Stanford University Press, Enlightenment Thought

With Wu Zhong Yi Gui as its basic material, this thesis, based on the historical background and his ideas and practice of ethical enlightenment when Chen Hongmou lived, expounds the ideological roots and meanings of his ethical enlightenment by analyzing its contents and characteristics and political thought in practice.The idea of ethical enlightenment has been a tradition of China since ancient times. Classical works involving Analects of Confucius, Ceremonial Etiquette and Book of Rites which records ethical and moral remarks on social ethics and individual self-cultivation. Supported by the theories of Confusion school, morality and ethics was the rigid and backward doctrine of words and deeds in the later period of the feudal ages. All these enlightenments are results of the effects of social history and individuals. Morality and ethics has gradually become people's common belief and reflected in people's daily life since the Ming and Qing Dynasty. In an attempt of stabilizing society and improving social conduct the sovereign reinforce the social effect of ethical enlightenment. There are numerous family admonitions and hereditary rules at this period of time. Chen Hongmou, who has a keen awareness of it, spare no effort in exerting the influence of ethical enlightenment to manage the society. He edited his most influential monograph Wu Zhong Yi Gui by collecting and classifying a heap of hereditary rules and family admonitions on ethical enlightenment of different social strata. Chen Hongmou's idea and practice of ethical enlightenment is his expectation of social stability and harmony.With rich contents, Wu Zhong Yi Gui concerning different social strata is the main embodiment of Chen Hongmou's thoughts of enlightenment. Directed by the idea of "there are no one who cannot be taught and also no one who should not be taught", Chen Hongmou's targets of education involve children, women, families and officials working in the government. His methods of education are formed flexibly according to concrete targets. He calls for children and women to obey the remarks and deeds of wise men; he demands "the four divisions" to regard the ancient admonitions and hereditary rules as their model of practice; he educates government officials with high competence and intelligence by setting models and reinforcing the effect of law and the contents of his education include morality, harmony and responsibility. The remarks and deeds of children and women should follow the ethical demands of wise men, emphasizing individual self-cultivation and establishing amicable family relationship in order to improve social harmony; government officials should devote to their duty so as to well serve their citizens.Chen Hongmou, greatly exercising the political effect of morality and promoting the development and harmony of society, combines the moral education and management of children and women, "the four divisions" as well as government officials.A competent chancellor of the glory of Yongzheng and Qianglong, Chen Hongmou's thoughts and practices of moral education which is a mirror for us to recognize contemporary social management is typical of his time. With an atmosphere of feudalism though, his successful and reasonable thoughts and practices are worthy of our studying and have some referential significance for the harmony of society at present.