The Pre-qin Confucian Theory Research

The theory of GongFu is a methodology of the Confucian’s inner cultivation andexterior action, which including the cultivation of moral subject, the conduct of moralpractice, the promotion of moral realm, and the practice of the skill of exterior actionsuch as diplomatic parlance. In fact, the Confucian attached importance to themorality, thus the theory of GongFu for moral cultivation was the main part in thistheory. Generally speaking, the Confucian’s theory of GongFu focused on thesimultaneous conduct of ZHI-XING, the co-cultivation of mind and body, and thecommon training of the inner and exterior. The discussion to the theory of GongFuwas prevalent in the period of Song-Ming, but the discussion content is mainlyderived from the period of XianQin. As a result, to carry out the research ofConfucian’s theory of GongFu in the XianQin period is a groundwork for thediscussion to the theory of GongFu. However, this research has not been carried outsystematically so far, this article will conduct a study of XianQin Confucian’s theoryof GongFu from the perspective of philosophical history.The origination of the Confucian’s theory of GongFu in the period of XianQin isvery early. The thought of cultivating oneself prudently and foresight had been putforward in the period of Yao-Shun. This shows that the moral cultivation had beenpaid attention in the origin of Chinese culture. God religion was regnant in the periodof Shang, but once some problem emerged within it, the factor of humane virtueswould arise and destruct the conventional religion thinking. When Pangeng moved hiscapital, in order to acquired the approval of his officials, he presented two humaneideas, focusing on virtues and benefiting people, which later became supreme criteriaof value judgment due to the redefinition of the highest God in the period of Yin-Zhou.As a result, the thought of “YiDePeiTian” had formed in the period of ZhouWuWangand ZhouGong, and the humanistic reason rather than the God religion became thecore idea of Chinese culture. The virtue had been took seriously in the XiZhou. Onthe one hand, the idea of revering virtue was put forward, on the other hand, theregime of LiYue was used to restrain official’s behavior. In the period of ChunQiu, therelation of virtue and rite was discussed seriously, and some sages who possessedgentleman style provided the theoretical paradigm for the Chinese culture tendencyand the example of personality.Confucius innovatively carried on the thought of Xia-Shang-Zhou, and putforward the systematic theory of GongFu. Confucius first ascertained that the human being possess the inner foundation to do good. The words,“Is the benevolencefar from the human? The benevolence will be possessed by a man if he want to dogood.” Affirm that the good is rooted in the human nature, Confucius said:“Thebenevolence is conducted by oneself.” That is to say, the first step of cultivatingoneself is to establish the moral subjectivity of oneself. For this purpose, Confuciusput forward:“Confine oneself and return to the ritual.”“Cultivate oneself by theveneration.” That means a man should maintain the state of venerating for the virtue.Furthermore, to study is essential, Confucius pointed out that a man should not onlypay attention to the study of classical documents to seek for the kindness ethics ofancient philosophers, but also confine himself by the ritual, and meanwhile, notice therelation of studying and thinking. To practice virtue in one’s everyday life is necessaryafter study. Thus Confucius also focused on the specific items of virtue such asXiao-Ti-Zhong-Xin. In Confucius’s opinion, the profound part of the theory ofGongFu is to grasp the sense of “ZhongYong”, and further comprehend the sense ofTianMing.Students and inheritors of Confucian developed Confucius’ theory of cultivationby their characters. Yanyuan, who was one of Confucian Ten Sagers in the field of“virtue”, especially attached importance to culture internal mood, so he could keepjoyous when he lived in a tatty house where people can’t bear poor and could keep thestate of benevolence for long times. His theory of cultivation leaded to internalize thetheory of practice.Zilu who liked boldness and Ranyou who liked arts made a successin cultivation. They were the best students in the field of “politics”. The field of“speech” attaches importance to bring up capacity of diplomatism by the threehundred odes, Zigong and Zaiwo were good at diplomatism. Because of studyingzhouyi for Confucius, Zigong elevated the realm of cultivation. The field of “art”attached importance to study and elucidate the Six Classics and the thought of thosebooks. The Six Classics is very important for Confucian and the theory of cultivation.Ziyou and Zixia embarked on studying one of the books by oneself. Zengzi who wasone of the youngest students advocated filial piety and often daily examined himself,and he created the way of cultivation,“Cautiousness”,“sincerity of will”. The otherstudents of Confucian for example Qi-Diaokai and Gongsun-Nizi developed thetheory of cultivation and internalize the theory of practice from different angles, whenthey studied the theory of Nature.The school of Zisi and Mencius developed the trend of the internalization the theory of practice.Zisi had laid a foundation for the theory of practice by the thoughtstyle of understanding human rules according to the order of nature. The characteristicof Confucian theory of practice is how to fulfill our nature just what Zisi said:“WhatHeaven imparts to man is called nature. To follow human nature is called the Way.Cultivating the Way is called teaching.” Therefore, Zisi especially attachedimportance to sincerity. The Way of Nature and The way of human being is honest.For man, the way of living up to the sincerity is cautiousness, sincerity of will andcontinence. And those ways can make our feelings of pleasure, anger, sorrow and joywhich are not aroused be harmonious. Based on Zisi’s theory, Mencius developed thetheory of cultivation, and he had set relation between body and inner mood. Therefore,on the hand Mencius established moral subjectivity by the way of getting back the lostheart, and brought up moral consciousness, moral judgment competence and moralstate by the way of fully developing the kindness of the heart, understanding humannature, understanding the mandate of Heaven, preserving one’s kind heart and one’snature, and serving Heaven; on the other hand he brought up a great man with the vastvital energy by the way of imperturbation of the mind. Once one has transformed hismoral consciousness to body action, he has been a great man.Xunzi disagreed with the theory of cultivation of Zisi and Mencius school, andthought that their theory excessively emphasized to cultivate internal mood andoverlooked Li-Yue. At the same time, Xunzi thought the theory of good nature couldnot make the moral come true. Therefore Xunzi thought that there are two worlds,one is nature, the other is society, and his theory of cultivation based on acquiredteaching. Xunzi thought that human being have inbred appetency, affection,sensibility and reason. According to appetency and affection, nature is evil, andhuman being must be taught; according to sensibility and reason, human being canknow the social norm of Li-Yue and practise it, so appetency and affection can becontrolled, human being can be a good man. This is the theory of Xunzi’s eliminationof evil in human nature. In order to make human being be a good man, Xunzi putforward many ways of cultivation that were the way of dispelling and the way ofstudying. The way of cultivation is blindness emptiness, unity and stillness; the wayof studying is often studying and studying for teacher. By those ways, human beingcan know about the system of Li-Yue.