The Exemplification Of Wang Lu: On Liu Fenglu's Originality On The Interpretive Framework Of Classicism

As the representative of the Chang-chou school of new text Confucianism in late imperical China, Liu Fenglu created the the exemplification of Wang Lu, elucidated the great principles and esoteric meaning of The Spring and Autumn Annals.Through the research in Gongyang's Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals, Tung Chung-shu's Luxuriant Gems of the Spring and Autumn Annals, He Xiu's Exegetical Interpretation of Gongyang's Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals, Liu Fenglu formed his own theories of Study of Gongyang's Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals. His mature thinking reflected in On He's Exemplified Interpretation of the Spring and Autumn Annals. The exemplification of Wang Lu had its own meaning that it had combined Tung Chung-shu's theories of Confucius'Su Wang and He Xiu's treating Duke Yin as the Emperor, or the Son of Heaven, in the meaning of the mandate from Heaven, through the concept of Heaven in Confucianism. According to Tung Chung-shu's theories, Heaven is sovereign of all gods, so the Son of Heaven receives the mandate from Heaven. Thus, the the power of the sovereign is Heaven-given. Heaven can mete out rewards and punishments according to the Emperor's behavior. The virtuous rule wiil be marked by order and harmony in the country. Being different from Tung Chung-shu, He Xiu, in his work, expoded the great principles and esoteric meaning of The Spring and Autumn Annals, especially the elebration of the theory of the three ages which exerted great influence on later scholars, because Confucius tried to bring the entire word concealed in the Spring and Autumn Annals to peace and order by working out from his own state and by transforming the"age of decay and disorder"into"that of approaching peace", and finally into"that of universal peace". In the tradition of Confucianism, mandate of Heaven always changes, but the way dos not change the doctrine of Confucius claimed the human relation, way of huaman, and the unity glorified by The Spring and Autumn Annals. Liu Fenglu used the way of the Ch'ing Dynasty Evidential Research, observed the principle of Heaven above, realized the reason of human below, referred to things ancient and considered human relations of his times. But the exemplification of Wang Lu can not solve the problem that how to co-ordinate the just of Confucianism with real rulers, or how to justify the legitimacy of Confucius'reforms. Liu Fenglu can not answer these questions, because the exemplification of Wang Lu has its limitations .