The Chronicle Of Zhen Dexiu

Zhen Dexiu is a renowned statesman in the later South Song Dynasty, an educationalist, anthologist, and Cheng and Zhu Neo-Confucianism promising youth. His historical status is not allowed to be neglected, which is worth further studying.On politics, holding to "Ren", the kernel of Confucianism, Zhen implemented the policy of ethics, making good to local residents, so that the people were the back of the government. On academic, he took benefit from Zhu Xi as well as Lu Jiuyuan. At the same time, depending on Wei Liaoweng and his efforts, the Confucian school of idealist philosophy took authority eventually. Daxueyanyi edited by him was a mail stone of Song Dynasty Neo-Confucianism, endowed with prominent political characteristic.On education, he criticized scholars shaped by "KeJu"(the examination system in Feudalistic China), because they "only read books written by the saints and sages, but do not know the principals of the saints and sages", admonishing them the aim of studying was practical. So he told them the practical means of studying.When compiling Wenzhangzhengzong, he emphasized the standard that "principals which can be taken into practice must be ascertained", then the total collections which "discusses the principles" came into being. Zhen showed his idea of moral literature when he selected poetries, that is to say, he emphasized morality was essential while poetries were nonessentials.In order to make a candid comment on Zhen Dexiu, scholars ought to be clear about his whole life;therefore, studying the chronicle of Zhen is the best way to understand him. On one hand, the chronicle can make us comprehend his rules of conduct, academic exchange and transformation of thoughts in different periods. On the other hand, the chronicle can help us know politics, custom, trend of thought and so on at that time.This chronicle tries to base on a wide horizon to narrate all his life from his official career to his daily life, during which how he contacted with various people from Emperor to civilian. It adopts a vertical and horizontal researching method, and describes the course of Lixue, which can be a hidden clue through this chronicle. On the foundation of arranging Zhen's documents reasonably, this chronicle aims to represent his life objectively and thoroughly, and provide a vivid living man to researchers.