A Study On The Ethical Enlightenment Of Zhu Xi

Zhu Xi carried forward the good traditions that our educationists attached great importance to ethical and moral education. In the course of putting forth effort to develop the Confucianism, he actively engaged in enlightening people by education and urging them to do good in the aspects of family, school, society, official and emperor. He had many theoretical ideas and as well as plentiful of practical activities, which had deep influence on people of that time, later generations and people of other countries.Based on explaining and defining related concepts, and systematical checking up the achievements of former studies, this article emphatically makes full inquiry about Zhu Xi's family ethical enlightenment and school ethical enlightenment. In the aspect of family ethical enlightenment, it systematically inspects and discusses, for the first time, Zhu Xi's works on family ethical enlightenment. It also emphatically analyses his two books of "Notice for Children" and "Family Courtesy". Then it discusses the cases that Zhu Xi did all he could to educate his eldest son, Zhu Shu. Finally, it draws a brief conclusion on the principles and spirit reflected by Zhu Xi's family ethical enlightenment. In the aspect of school ethical enlightenment first it checks up all activities of Zhu Xi's school ethical enlightenment, including academy of classical learning, governmental school and private school. Then it systematically checks up Zhu Xi's enlightenment position of his objecting to the theory of words and Buddhist religion, but believing in Confucianism programme and ethics. It also specially dicusses and analyses the cases that at school Zhu Xi attached importance to the education of ceremony and propriety, and flaunted sage as well. At last it analysed carefully "Private Opinion on School and Imperial Examinations'" by Zhu Xi for reforming the governmental school and imperial examination system.After the dicussion of the main part, this article tries to draw a conclusion on the principal achievements and historical limitations of Zhu Xi's ethical enlightenment, and points out some of its content that can be used for reference for today's moral construction.