Similarities and differences between ancient and modern Confucian classics
Similarities and differences between ancient and modern Confucian classics
Modern Confucian classics and ancient Confucian classics are two schools of Confucian classics formed in the late Western Han Dynasty. The so-called "modern prose" and "ancient prose" originally only refer to two kinds of fonts. "Bronze inscription" refers to the official script prevailing in the Han Dynasty, and "ancient writing" refers to the ancient writing before Qin Shihuang unified China. Scholars who teach classics are called "ancient writers" and "modern writers" when their manuscripts are written in ancient Chinese characters of the Warring States period.
The opposition between "modern writers" and "ancient writers" began when the Western Han Dynasty mourned the emperor. When Liu became emperor, he wanted to find the ancient prose Zuo's Biography in the Spring and Autumn Period. He thought that Zuo Qiuming and Confucius had the same likes and dislikes, so he personally met Confucius. Therefore, Zuo's Biography in Chunqiu is more credible than Ram and Gu Liang, so he quoted Zuo's Biography to explain Chunqiu. In the first year of Jianping (the first six years), Liu Xin wrote Dr. Taichang's Book. With all the classics in this book established by scholars and doctors, he tried to establish ancient classics and pass them on to scholars. However, in the imperial court of the Western Han Dynasty, not only Dr. Tai Chang, who was a teacher, was a modern scholar, but even those senior officials obtained their official positions by studying modern classics. So Liu Xin's request was opposed by various Confucian doctors and failed. Because of this, it has the name of "ancient prose" with factional meaning. However, "Jinwen" was a name that didn't appear until the Eastern Han Dynasty, because ancient writers were unique and forced the original Confucian classics to form a school. It was added by ancient writers to Confucian classics, Confucian classics and Confucian classics.
Although the dispute between Confucian classics and ancient prose began in the late Western Han Dynasty, its peak was in the Eastern Han Dynasty. However, in this struggle, it is the study of China's ancient classics that is rising day by day, spreading widely among the people and gradually taking advantage. It was not until Zheng Xueqi that he learned ancient Chinese. Approach and mix together. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, the modern school of Confucian classics, represented by Pi and Kang Youwei, and the ancient school of Confucian classics, represented by Zhang Taiyan and Wei Liu, formed a modern debate on modern ancient Confucian classics. The controversy over Confucian classics between modern Chinese and ancient Chinese was ups and downs, which influenced many academic fields around 2000 and occupied an important position in the history of China.
Modern Confucian classics are different from ancient Confucian classics in font, writing, text form, important names, systems and explanations. Confucian classics in modern literature are close to philosophy, emphasizing "practical application"; The study of China's ancient classics is close to history and pays attention to textual research. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, there were also differences between theism and atheism, and between politics and academics. However, from a purely academic point of view, there are different views on the study of Confucian classics, and there are also different views on the study of ancient Chinese classics. No one can be regarded as an authority on the interpretation of the Five Classics, let alone who got the true biography of Confucius.
The dispute between Confucian classics and ancient prose in the Eastern Han Dynasty is essentially about who is the orthodoxy of Confucian classics and how to unify the thoughts of Confucian classics. Confucian classics is established by scholars, who are also officials by studying Confucian classics, and courtiers get positions by studying Confucian classics, so it is difficult for Confucian classics to be recognized by the society. Once academic and political interests are combined, academic issues will become political issues. Because of this, the dispute between Confucian Classics in modern literature and Confucian Classics in ancient literature has expanded from a simple different view of books to academic thoughts, school system, political concepts and social status, which has almost run through the whole long feudal society, and has had an important impact not only on the development of Confucian Classics, but also on the development of China history.
What is the dispute between Confucian classics and ancient prose in Han Dynasty? Why can it last for thousands of years?
First, Qin Shihuang burned books to bury Confucianism-the chief culprit of the dispute between ancient China people and modern China people.
After Qin Shihuang unified the whole country, in order to strengthen ideological control and consolidate the unified situation, he implemented the policy of burning books and burying Confucianism. It is stipulated that hundreds of history books in six countries, except those that can be collected by doctoral officers, shall be burned and shall not be kept privately. And killed some alchemists and Confucian scholars. Qin Shihuang's policy of burning books and burying Confucianism became the chief culprit of the dispute over ancient classics in China.
I asked historians to burn all the records of the Qin Dynasty. Those who dare to have poems, books and hundreds of languages in the world without being doctors will carefully preserve and burn them. Some people who dare to talk about poetry and books have abandoned the market. Think of the past as a family that is not the present. Those officials are all guilty of the same crime if they don't mention it. If it doesn't burn for the next 30 days, it will be a city. Those who don't go, the book of planting trees. If you want to study law, you should take an official as your teacher. -"The Biography of Qin Shihuang"
After Qin Shihuang ordered the burning of Confucian works, many Confucian classics in the pre-Qin period were lost. So there were no professors and people who studied Confucian classics in the Qin Dynasty. Confucian classics circulated in the early Han Dynasty were mainly preserved in the following two ways:
Path 1 (the source of modern Confucian classics): Old Confucians who are proficient in Confucian classics are recorded in popular characters (official scripts) at that time and passed on to future generations by reciting. This is also the main way to produce this passage. Because the Qin dynasty did not exist for a long time, only for more than 30 years. Therefore, its short death provides the possibility that this passage can be preserved. Path 2 (the source of ancient classics): Before the Qin Dynasty burned books to bury Confucianism, some Confucian scholars buried Confucian classics, and after the demise of the Qin Dynasty, these Confucian classics were rediscovered. In other words, they can be buried in many ways. Some hide books in cracks in the wall, while others hide them underground. In a word, they are hidden in some places where people can hardly find them. There are two places to find the most books. One is the former residence of Confucius in Qufu. The other is Wang Xian in Hejian. These Confucian classic fonts discovered in succession during the Warring States period were all copied with seal script before the reunification of Qin Dynasty, so they are also called ancient prose.
King Lu Gong's bad Confucius residence wanted to be a palace, but he got ancient prose on the bad wall. -Historical records
Because Confucian classics are spread in different ways. Therefore, Confucianism is divided into modern classics and ancient classics. Today's classics are mostly written in official script, which was very popular in Han Dynasty. Most ancient classics were written in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The study of Confucian classics was manifested in these two forms in the early Han Dynasty, which also laid the groundwork for the dispute between Confucian classics and ancient prose.
Second, the difference between modern classics and ancient classics.
The dispute between modern classics and ancient classics can last for thousands of years, in the final analysis, because of the differences in specific ideas and values between them. In addition, they also respected different Confucian classics, and their attitudes towards Confucius and Duke Zhou were very different, and their interpretations of Confucian classics were also very different. Let's analyze the specific differences between modern classics and ancient classics in detail:
1. Different interpretations of Confucian classics ―― the main differences in their struggle.
Modern literary scholars and ancient literary scholars have different interpretations of traditional Confucian classics, such as Poem, Book, Rite, Book of Changes, Yue, Chunqiu and so on. Moreover, there are great differences between the Confucian classics and the ancient prose writers in the ranking of the Six Classics. According to the Western Han Confucian Classics headed by Dong Zhongshu, the order of the Six Classics is Poetry >: Book > Rite > Music > Yi > Spring and Autumn Period. However, China ancient classic scholars, led by Ban Gu, believe that the order of the Six Classics is Yi >: Book > Poetry > Li > Yue > Spring and Autumn Period. Moreover, the two have different works of annotation on the Six Classics:
(1) "Poetry"
China Ancient Classic: Shi Mao
Modern literary classics: Lu, Qi and Han poems.
This book
China's Classical Works: The Ancient Classic History of China
Today's text: Fu Sheng, Da Xiahou, Xiao Xiahou
③ "reason"
China's classic works: Yi Li and Zhou Guan.
Today's text classics: Da Dai, Xiao Dai,
The Book of Rites of Qingshi
④ Easy.
China's classic works: non-poetic meaning and high poetic meaning.
Text: Shi Kan,,, He,.
⑤ Spring and Autumn Annals
China's classic works: Zuo Zhuan, Zou Zhuan and Yong Zhuan.
Today's Classics: Yan Shi, Yan Shi, Liang Chunqiu
Through the classification of the above Confucian classics, we can clearly find that ancient scholars and modern scholars have completely different interpretations of Confucian classics. They have their own schools of thought in poetry, calligraphy, etiquette, Yi, Spring and Autumn Period and so on. Moreover, Confucian scholars in modern literature and ancient prose often add their own values when annotating Confucian classics. Once different values permeate into the study of Confucian classics, the study of Confucian classics will undergo fundamental changes, making it serve different people.
2. Different attitudes and research methods towards Confucian classics.
The difference between modern classics and ancient classics is not only the difference between words and explanatory works. Their attitudes towards Confucian classics and their research methods towards Confucianism are also different.
Jing believes that the interpretation of Confucian classics mainly lies in its application. In terms of research methods, the scholars advocate the deduction of chapters and sentences, combine the theory of Yin-Yang and Five Elements in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period with the name of punishment, give full play to the principle of justice, and advocate the idea of divine right of monarchy, great unity, three cardinal principles and five permanent members. In fact, the modern classics handed down from later generations are largely influenced by Dong Zhongshu's neo-Confucianism. It gradually evolved after being improved by Dong Zhongshu.
Taking Huangdi and Laozi as examples, Emperor Jing of Han Dynasty reformed the Confucian classics before establishing Taoism. Click on the ruling and opposition, and read ironically. -Historical records
China's ancient books and records hold that we should pay attention to the study of ancient laws and regulations, and we should not combine the theory of Yin-Yang and Five Elements with the name of punishment when analyzing the development and evolution of things. Pay attention to learning from teachers and strictly abide by family laws. In terms of research methods, China classical scholars pay attention to the exegesis of chapters and sentences, and regard Confucian classics as ancient historical materials. In short, they regard Confucian classics as history books. It did not raise the Confucian classics to a sacred and inviolable height. Therefore, on the whole, China's ancient classics are conservative relative to modern times.
Qiu Ming was afraid that his disciple would lose his true meaning, so he made a biography about his skill, and the master did not talk about the scriptures. Chunqiu belittles adults, current monarchs and ministers, and has authoritative power. Its facts are all in the form of biographies, hidden in books, and it is difficult to avoid time. At that time, spoken English was popular, so there were biographies of Ram, Gu Liang, Zou and Jia. Of the four families, the "ram" was established by scholars, Zou had no teacher and Jia had no book. -"Han Shu Yi Wen Zhi"
3. Different attitudes towards Confucius.
In addition to the different research methods, their attitudes towards Confucius are also very different. This difference is mainly reflected in the evaluation of Confucius:
Confucian scholars believe that Confucius is the king of elements, and the six classics are all created by Confucius. Confucius is the founder of many existing systems. Confucius is not the inheritor of Confucian culture, but the founder of Confucian culture. Therefore, Confucian scholars have evaluated Confucius as the originator of Confucianism.
Duke of Lu Zhou, the ceremony is prepared, and the historian has the law. Therefore, it is humane to abide by the historical records and follow them with Zuo Qiuming. Meritorious service is punished, and the holiday month is calculated by calendar, and the court has a reward. There are different opinions, not reading books, dictating to disciples, and disciples withdrawing their words. -"Han Shu Yi Wen Zhi"
Classical scholars in ancient China believed that Confucius was the first teacher, and a set of theoretical system of Confucius was inherited from Duke Zhou. Its main feature was that it was not passed on. Therefore, China ancient classic scholars evaluated Confucius as the inheritor of Confucian culture.
Zhou Shi is small, and his records are incomplete. Zhong Nisi keeps the legacy of his predecessors, saying that he can speak Li Xia, but he cannot prove it; Yin can talk, but Song is not smart enough. There is not enough literature, so it is enough and can be collected. -"Han Shu Yi Wen Zhi"
Third, the struggle process between modern classics and ancient classics-a seesaw battle that lasted for thousands of years.
If we consider the struggle between modern classics and ancient classics from the perspective of Chinese civilization for 5000 years, you will find that this struggle has far-reaching influence and has an important impact on the direction of our entire civilization. This struggle began with the demise of the Qin dynasty and lasted until modern times, lasting for nearly two or three thousand years. Today, many of our ideas are still influenced by modern classics and ancient classics. In the course of these thousands of years of struggle, Jin Wenjing and Gu Wenjing have won and lost each other. As the saying goes, "feng shui turns, come to my house this year", and they take turns sitting in the village. However, neither can completely destroy the other.
In the long river of history, the struggle between the two is very complicated. Due to the limited space, it is impossible to describe it in detail. In the following, I will choose several periods of fierce struggle in history to discuss:
1, Han dynasty-the peak of the dispute over ancient Chinese prose.
The Han Dynasty was the first peak of the dispute between classical Chinese and classical Chinese. This struggle began with the discovery of ancient Chinese classics by Confucius and Hejian Wang in the early Western Han Dynasty, and ended with the initial integration of the two classics by Ma Rong and Zheng Xuan in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Throughout the Han dynasty for more than 400 years. During this period, modern classics and ancient classics struggled and merged, and finally developed in the same direction. The following are the main stages of their struggle:
(1) stage 1: (Early Western Han Dynasty) This article has advantages.
In the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, this kind of writing appeared earlier. Moreover, Dong Zhongshu and others were appreciated by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty for their good governance. At Dong Zhongshu's suggestion, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established a policy of taking Confucianism as the ruling ideology. Put forward the policy of "ousting a hundred schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone". But the "Confucianism" emphasized by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty here is a modern classic rather than an ancient classic. At the suggestion of Dong Zhongshu, many Confucian classics in modern literature have been established as scholars one after another.
"Dong Zichuan's Ram and The Story of the Spring and Autumn Period are well-founded and combined with the Biography of the Ram. It's Dong Zi, a famous Confucian scholar. " . -Lecture on Confucian Classics and Family Law
However, during this period, the development of China's ancient classics was not so good. Because the ancient classics appeared relatively late, their influence in society was limited. Moreover, ancient classics are more conservative than modern classics, and many of their values are not suitable for Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty to strengthen centralization. Therefore, in the early Han dynasty, ancient classics were only circulated in a small scale among the people, and their influence at the national level was still very limited.
(2) Stage 2: (Late Western Han Dynasty) Ancient Chinese Classics began to rise.
After the folk development in the early and middle Western Han Dynasty, the study of ancient Chinese classics gradually matured in the late Western Han Dynasty, and the ideological system and values were more and more in line with the ruling ideology at that time. When Han became emperor, he ordered people to search for the world's suicide notes. Liu Xiang and Liu Xin are responsible for handling and sorting out a large number of books. In the process of collecting books, they also found ancient classics such as Zuo's Biography in the Spring and Autumn Period, Shi Mao and Yi Li. At the same time, China's ancient classics began to spread on a large scale.
When Wang Mang was in power, in order to usurp the Han Dynasty, Wang Mang improved the status of ancient books in China. And take China's ancient classics as the theoretical basis for his regime change. Liu Xin took the opportunity to establish scholars such as Zuo's Spring and Autumn Annals, Wen Gu Shangshu and Shi Mao for the purpose of deboning and restructuring. Later, he studied Jing Yue as a doctor, and six chapters of Zhou Guanjing also established doctors.
Writing of Six Arts, ... "Yi" is the original, "Yi" is the deep, people are more sacred, and the world is three ancient "-Liu Xin
During this period, compared with the development of China's ancient classics, China's modern classics are declining step by step. Due to the lack of political support, Beijing's influence in society has gradually declined.
(3) Stage 3: (Eastern Han Dynasty) Modern classics and ancient classics are integrated.
After Liu Xiu established the Eastern Han regime, he cancelled the doctor of classical Chinese classics and re-established the doctor of modern Chinese classics, doctor 14. Although China's ancient classics can't be established by scholars, they are still widely circulated among the people. In fact, in this period, it can be clearly found that behind today's dispute between ancient prose and classics lies an ideological dispute, a struggle between one political force and another.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Ma Rong, Zheng Xuan and other ancient Chinese classics scholars were compatible with modern Chinese classics and ancient Chinese classics, divorced from various traditions and attached importance to complicated classics, and won praises from both modern Chinese classics and ancient Chinese classics. At this point, modern classics and ancient classics have achieved initial integration, and the struggle between them has come to an end for the time being.
Zheng Xuan's encyclopedic ceremony snared many people, deleted numerous false reports and changed the publication, which naturally made scholars know a little. Wang's father, Yu (Fan Ning), always thought that the gate was insurmountable. He also teaches students and apprentices, specializing in Zheng's family law. -"The Book of the Later Han Dynasty"
2. Late Qing Dynasty-another peak of the dispute between ancient and modern Chinese.
The dispute over ancient Chinese prose reached its peak in the Han Dynasty, which lasted for nearly two thousand years, and reached its peak again in the late Qing Dynasty. In fact, these two peaks have a * * *. That is, they are all in an era of great social change. Faced with many new things in the late Qing Dynasty, people's thoughts were strongly impacted. Thus, in the ideological and cultural field, once again set off a dispute between ancient prose and modern prose. Different from the Han Dynasty, people's thoughts in the late Qing Dynasty were influenced by the West. Facing the differences between modern classics and ancient classics, people were more rational. They can re-examine this difference with some modern ideas. In the late Qing Dynasty, the dispute between the study of ancient Chinese classics and the study of modern Chinese classics was divided into two schools: the school of modern Chinese classics headed by Kang Youwei and the school of ancient Chinese classics headed by Zhang:
(1) The Confucian School headed by Kang Youwei advocates reform and opposes respecting heaven and learning from the scriptures.
In the late Qing Dynasty, Kang Youwei was very popular politically. Relying on Emperor Guangxu, who had no real power, he advocated political reform and established a bourgeois constitutional monarchy in China. In order to publicize his political reform thoughts, Kang Youwei once again raised the banner of Togo's restructuring. Because Kang Youwei was originally a master of Confucian classics, he kept many thoughts of Confucian classics in mind. In order to publicize his thought of political reform, he dressed Confucius as a pioneer of political reform and reform. Confucius is regarded as the originator of political reform and reorganization. I want to reduce the resistance to political reform in this way. Under the guidance of this thought, Kang Youwei has successively completed two books, New Learning Test and Confucius Reform Test:
"A Study of New Learning and Pseudo-Classics": This book is also Kang Youwei's first book to promote the thought of reform and political reform. In this book, Kang Youwei launched a fierce attack on the study of China's ancient classics. He believes that the ancient classics such as Zhouyi and Shangshu were all invented by Liu Xin when Wang Mang was restructured. These ancient classics have nothing to do with Confucius. They were all forged by Wang Mang in order to usurp the regime of the Han Dynasty. In addition, Kang Youwei also believes that Ma Rong's study of Zheng Xuan at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty is also a study of Wang Mang's new dynasty. It is not a real classic of ancient China. Kang Youwei's idea is not in line with reality to some extent. But he wanted to provide a theoretical basis for his reform in this way.
"The beginning of the pseudo-pseudo, the system of chaotic saints, since Liu Xin; Those who spread false classics and usurped Confucius were born in Zhengxuan. Therefore, the Confucian classics were taken from the Duke of Zhou, Confucius was suppressed as a biography, the sacred law of Confucius' restructuring was swept away, and the "Six Classics" were upside down. The sacred system was buried in the fog; Heaven and earth are abnormal, and the sun and moon change color. Isn't it unusual to take Confucius' destiny as the great sage and the wind as the load of 400, while the land is still in midsummer and it is difficult to be embarrassed, and even this extreme? -"A New Theory of Apocrypha"
Examining Confucius' political reform: This book was also compiled by Kang Youwei for political reform and reform. In this book, Kang Youwei argues that Confucius was the forerunner of the political reform and reform. The history before Confucius is boundless. Confucius created images of Yao, Shun, Wen, Wu and so on through his own thoughts, and spread his political ideals under the guise of these ancient kings and sages. Lively made Confucius the originator of political reform and reorganization. Moreover, according to Jing Sansheng III. Divide society into troubled times, peace and peace. A society that believes in absolute monarchy is in troubled times. Constitutional monarchy represents the whole life. Democracy and harmony are peaceful times.
"Two thousand three hundred and seventy-six years after the death of Confucius, Kang Youwei read his last words and said thoughtfully and sadly," Hey, husband! So that I can't see peace and have fun with Datong. What is this? That I can't see the peaceful rule of China ... How can I achieve the same happiness? "-"Confucius system reform "
(2) The School of Classical Chinese Classics headed by Zhang Taiyan advocates carrying forward the quintessence of the country and preserving the tradition.
Corresponding to the Confucian Classics School headed by Kang Youwei is the Confucian Classics School headed by Zhang Taiyan. Although Zhang Taiyan was a revolutionary founder who participated in the Revolution of 1911, his thoughts were not as radical as his actions. Zhang Taiyan is still relatively conservative in cultural thought. He opposed Kang Youwei's "New Learning and Pseudo-Classics Test" and "Confucius Reform Test". People think that we should keep our national quintessence and carry forward our traditions in the process of modernization. Therefore, he opposed the complete acceptance of the western political system, especially Kang Youwei's behavior of reforming the political system.
It is the ears of the revolution that are saddened by Liang Zi; Those who mourn the revolution and think that the constitution is easy to change are their sacred main ears. -"On Benevolence and Enemy"
At the appeal of Zhang Taiyan. A trend of advocating the quintessence of Chinese culture was formed in the late Qing Dynasty. They advocate combining the excellent western political system with our traditional oriental culture to form a new cultural system and promote the modernization of China. This trend continued until the late New Culture Movement. In essence, this is also a microcosm of the dispute between ancient Chinese and modern Chinese in the Han Dynasty.
Conclusion: The dispute between modern prose and ancient prose is a "wealth" dispute within Confucianism and a manifestation of the ruling class's struggle for power and profit.
In fact, if we look at the dispute between ancient Chinese and modern Chinese from the perspective of overall historical view, we will find that. This kind of debate is essentially an interest debate. Whether it is a modern classic or an ancient classic, there are different ideologies hidden behind it. These two factions have different support forces, and modern classics and ancient classics also represent the interests of different interest groups. It is a struggle for "profit" within Confucianism and a manifestation of the ruling class's struggle for power and profit.
Although the two factions are arguing endlessly, they are still consistent in praising sages and kings, beautifying ancient politics and serving feudal rulers. This argument lasted for thousands of years, and it also had a great impact on the development of academic culture.