Research On Tso Tsungtang’s Family Moral Education Thought

Tso Tsungtang was one of the important statesmen,thinkers and strategists in the late Qing Dynasty,and also a pioneer in the construction of China’s modernization.As for his life,the comments and praises vary from person to person.However,the thought and practice of family moral education contained in his letters home has become a model of traditional family parenting.From the thirteenth year of Daoguang to the ninth year of Guangxu,nearly 220 letters of Tso Tsungtang’s Family have been published to the world,covering many aspects,such as self-cultivation,family management,learning and life conduct.Existing studies on Tso Tsungtang’s moral education thought mostly start from the perspective of education and are based on many of his works.In contrast,this paper,based on Tso Tsungtang’s family letters,systematically explains and reflects on his family moral education thought from the perspective of ethics.Firstly,on the basis of clarifying the general situation of Tso Tsungtang’s family letters related to his family moral education thought,the connotation of Tso Tsungtang’s family moral education thought and its ideological origin are analyzed.From four aspects,namely,the traditional Chinese Confucian culture,family environment,regional background and personal experience,Tso Tsungtang widely absorbed the Confucian thoughts of filial piety,loyalty and loyalty,and took the concept of "self-cultivation,family harmony,governance and world peace" as the principles of practice.At the same time,it was deeply influenced by Neo-Confucianism,and pursued the study of Confucianism.The emphasis on the cultivation and filial piety of the family,the infiltration of Hunan culture,and the personal experience in office and war touched Tso Tsungtang,so that Tso Tsungtang at the same time has a kind heart of advocating frugality,broad and generous,pragmatic spirit of steadfast ambition to learn,and the feelings of the family and country concerned about the world.Secondly,it focuses on the contents of Tso’s family moral education thought from four aspects: the basis of self-cultivation,the rules of life,the way of learning and the way of family harmony.The contents reflected in Tso’s letter mainly include the first life "determined to be the first,learning to be sages";In self-cultivation,we should be "prudent and respectful,self-reliant and self-reliant";In behavior as a gentleman "must be executed",and with the combination of introspection;Reading must be sensible to the world,not in the name;Be humble and respectful in dealing with people and business;The family emphasizes to uphold shabby style,advocate frugality and benefit others widely,and keep the house for the country.In addition,we should pay attention to filial piety and respect when dealing with relatives.We should not only show filial respect to our parents,but also take good care of our brothers and sisters.At the same time,we should accumulate good character and pay attention to and respect to cultivate virtue.Get rid of the glitz,and be realistic,aiming to do the country and the people with a down-to-earth heart.Finally,this paper analyzes the practical methods and limitations of General Tso’s family moral education thought.At the same time,combining with the reality of the current situation of family moral education in China,it tries to reflect and evaluate the family moral education thought in General Tso’s family letter with a dialectical and objective attitude.The practical methods embodied in Tso Tsungtang’s letters mainly include imperceptible influence,combination of words and examples,combination of strict kindness,acting according to one’s physical condition,respecting differences,and giving targeted guidance according to individual conditions.The limitations of Tso’s family moral education mainly lie in the doctrine of Neo-Confucianism and the historical limitations of son preference.By eliminating the coarse and extracting the fine,and at the same time,taking the ancient as a mirror,to reveal the present situation of contemporary family moral education,expounds the reference and application value of General Tso’s family moral education thought to contemporary family moral education.