Critique And Introspection:in The Early Twenty Century The Variation Of Ideas And Standpoints, Held By Men Who Criticized Confucius, About Confucius And Confucianist

Accompanied with chaotic political situation in the beginning of the20th century, was the active intellectual thought, in the ideological road of saving the nation from subjugation, intellectuals had their own claims, most of them is the view of criticism of Confucius, such as Zhang Taiyan, Hu Shi, Qian Xuantong, Chen Duxiu, Li Dazhao, Cai Yuanpei, Mao Zishui. They put China’s decline due to the bondage of Confucian culture on Chinese thought and strongly condemn the Confucianism; the climax of this criticism is "Down with Confucianism" during the May Fourth Movement. However, after the fiercest criticism, they had published articles or works to reflect their own original points one by another. Zhang Taiyan had keen interest not only to clarify that he slandered Confucianism because of Radicalism, but set up the traditional assembly to teaching Confucianism classics, just like a Confucianism master. Hu Shi called that he criticized Confucius doctrine for social functions, and affirmed "Confucius was a man of great personality of the Confucian scholars" by "assessing all value" Chen Duxiu thought "democracy and science" was conflict with "Confucianism" in the "May Fourth Movement", must be repudiated. But he hold the point "evaluates the value of Confucius" and in result of affirmation of the value of the secular superstition thought and the creation of ethical code contributions, after reflection in old years. Li Dazhao’s criticism was reflective and selective of timely, fully affirmed Confucius as the artificial sage and had made important contributions in the age he lived, while keeping reservations about Confucius’s morality and ethics. Qian Xuantong has strongly advocated "annulling Confucianism", even thought there exist danger without annulling. After some reflection on his points in previous years, he thought that the attitude of exclusion to Confucianism and traditional literature should be changed. Mao Zishui treated ethics of Confucius as "the devil" in the "May Fourth Movement", and should be expelled thoroughly, but with the deepening of the research on "The Analects of Confucius", he thought it was impartial that, Yiteng RenZhai (a Japenese philosopher) evaluating "The Analects" as "the most extreme, world first thought book "Early in the twentieth century, the biggest characteristic of Confucianism criticism was very strict as while timely. Critics could reflect their own questions during the process, after severely criticism on Confucius and Confucianism, and revise their point of view, keeping attitude of "taking the essence and removing the dross", affirming Confucius’s historical achievement and useful part in Confucianism.