What is the difference between Dong Zhongshu's Neo-Confucianism and pre-Qin Confucianism?

Dong Zhongshu's Neo-Confucianism is the inheritance and development of pre-Qin Confucianism, but it has many characteristics compared with pre-Qin Confucianism.

(A) "Great Unity" is the core of political philosophy in Dong Zhongshu's Neo-Confucianism. During the reign of Emperor Jing of Han Dynasty, there was rebellion in Wu Chu, and the unified country was in danger of division. Dong Zhongshu believes that the important issue is to consolidate the centralized and unified political power and prevent the situation of separatism. Dong Zhongshu looked for the reason of great unity from Confucian classics and found "great unity" from Yang Gong Chunqiu. Dong Zhongshu put forward the theory of "great unification" according to the records in the Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ram. He said in "Three Strategies for Heaven and Man" that the great unification advocated in "Spring and Autumn Annals" is the nature of heaven and earth and is suitable for all ages. In his view, only by unifying thoughts can there be a unified statute and a code of conduct for the people, and political unity can be maintained and consolidated. To consolidate political unity with ideological unity, we must unify our thoughts with Confucianism represented by Confucius. Only political unity can bring long-term stability. At that time, the politics of the Han Dynasty was unified, but unstable. Unified thinking becomes the key to unity. Therefore, Dong Zhongshu repeatedly stressed the need to unify the world with Confucius and Confucianism. After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty adopted the proposal of unifying Dong Zhongshu's thoughts, he implemented the policy of "ousting a hundred schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone" and regarded Confucianism as the orthodox thought. Since then, the authority of Confucianism in the Han Dynasty has been established, resulting in China's unique Confucian classics and traditions.

(2) Dong Zhongshu's Neo-Confucianism has the characteristics of Confucianism outside and law inside. Based on Yang Gong Chunqiu, Dong Zhongshu combined the religious view of heaven with the theory of Yin-Yang and Five Elements since Zhou Dynasty, absorbed the thoughts of Legalists, Taoists and Yin-Yang School, and established a new ideological system. Therefore, in terms of ideological connotation, Dong Zhongshu's Neo-Confucianism, that is, the combination of Confucianism, Yin-Yang and Five Elements, the study of Huang Lao and Legalism, is no longer the original appearance of Confucianism in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, but a new idea that keeps pace with the times. Dong Zhongshu's Neo-Confucianism, in particular, takes the three cardinal guides and the five permanents as the core and the monarchy as the highest principle; Advocate good for punishment, and forbid Ren Wei to be punished; Put forward quotations and sentenced to prison; Developing the thought of execution in autumn and winter, with the Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty adopting Dong Zhongshu's suggestion of "respecting Confucianism alone", feudal orthodox legal thought characterized by Neo-Confucianism began to take shape. At this time, Confucianism is no longer a moral education, but a criterion for formulating a legal system, and the content advocated by Confucianism is incorporated into the rule of law, so it has the characteristics of Confucianism outside and law inside.

(3) Dong Zhongshu's Neo-Confucianism is theological. Dong Zhongshu's Neo-Confucianism put forward the theories of "harmony between man and nature" and "induction between man and nature", emphasizing the authority of the monarch, endowing him with theocracy, deifying the autocratic monarchy, aiming at putting on a sacred coat for the ruler, and politically advocating the unification of the monarch to strengthen and maintain the autocratic monarchy, so it is theological, and the mainstream of his philosophical thought is idealism. However, due to this idealism, in order to safeguard imperial power, it maintained feudal autocracy ideologically, adapted to the needs of the rulers, and maintained the order of feudal rule, which was highly praised by the rulers and became the social orthodox thought.