Chenwei Research In Modern China

The study of Chenwei includes all kinds of aspects and phenomenon. It is not only the carrier of feudal superstition, folk beliefs and customs, but also helps to supplement the research on history , astronomical , geography and etiquette".It reflects some of the basic features of China's traditional culture. Chenwei reflect characteristics of academic and political in Han dynasty as a result of its popular in that period. In contrast with the profound research on Chenwei of Han dynasty, academic researchers didn't pay much attention to the development and changes of Chenwei in modern society. Chenwei has been forbidden from weijinnanbei dynasty by the government because of its characteristics of mystery and randomness as well as its close relationship with political struggle. Effected by the fire of western powers, great changes have taken place in modern society , the study of Chenwei became popular again as a pattern of china's subculture. The research on the development and changes of Chenwei, the interactive and collision between Chenwei and modern society are not sufficient. This paper try to seem Chenwei as a key of the study of thought ,culture, politics, society, folk beliefs and customs, so as to show people the Colorful painting scroll of history from a new perspective.This thesis is divided into seven chapters. The first chapter is about the history of Chenwei and its development and effects in China's history .The second chapter is about the literature research on Chenwei from the angle of study of the literature and paper's edit ,reorganization ,correction, publishing etc. The third chapter focuses on the study of Chenwei in late Qing Dynasty .It discusses the reasons of its popular and the academic achievements and attitudes of the Confucian classic factions. The fourth chapter's name is the study of Chenwei in Republic of China. It includes two aspects ,one is about the research on Chenwei by the scholars in Republic of China, the other is about the academic achievements from the angle of Philosophy, history, the Confucian classic, religion, geography and folk beliefs and customs under the guidance of new theory and methods. The fifth chapter reviews the relationship between mentality, folk beliefs and country's situation, political situation on the basis of the research on the relationship between Chenwei and modern politics. The sixth chapter defines and analyses the developments pattern of Chenwei in modern folk society, and reveals Chenwei's social and cultural functions, and also discusses the aspect that Secret religious who utilized Chenwei and academics, politicians'criticism of superstition .The last chapter is about the Chenwei culture on the basis of cultural exchange between china and foreign country. It maily discusses the comparison between Chenwei and western culture in modern china's academic circle, and the cognition of the Chenwei by foreign scholars. Through the above interpretation of Chapter 7,the main ideas embodied in this thesis as follows:Considering the history of Chenwei, Chenwei experiencing the glory after the Han Dynasty,didn't only be accepted by government,but also be exclused by Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism.There were two developped direction of Chenwei: Firstly, the Chenwei flowing into elite class, became the subject of academic research or a tool of political struggle; secondly , it flowed into Public, as the continued spread of the mysterious culture. From the cultural point of view, Chenwei's the declineing after the Han Dynasty, reflected the academic update of the Confucian. From the political point of view, it was the result of the rulers'r strategy and political culture becoming rational.From the point of the Finishing literatures, the Qing Dynasty's Chenwei Collection primarily serviced for the study of Confucianism, motivation of collecting Chenwei lies in the literature scholars could find the true meaning of Confucianism.Therefore, the Qing Dynasty's Chenwei Collection Reached a peak.After Qing Dynasty, scholars mainly successed predecessor in the Chenwei collection,so there are not many new Chenwei literatures appeared.From the point of the Chenwei's directory,printing and publishing,the publication of Chenwei literatures was considerable in the Qing Dynasty.After Qing Dynasty Chenwei research became independent,but it Still belonged to the initial stage. Japan also kept a number of precious Qing Dynasty Chenwei literatures in this series.On the one hand, Chenwei research in the late Qing Dynasty received the academic inspiration of the early Qing Dynasty ; on the other hand, along the the development path of Jinwen Confucianism after the mid-Qing Dynasty ,the Chenwei research gradually reached the climax. Study of the late Qing Dynasty Chenwei study was divided into literature and thinking. In the eyes of Jurists, Chenwei literatures'function mainly lied in explaining Confucianism. Their studies were decided by the needs of Confucianism,which maked Chenwei never becoming a independent specialized subject in Qing Dynasty.Its dependency wasn't weakened, but strengthened. About Chenwei thinking of the research, Jinwen jurists believed wei,but suspected chen by distincting chen and wei; fuwen jurists advocated "Six classics are history",who didn't believe the myths and legends in the six classics,so they resisted Chenwei firmly. Neo-Confucianism jurists'attitude were more resoluted.They opposed that Confucianism mixed with Chenwei.In addition, the late Qing dynasty scholars mainly discussed around the origin of Chenwei and the relationship between chen and wei.Although their views were not the same, but the same goal, which is Revitalization of Confucianism . Looking at the whole study of the late Qing Dynasty Chenwei,it still failed to break through the limitations of the Confucianism,which limited the vision of Chenwei study,but maked the jurists'discussions were full of contradictions.After Qing Dynasty, Confucianism's decline inspired the scholars to reflect on Chenwei again. new paradigm of the academic establishment has also brought Chenwei update the field of study.In the Chenwei's special study ,this period Chenwei study successed predecessor.At the same time,Chenwei study also appeared some differences from the late Qing Dynasty.Moreover, Chenwei research contacted with philosophy, history, Confucianism, religion, folk customs.In modern society, political struggle was more intense,which provided condition for Chenwei playing its political effectiveness.The Chenwei faith of civil interacted with that of the late Qing dynasty rulers,which caused the situation of the spread of Chenwei superstition. Reformists deified Confucius with Chenwei for promoting reform,which reflected the political struggles and differences among reformists,diehard and the revolutionary faction.Chenwei was very popular in the peasant movement,which not only the product of social crisis,but in turn, exacerbated the deteriorating social situation. After the Revolution of 1911, the political effectiveness of Chenwei didn't completely disappear,but with the impaction of the spirit of scientific and democratic,the political value of Chenwei was fewer and fewer.From the point of the relationship between Chenwei and folk beliefs, in the modern ,Chenwei culture showed a variety of forms ,which is Complex Of superstition and Customs faith; In the new historical conditions, Chenwei had many functions as follows: social adjustmenting, social integrating, social controlling and cultural impacting. At the same time, Chenwei superstition in modern times gradually lost its social and cultural foundation,while its negative impaction exposed gradually.More and more scholars began to criticize the Chenwei superstition.Under the guidance and impaction of scholars,all kinds of governments also took measures to repeal Chenwei.In modern times,the collision and exchange between East and West provided an opportunity for building a bridges between Chenwei and western culture. modern scholars not only apply modern Western theories and methods to Chenwei study,but contrasted Chenwei and west culture consciously. Some scholars looked Chenwei as the strong evidence of the thinking of"Chinese culture is the source of western culture",other scholars was able to get rid of the pattern and examine the cultural differences with a equal vision. Compared with other foreign countries,Chenwei study in Japan had advantages.Janpanese scholars from the orthodox point of view,considered Chenwei as heretical ideas. but at the same time,they awared academic value of Chenwei,which inspired scholars to continue Chenwei study and jumped out of the shackles of Confucian. Although modern missionaries in China judged Chenwei from utilitarian purposes and their proof had some defects, but after all,their these judgement reflected Careful observation of the current situation and the thinking of the future in China.They generally recognized that Chenwei obstructed the development of China's thinking and academic,therefore,they advocated to repeal Chenwei with science ,spread Western science and freedom,which played the role of the Enlightenment in modern China.