Preliminary Studies On Confucian Analects’ Research Of Er Cheng

During the scholar of Early Song Dynasty reviving Confucianism,they furtherrealized the drawback of readers’ old acception and the necessity of change thesinological method. The scholar of Early Song Dynasty expected to interpretConfucian classics through new measuers,thus to promote the study of theConfucian.These scholars were bolded and innovated.They started to explan theConfucian classics from the angle of philosophical connotations,and advocated thestudy of The Four Books’ philosophical connotations.Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi twobrothers were representative figuers of this period.Through constantly explore,Er Cheng found Neo-Confucianism ideologicalsystem based on the central idea of the Heavenly Principles Theory.On the one hand,constructing Neo-Confucianism ideological system can’t be separated from theinterpretation,expression and utilization of Confucian classics.On the other hand,ErCheng absorbed the basic concept of Confucian classics into their own thought byannotate these books.Er Cheng took reviving the study before Mencius as their ownduty,so they canonized four books,including The Analects,Mencius,Daxue andMiddlebrow.Among these,Er Cheng pointed out that The Analects contained full ofideological essence,so learning The Analects was benefit to master other Confucianclassics.Though the interpretation of benevolence among Er Cheng has a slightdifference,but both of them keep Loyalty and Tolerance rise to the level of therelation between body and function.They considered that Loyalty is the heavenlyprinciple,and Tolerance is the earthly.This standpoint treated The Way of Confucius asthe issue between the heavenly principle and practicing the heavenly principle.ErCheng emphasized that Li(the truth) as the standard of social ethics.They consideredthat the skill of learning and cultivating virtues includinglecturing,studying,remedying evil to be good and other aspects.Er Cheng also notedthat self-reflection plays an important role in cultivating virtues. The Neo-Confucianism thought ran through the interpretation of ConfucianAnalects’ research of Er Cheng.They started with the order,and found the ultimatebasis Li(the truth) for Li(rite),thus put Li(the truth)which is the noumenon of universalthings into social ethics.Ostensibly Li(rite) require obeying regimes,but thisrequirement treated Li(rite)as an objective principle of moral cultivation,and stressedthe unification of forms and contents.This way could help to bring about carrying outcorrect rite,keeping sincere and respectful attitude and nurturancing honest and realmoral.Er Cheng utilized The Analects explicated their thought of teaching andlearning.On the one hand,this thought was the concrete application ofNeo-Confucianism thought in Educational Field,on the other hand,this thought wasthe conciseness of Er Cheng’s scholarship experiences for many years,there was nolack of far-reaching and creative idea.