The Constancy And Hesitation Of A Confucian In The Han Dynasty

With the methods of case analysis and historical analysis, this thesis concentrates on the contradictions of Yang Xiong (扬雄, B.C.53 – A.D.18), a Confucian in the Han Dynasty (B.C.206 –A.D.220), and reviews his ideas carefully. The thesis begins with the Autobiography of Yang Xiong, seeing about his expectation and identity on himself, and then connecting with Fa Yan, Tai Xuan, and other compositions of him, studies his practices and dissociations to his ideals and self-identity. Moreover, based on these, construes the belles-lettres of Yang Xiong. There are three chapters in the thesis. The first chapter begins with the "Confucian-identity" of Yang Xiong, and then investigates the ideas of him in the Confucianism domain, finds out their differences to his era. The main differences are the following three: firstly, Yang Xiong attached importance to the book of changes; secondly, he imitated the Analects of Confucius, while paid little attention to the Spring and Autumn Annals; thirdly, he imitated the Classics instead of glossing. He had thought much of the moral character's cultivating, while could not give up the pursuit of contributions to official business either. Because of the contradiction of moral character and contribution, he had made very different even contrary remarks on many people, and made difficult choices in his own life. He hesitated in the moral character and contribution, while without no choice; he looked the moral character as a more sublime and perfect aim. The second chapter discusses the introduction of the philosophy of life of Taoism to the Confucians. First of all, the thesis reviews the inevitability of the introduction from the middle period of the Western Han Dynasty; and then, makes a case analysis on Yang Xiong, works over the effects of the introduction on his ideas, and the contradictions brought to him by this introduction. The third chapter dedicates the contradictions to the composing of Yang Xiong, seeks for the embodiments of these in his literatures. With the description, analysis and commentary on the alterations of the Great Odes, the emphasis on the Poetic-odes, the creation of "Lian Zhu" and the abundant compositions of "Zhen" of Yang Xiong, the thesis considers these as the efforts of interceding the contradiction of "Pomposity" and "Practicality" done by Yang Xiong, and sings high praise for his efficacies.