number in the hundreds, and in recent years, there have been "Zhuangzi Vernacular" and "Zhuangzi Modern Edition".

I. Taoism

The core of Taoist thought is ? Tao? Tao? , is the origin of the universe and the law that rules all movements in the universe. Laozi once said in his writings: ? All things are mixed together and are born before heaven and earth. Xiao He! Liao huh! Independent and unchanged, can be the mother of heaven and earth. I do not know its name, strong name is called Tao? (Laozi, chapter 25)

Shi Ma Tan, the father of Sima Qian, the "Duke of History" of the Western Han Dynasty, wrote an article entitled "On the Six Schools of the Essentials," which summarizes the pre-Qin schools of thought as the six schools of Taoism, Confucianism, Mohammedanism, Nomenclature, Law, and Yin-Yang, and explains the six schools of the Essentials, and the gains and losses. He said: ? Taoist make people spirit of specialization, moving with invisible, support for all things. Its art is also, due to the Yin and Yang of the great smooth, take the good of Confucianism and ink, summary of the name of the law, and time to migrate, should change, and the common Shi things, nothing is not suitable, refers to about and easy to take, things less and more work. The art is based on nothingness, and is utilized by following the rules. There is no art, no permanent form, so it can study the feelings of all things. The first is not for the thing, not for the thing after, so can be the master of all things.

In the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Wen of Han and Emperor Jing of Han ruled the country with Taoist thought, allowing the people to recuperate from the harsh rule of the Qin Dynasty. History calls this the rule of Wen and Jing. Later, the Confucian scholar Dong Zhongshu advocated to Emperor Wu of Han? The policy of "Dismissing the Hundred Schools and Respecting Only the Confucians" was advocated by Confucian scholar Dong Zhongshu to Emperor Wu. which was adopted by later emperors. Since then, Taoism has become a non-mainstream ideology. Although not officially adopted, Taoism continued to play an important role in the development of ancient Chinese thought. The Wei and Jin schools of metaphysics and the Song and Ming philosophies were developed by incorporating Taoist ideas.

Buddhism was also influenced by Taoism when it was introduced to China, and Zen Buddhism was inspired in many ways by Zhuangzi. Among the pre-Qin schools of thought, Taoism did not have as many disciples as Confucianism and Mohism, and its status was not as exalted as that of Confucianism. However, with the development of history, Taoist thought, with its unique comprehension of the universe, society and life, presents eternal value and vitality in philosophical thought.

Taoist thought was later absorbed by religions such as Zhang Lu's Wu Dou Mi Dao and evolved into one of China's major religions ? Taoism. The Wei and Jin styles placed more emphasis on alchemy in their purification of metaphysics. As a result, Taoism and Daoism are often confused. (Zhang Ling, also known as Zhang Daoling, ? the founder of the Way of the Five Pieces of Rice, is also considered the founder of the Way of the Five Pieces of Rice s founder, is also considered the founder of Taoism).

A school of thought centered on Taoism was formed during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods in the Hundred Schools of Thought. Its founder is the famous thinker Laozi (Li Er), the main representative figure is the famous thinker Zhuangzi (Zhuang Zhou). Later, the Taoist and the famous, the Legalist merged, but also take the yin and yang, Confucianism, Mohist strengths and the formation of the Huang Lao school, advocating nothingness as the basis for the use of the cycle, due to the time and things, nothing and nothing. After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, due to the exclusive respect for Confucianism, the Huang-Lao school of thought began to decline, however, Taoist thought still influences traditional Chinese thought and culture.

Two, Confucianism

"Han Shu? Art and literature": "Confucianism stream, cover out of the Stuart's office, to help the ruler of the yin and yang Ming education also. Traveling in the six scriptures, pay attention to the occasion of benevolence and righteousness, ancestor of Yao, Shun, Charter Wen, Wu, Zongni, to emphasize their words, in the Road for the highest."

(Modern scholar Zhang Taiyan agrees with this view. However, Hu Shi held the opposite view, agreeing that the sons of the Huainanzi~Essentials were motivated by the ? to meet the needs of the world? s statement, thus advancing the idea that Confucianism was transformed from the warlocks among the remnants of the Yin and Shang dynasties).

The Spring and Autumn Period in which Confucius lived was a time when the deep crisis caused by irreconcilable contradictions within the society shook the authority of traditional culture, and the spirit of skepticism and criticism of traditional culture increased day by day, so that even Confucius, who had been an ancestor of Yao and Shun, and who had chartered the culture of the civil and military forces, could not help but infuse the spirit of the age in which he was living with the spirit of the times into his own system of thought, and to make appropriate modifications to the traditional culture, so that a new harmonious order and psychological order might be established in the practice of the society. The establishment of a new harmonious order and psychological balance, this situation to the great change of the Warring States period appears to be particularly prominent, because people in the collapse of the ruins of the old world has vaguely seen the dawn of a new era to break through the old hierarchical bondage of respect and inferiority.

What kind of social model the future would be became a major issue of concern to the whole world and gave rise to a great debate in the intellectual world in the style of a hundred schools of thought. The hundred schools of thought, which represented the interests of all classes and strata of society, put forward their own ideas, and one of the main points of contention was the question of how to treat traditional culture. One of the main points of contention was how to deal with traditional culture. The two major schools of thought, Confucianism and France, were the most representative of the ideological exchanges that centered on this issue. They are equal and opposite to each other, and all of them have been recognized as prominent schools of thought. There are also schools of thought such as Mohism, Taoism, and Yin-Yangism, which can be described as a wide range of schools of thought.

Confucianism is an important school of thought that emerged from the Hundred Schools of Thought during the Spring and Autumn Period. Its founder was the great thinker and educator Confucius, later developed by the thinker and literary scholar Mencius. The core of Confucianism is Ren. Confucius advocated the restoration of the Western Zhou ritual system in politics, and founded private schools in education, advocating the teaching of no class, focusing on teaching according to the material, and emphasizing the "no indignation, no enlightenment, no sentimentalism"; Mencius advocated that the king should carry out a "benevolent government" so as to make the world return to the heart. Confucianism in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period was respected by many rulers, but in the turbulent social situation at that time, the lords and vassals for the sake of their own interests and advocate the use of force, Confucianism is very difficult to implement the virtue of government. After the Han Dynasty, Confucianism was honored as the orthodoxy of feudal society.

Three, Taoism vs Confucianism

Confucianism is based on the idea of "the human being". The people are the main focus of Confucianism, and it emphasizes the importance of the human being. It focuses on the principle of "human beings" and "humanism" as the foundation of Confucianism. The people? It focuses on life, society and nature from a human perspective, emphasizes the meaning and value of human life, and proclaims morality as the highest value of life. Taoism, on the other hand, emphasizes the meaning and value of human life from the perspective of ? Nature. Taoism, on the other hand, is nature-oriented, emphasizing the meaning and value of human life and promoting morality as the highest value of life. Nature is the center of Taoism. Taoism, on the other hand, takes nature as its center, focusing on life, society and the universe from the perspective of nature, emphasizing that nature is the foundation of life, and advocating conformity to nature and a return to nature. It is precisely this that makes Taoism so important. Human and nature. nature. Therefore, in history, there are Confucianism to rule the world and Taoism to rule the body, and Confucianism to enter the world and Taoism to hide in the world.

While Confucianism and Taoism are different from each other, they are still able to integrate, complement each other, and are different from each other, constituting a ****existing ****glorious cultural pattern, which has dominated and influenced the spiritual life of the Chinese people for a long time.