Yan's Family: A Case Study Of The Confucian Spirit And The Literary And Ideological Heritage

WeiJin Nan Bei Dynasties were eras in which old and great families permeated in most fields of the society, and experienced thrivingness and decline one generation after another. hue because of the important role the confucianism has played in the devAopment of history, the Yan Famliy of Langya succeeded in lasting a rather long period from WeiJin Nan Bei Dynasties, Tang Dynasty to Ming and Qing Dynasty despite its weak influence on social economy, politices and military affairs. Kinship is also considered an important tie in confucianism to promote academic development. The thesis includes five chapters. Chapter â…  describes the relation- ship between the confucianism and the Yan Family whose ancestor was Yanhui, and the former's great influence on the latter. Chapter â…¡ dis- cusses thL literary and artistic viewpoints as well as achievements of Yan Yanzhi, Yan Zhitui and Yan Zhenqing. They are great representatives of the eultrual power of Yan Family. Chapter â…¢ analyzes Yan Zhitui's cultural activities from the South to the North and his influence on the culture of Tang Dynasty. Chapter â…£ shows the close cotmection be- tween the ideas of confucianism and the Yan Family in a dissorderly soci- ety by analyzing Yan Zhitui's mental conflicts. Moreover, it's also pointed out that the kinship is the tie of the inhe,ritance of Confucianism. Chapter â…¤ explans that the period that the Yn Family take part in the literary and artistic activities is the longest, comparing with Wang Fami- ly of Langya and Xie Family of Chenj un, which suggests the close rela- tionship between Confucianism and the desting of powerful family.