| New Confucianism in Hong Kong and Taiwan is a special stage and form in the development of the modern new Confucianism. Tang Junyi, Mou Zongsan and Xu Fuguan are outstanding representatives. We can say that, in the era of our national culture facing survival crisis, it is just their efforts, to maintain the joss fire of the tradition of national culture; it is their achievements, to represent the new level of Chinese traditional philosophy in the modern development.Like Confucianism, Taoism philosophy is also one of the two philosophy systems produced in China of most originality. How to think about the Taoism? How to look upon the relationship between Confucianism and Taoism? New Confucians in Hong Kong and Taiwan must face this question. As representatives, Tang Junyi, Mou Zongsan and Xu Fuguan attached great importance on the Taoism philosophy, in their modern interpretation to Chinese traditional culture, and formed their distinctive concept of Taoism.As to Tang Junyi, in his series works of On Chinese Philosophy, he made a wonderful explanation with six kinds of meaning and four levels to Tao of Lao tzu; In comparing Lao tzu with Confucius, he said that as to Tao of Lao tzu,it has wisdom but no benevolence; In examining the early Taoism philosophy change, he pointed out that early Taoism has three forms:objective form as in Tian Pian and Shen Dao, subjective form including objective form as in Lao tzu; preter-subjective form as in Chuang-Tzu; he pointed out the Taoist type thought-form of human again and its eternal value; And in his theory of Nine States of Mind, he took advantage of Taoist thought resources obviously, from the structure to content.And as to Mou Zongsan, he named Taoism as " metaphysics with the style of the subjective form of the practice "; in his book CAIXING YU XUANLI,he carried forward the pre Qin Taoism metaphysics and made it become a model for modern interpretation; his human theory is unique; Mou Zongsan has criticized Qin and Legalists, exposed the serious consequences of Lao tzu used by Legalists; he put forward the Common Way saying, showing his outstanding insight and wisdom, and it is bound to play an important positive role in the future development of Chinese philosophy.And as to Xu Fuguan, his viewpoint "sense of urgency" has been widely recognized by scholars; while his artistic interpretation of the spirit of Chuang Tzu, showing his being unique and profound in his view to Taoism.To accurately understand the view of New Confucians in Hong Kong and Taiwan to Taoism, we must grasp the two principle premises:first, inseparable from their theory system of all; Second, not stick to their discourse itself.If in accordance with the foregoing two principle premises, through comparing Tang Junyi, Mou Zongsan and Xu Fuguan with their Taoist view, beyond the different surface of their expression, we can find out that their views about the Taoist thought, from the essence, almost all are common.Just like that of Xu Fuguan, his proposal of" sense of urgency " got approbation from Tang and Mou,though they gave no word to it; and to Tang Junyi, his argument about the Taoist thought type of human,must be acceptable to Mou and Xu; while to Mou Zongsan, similarly, to his Common Way saying, Tang and Xu also have no doubt.Saying that Tang Junyi, Mou Zongsan and Xu Fuguan interlinked with their Taoist view, not means that they are completely identical. On the expression of some specific point of view, they three may even have disagreement. However, this inconsistency is just inconsistent fragmentary detail. But overall, they three are really complement each other, support each other. Difference of them is only the style of their interpretation to Taoism.In detail, viewpoints of similarity to Taoism between Tang Junyi, Mou Zongsan and Xu Fuguan, mainly are that as:First, attaching great importance to Taoism, both from a historical impact, or future development; Second, regarding Chuang-tzu as development of Lao tzu, and believing Chuang-tzu higher than Lao tzu; Third, considering Taoist as a style of viewing contemplation Fourth, deeming that Confucianism and Taoism both have strengths, and Confucianism should involve Taoism. Difference of their style of interpretation is that:Tang Junyi kept to pursue the benevolence of heart, Mou Zongsan kept to pursue the truth of reason,while Xu Fuguan kept to pursue the beauty of life.Meanwhile, in addition to their individual characteristics, as Tang Junyi, Mou Zongsan and Xu Fuguan are outstanding representatives of New Confucianism in Hong Kong and Taiwan,their Taoism view also showing a kind of group characteristics. First, they all attached great importance to integration of Confucianism and Taoism, with Chuang-tzu as the positive representative of Taoism; Second, they all showed a tendency of that to absorb Taoism into Confucianism; Third,they all held an open view of Confucianism; Fourth, they all had a strong sense of history; Fifth,they all had a worldwide vision and concept of development, paying attention to the modern transformation of traditional culture.It can be said, that like Tang Junyi, Mou Zongsan and Xu Fuguan,with their lifelong efforts, or to pursue the benevolence of heart, or to pursue the truth of reason,or to pursue the beauty of life,and with different styles, multidimensionally, they show us their interpretation to traditional Chinese culture. For us latecomers, it is just their arduous efforts and brilliant remarkable achievement, like lighthouse,that illuminates the road ahead of us. It is a true rendering of the Chinese cultural tradition in the past, present and future. Although it can not be said to have been done, though, or there are shortcomings, but the pursuit of truth and progress is always being "on the road". Therefore, their achievement is real achievement, and their performance is also true rendering. It can clearly be seen how tough and serious that the road of human to pursue the truth and progress is! The value and significance of the view to Taoist of Neo-Confucian in Hong Kong and Taiwan also is just it. |
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