Jian An Academic History Study

This Paper deals with and attempts to have a systematic study of the science during the important Jian'an Period. Beginning from Xian emperor of Han dynasty, this period experienced late Han's disappearance and the gradual formation of three kingdoms. The transition of political order and the change of governing method had a fundamental influence on the academic orientation when the country split.Jian'an Period is a transitional period academically from Han dynasty to Wei and Jin dynasty, during which the people's idea changed, the knowledge reorganized. Firstly, the Confucian tradition of the two Han dynasties continued. With the disintegration of a united dynasty, a multicultural situation appeared, among which Taoists, legalists, strategists, rival political theorist and those who advocated Yin and Yang theory all expressed themselves to some extent. Secondly, lots of trends of thoughts as well as life attitudes of aristocrats, such as light heart, indulgence, hedonism, reclusion, dwelling on philosophy and cosmological ontology during the six dynasties can find their sources during Jian'an Period.Although Jian'an academic history is important, its study is far from sufficient. The focus of the scholars in ancient China was Confucian study. The comparatively underdevelopment of Confucianism during this period results in its weak study later. Scholars in Qin dynasty and modern period dealed with Confucianism and Confucians of Han dynasty such as Zhen Xuan to some extent, but they concentrated on the learning methods of the scholar of Han dynasty and their explanation of Confucianism. Generally speaking, their study on the academic thoughts of Jian'an scholars is insufficient.The author contents that disintegration of old order and appearance of new ideas follow inevitably cataclysm. During pre-Qin period, official study declined and lots of thoughts appeared in swarms when Zhou dynasty was gradually out of control; similarly, Han dynasty experienced a transition from unitary to plural science with the vicissitude of its political rule.Confucianism declined and plural cultures appeared in later part of Dong Han due to several reasons: Confucianism itself became complicated and superstitious; the eunuch cracked down Confucian; the development of commercial economy etc. But the decline of Confucianism does not mean that the development of science stopped. On the contrary, its decline provided a wider space for the development of new idea and new academic method. The process of Confucian decline is also the process of reorganization of knowledge structure and the transition of academic center. New science situation was forming during the Confucian decline period. The relatives of the emperor and the eunuchs, the partisans, and the civilians during the Jian'an period represented different cultural directions. With the academic differentiation, social ideas changed fundamentally. Being regarded as a new salvation idea, Taoism revived; as an effective practical idea to administer chaos, legalism was also paid much attention to during the Jian'an period. The knowledge structure, academic methods and interests changed much due to the new science trends. As to knowledge structure, some aristocrats focused on practical knowledge, such as faculty and art; as to leaningmethods, some people despised the learning of Confucian chapters, read wide and got the main ideas. At the same time, the starting point of aristocrats' study also changed which highlighted the individual value. Therefore, Confucianism continued in Jing and Jiao Provinces during the Jian'an period, but it was not the academic mainstream when viewing from a wide area. Jian'an science changed practically and increasingly which paid much attention to political tactics. Meanwhile, the rulers' focus on achievements and despising the flashy also contributed to academic practicalism and extensiveness. The result was that the range of Jian'an sciences expanded and shook off the restrict of Confucianism. The tradition of following legalism by the Confucians of...