Ancient Chinese Thought In The History Of The Concept Of Honor

This paper studies the topic that is the concept of honour and disgrace in the history of Chinese ancient thought. Along the history of its formation and development in ancient China, following the theoretical logic of its establishment, education and culture, the paper studies the theoretical evidence for concept of honour and disgrace in ancient China, which contains much idea and discussion from the Chinese ancients on its function and meaning in daily life, the connection with social trends, peace and disorder of the state and individual virtue, how to establish correct concept of honour and disgrace in society and bring up individuals to have consciousness of shame. As a result, the paper reviews and researches systematically the concept of honour and disgrace in the ancient Chinese culture.The paper consists of three parts which are the introduction, six Chapters and the conclusion.The contents of the introduction are the definition of some basic concepts, the summarization of research findings, meaning of the study and the explanation of research methods.Chapter One tells the developing process of the concept of honor and disgrace in ancient China.By specifying the history of its origin, development and evolution and analyzing its historical characteristic and logical law of the concept of Chinese ancient honor and disgrace. We can divide its history into six stages on the whole. It originates in the Shang Dynasty and the Zhou Dynasty, and it is based in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period and is established further in the Qin Dynasty and the Han Dynasty. It evolves and is integrated from the period of the Wei Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty. The period from the Song Dynasty to the Middle of the Ming Dynasty is the stage in which it is completed and perfected, and the period from the Middle of the Ming Dynasty is its declining stage. This chapter amplifies that the thought of the different thinkers had the particular significance in the ancient Chinese culture.Chapter Two tells what is the basis of human nature's theory to the concept of honor and disgrace in ancient China.Referring to the probability and necessity of the education and virtue of the concept of honor and disgrace, the ancients had much theoretical exploration and especially studied directly the human nature, about which there are different understandings for different thinkers. As a result, they raised different opinions in the probability and necessity of social instruction and individual self-cultivation and argued about how to build the concept of honor and disgrace.Chapter Three tells that order and disorder depends on social customs, especially being shamed. Being a value, the concept of honor and disgrace plays an important role in value orientation. This chapter discussed views on the relation between building the concept of honor and disgrace and bringing up fine customs and how to make sure long-term stability by changing prevailing habits and customs of the ancient thinkers in depth. The order and disorder of the state and the safety and danger of the country are the central topic of the ancient Chinese politicians and thinkers all the time. The ancients thought that the social conduct was so important for the political instability that the customs were not only the token of ups and downs of the society, but also determined the order and disorder of the country. The question for customs was to bring up a man being ashamed.Chapter Four tells the moral code in ancient China was that the righteousness and public is given top priority. As an evaluation criterion and a measure of value, the concept of honor and disgrace determines how to distinguish and make choice between honor and disgrace. The traditional Chinese concept of honor and disgrace considered the righteousness as a standard to know right from wrong, to distance between good and evil and to differentiate between beautiful and ugly. The ancients thought it was that the righteousness distinguishing human beings from the animals. It also was the premise of self-cultivation for people. In the ancient Chinese ethics, the righteousness was a category to mean property, honesty and rationality. To give the righteousness and public top priority was the important criterion in the moral life and was also the principle of moral cultivation and building the concept of honor and disgrace in ancient China.Chapte Five tells a practical principle that rewards should be given together with recognition and the subordinates follow the example set by their superiors. The part contains much idea of the ancients on how to conduct education on the concept of honor and disgrace practically. The ancients considered rewards should be given together with recognition while punishment should be taken together with condemnation and the subordinates followed the example set by their superiors while every man had a share of responsibility. Morality and law are two basic social rules so that enlightenment and penalty have respective function and effect. The ancients thought that creating good social conducts and building right concept of honor and disgrace, the morality and public voice must be in line with the penalty. The political leaders were moral models and their conducts had important influence to the masses. They must do best. In addition, the real foundation for training good social conducts was the personal self-cultivation. As a result, every man should form good social customs in his turn.Chapte six tells the concept of honor and disgrace is a sensation by oneself. Self-cultivation is an important moral tradition in ancient China. A man being ashamed is a hero. The ancients considered that people who had senses of shame only undergo the process of aiming, self-examination and mending. Aiming was considered to the first stage. It was advocated for everyone to pursue noble personality whether he was poor or rich, humble or honorable. The sages said self-examination and self-criticism were not only the approaches to be shamed but also the basic work to cultivation. The ancients that it was very important to mend and learn virtue. After aiming to be a sage, self-examination and self-discipline was a blood-and-guts virtue.The conclusion calls to inherit Chinese Civilization and to carry forward traditional virtues. The concept of honor and disgrace contained some wrong things because of the limitation of the age. It was also bound by the social conditions and understanding level and had the brand of history. However, the opinions on the concept of honor and disgrace of the ancients are still practical and useful today. Building the socialist concept of honor and disgrace and promoting ideological and ethical progress are the basic projects to construct the socialist core values. The construction comes true only when every man has a share of responsibility. Then a major powerful mental energy will improve the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and make sure the whole society harmony and progress. The socialist concept of honor and disgrace, containing mainly eight honors and eight disgraces, carries forward the traditional idea of honor and disgrace and brings forth the new so that it exhibits the characters of historicity, contemporary spirit and nationality. It is necessary to study and learn the wisdom and experience of the oracles in the ethical progress, which is helpful for people to fully understand the concept of honor and disgrace and to firmly establish the socialist concept honor and disgrace.