Chen Fu-chen And The Transition From The Study Of The Confucian Classics To The Study Of History

The modernization of historiography developed, together with the expanding process of its research area, focusing on "historiography" in studying the study of Confucian classic, the study of Pre-Qin Scholars etc. In order to practice the historical duty of "the six Confucian classics are all history", it achieved the climax at the turn of 20^th Century. However, why the six Confucian classics can be called history? How were the spirits of them embodied in the process of scholars pursuing their studies? There has been no systematic exploration on it in China. The present thesis intends to explore the Wenzhou scholar Chen Fuchen, who had been exposed to the prime of the development of the study of Confucian classics, as a case study with the purpose of mastering the progress of the study of "the six Confucian classics are all history" during the late Qing dynasty.Chen Fuchen had a in-depth learning in Confucian classics, historiography and the study of Pre-Qin Scholars under the particular social context of typical historical sources. Therefore, the research on his academic achievements differs from those done by former scholars. That is, it is appropriate to treat Chen Fuchen as the apotheosis to carry out "the six Confucian classics are all history" during the late Qing dynasty. This thesis will address the issue in four parts.It begins with a discussion of origin and characteristics of Chen's academic thoughts.The second part presents the new historiography thought in the process of Chen investigating the study of Confucian classics. Chen's understanding on Confucian classics has a important effect on his study method, which makes it decisive on apprehending his historiography thought. This part intends to summarize theories of Chen's Confucian classics with the focus on the origin of the study path from Confucian classics to history.Part 3 reviews the assimilation of new historiography thought on Confucian classics, "the six Confucian classics are all history" and the modernization of historiography developed simultaneously. Chen absorbed some western historiography theories, brought Confucian classics into the research domain of new historiography and formed a new historiography ideology. Former research was concentrated on classification of his thoughts with the focus on its origin, neglecting the study of Confucian classics background. Accordingly, this part analyzes elements the study of Confucian classics so as to get some clues on the progressing process of from Confucian classics to historyPart 4 analyze how Chen study Pre-Qin Scholars with the help of new historiography thought during the process, the research of Pre-Qin Scholars deviated from the study of Confucian classics gradually toward the modernization of historiography on the process of transformation, most attention was paid to Zhang Taiyan,Liang Qichao,Liu Shipei,Hu Shi .Actually, Chen was also an important scholar in this field. The thought "the six Confucian classics are all history" had been impenetrated in the courses taught by Chen, including China History and the history of Chinese philosophy. The independence of Chinese philosophy in the early 20^th century indicates the decisive effects of historiography on the transformation from the study of Confucian classics to Chinese philosophy, Chen's studies is a typical explanation for this process.