In Tang Han Yu Studied The Two Problems

From the Mid-Tang Dynasty to the Northern Song Dynasty, ancient China underwent significant transformations in politics, economy and culture and stepped into the formation stage of Modern Chinese History. The Middle of Tang Dynasty is the beginning of this period. Taking Han Yu as the starting point, in this paper the author analysed the political and ideological background of Han Yu era, discussed Han Yu's efforts and achievements in dismissing Buddhism and Taoism and reviving Confucianism, clarified the background and goal of the Classical Prose Movement, and thus revealed the political, ideaistic and cultural breakthroughs and transformations in the Middle of Tang Dynasty, which might help us to trace the background and further understand the approach to various changes since the Mid-Tang Dynasty.This paper is divided into two parts, the first of which is focused on the ideaistic level. Throughout the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism was the most popular one among three religions, while Confucianism followed the tradition and made no innovation at all. Although Buddhism,along with the state, began to decline after An-shi Rebellion, Zen and other Buddhist sects carried out the reform of "Participating in the Secularity". Affected by Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism also, made new breakthroughs. Han Yu, as the pioneer of Neo-Confucianism, developed the constructive Confucianist Way for the purposes of maintaining the central government, enhancing the authority of the state and reconstructing social order, initiated the construction of a Confucian sense of the way. Through reinterpreting the Confucianist Way, Han Yu attempted to restrict the expansion of Buddhism and Taoismo and establish Confucianist leading position in politics, society and culture. In order to prove the legitimacy and rationality of Confucianism, Han Yu brought forward the Confucian Orthodoxy, which demonstrated the lineage of the Confucian Orthodoxy and the confuciansit tradition with a long history. Han Yu and his follower Li Ao made great contribution in developing confucianist theory of temperament. Meanwhile, Han Yu advocated and practised the principle of teacher, in the hope of maintaining the doctrines of Confucius and Mencius and expanding the influence of Confucianism. On the base laid by Han Yu, Han Yu's successor finally established a set of Neo-Confucian theory, which would greatly influence the social development in the Song and Ming Dynasties.The author focuses on the lineage of Han Yu and in the second part. Classical Prose Movement is not limited in literature but related with the ideal of reconstructing the state authority and social order in Mid-Tang Dynasty. Before the middle of Tang Dynasty, there were several attempts to reform prose style. Despite of limited achievements, some innovation were made. The concept of literature and composition were inherited, absorbed selectively, and reformed from Kaiyuan Tianbao and then to Han Yu era. The group of poets, ie. Xiao Shiying, Li Hua, Dugu Ji and Liang Su, made all kinds of exploration and practice on the doctrine of literature, laying ideaistic basis for Han Yu. Han Yu put forward the concept using literature to illuminate the Confucian Way, and made new interpretation of Confucianism. He connected Classical Prose Movement with the distinction of barbarians and Chinese and the fact of separate regimes by military forces. As a result of considering difficulties in front of the poor's official career, Han Yu brough forward the conposing principle of "Outcry against Injustice". Han Yu's purpose was to popularise the Confucianist Way and to provide theoretical basis and practical instrument for maintaining the central government and rebuilding social srder through the composition of literature. Guided by the purified Confucianism, Han Yu gained termendous achievements in both literary composition and Classical Prose Movement.