Zheng Xianfu’s Ideology Of Confucian Classic Studies

Zheng Xianfu, he was also an illustrious scholar of classical studies, litterateur and educator in Guangxi in the late Qing Dynasty. Zheng was a prolific writer, famous for his On the Annotations to "The Four Books", Hand-written Notes and Commentaries on "The Thirteen Confucian Classics", Yuyi Records, Buxuexuan Collection, Hongzhua Collection, Heli Collection, etc. He also compiled Annals of Xiangzhou. Current studies mostly give an overview of Zheng Xianfu’s works and achievements and then make an evaluation of his historical status, lacking enough depth; most scholars focus on Zheng’s poetics and traveling poems but ignore his thoughts in classical studies. In the very few studies on Zheng’s classical thoughts, there are two major research dimensions in academic circles:one believes his thoughts mediocre and downplays them; the other tries to elevate his historical status and reverse the verdict. In the author’s view, Zheng Xianfu’s classical thoughts are both extensive and penetrating. As a representative of Lingnan Confucianism, he possesses the general characteristics of ancient Chinese traditional Confucian scholars, shows a sense of crisis in the late Qing Dynasty, and reflects the academic style of scholars in remote areas. In this sense, a fair and reasonable evaluation of Zheng Zianfu’s contribution in the history of classical studies is not only an integral part of the studies of Guangxi but also of great significance to enriching academic thoughts of the Qing Dynasty as well as academic thoughts of Guangxi in the Qing Dynasty.In order to better clarify Zheng Xianfu’s classical thoughts, the paper introduces Zheng Xianfu’s life experiences, his friends, his travel experiences, his classical writings, his sectarian view, pragmatic view and historical view on classical studies, and his research methods for classical studies, as well as other people’s understandings and evaluations of him from three levels-his personality, his books and his thoughts to reveal the root causes and the effects of Zheng Xianfu’s classical thoughts. Objectively, Zheng Xianfu was influenced by Guangxi’s native Neo-Confucianism and Sinology. He was edified by Neo-Confucian thoughts and Sinological content of his own family, by teachings and revelations of teachers of Confucian classics, and by exchanges within the academic circle of his teachers and friends. Subjectively, Zheng Xianfu gathered a lot of life experiences and classical knowledge, became able to consciously criticize, reflect, select and practice what he saw, heard, learned and thought, and finally established his own firm beliefs.Adhering to the statecraft ideology of Gu Yanwu and Zhang Xuecheng et al., Zheng Xianfu upholds practical learning and practical utility, advocates a combination of studies with the national economy, the people’s livelihood and national rise, and opposes empty talks by Confucian school of idealist philosophy of the Song and Ming dynasties. Zheng focused on reviewing and organizing literature and historical data instead of prattling about theories with significant achievements in classical studies. He was the author of On the Annotations to "The Four Books" and Yuyi Records (adding up to more than 600,000 Chinese characters) and was titled "Scholar of Classical Studies" by Collection of Chinese Historical Figures. As a scholar of classical studies and a thinker, Zheng Xianfu is strongly against worshiping gods and authorities and goes for building human’s consciousness and respecting human’s self-existence, life value and personality development. In fact, his thoughts and ideas have already broken through the barriers of Confucian orthodoxy and shown some deviant tendencies. These thoughts and ideas were therefore illuminating to the then society. At the same time, they also reveal Zheng’s strong sense of crisis, and his profound reflections on the culture of the transition period, as well as his strong sense of responsibility and mission for the country’s future, the nation’s destiny and the people’s suffering. His views even inspired and influenced the enlightenment thinkers of the later Revolution of 1911.Zheng Xianfu’s major achievements are his classical studies and the soul of his classical studies lies in his classical thoughts. Zheng Xianfu’s explanations of Confucian classics, advocacy of ancient Chinese prose, enlightenment of Confucian orthodoxy and enshrinement of Confucius and Mencius were aimed at reviving Confucianism and rejecting Buddhism and Taoism. These are the basic principles of his classical thoughts. Zheng Xianfu’s classical thoughts are quite complicated in content as they involve explanation, extension and analysis of Analects of Confucius, Mencius, The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, The Spring and Autumn Annals, Yi and other Confucian classics, showing broad scale and solid style. Zheng Xianfu questioned traditional classics and developed a school of his own based on obvious inheritance of Neo-Confucian tradition-suspecting academic style since the Middle Tang Dynasty. Through his classical studies, which are closely associated with the stimulation of the times, Zheng Xianfu showed great concerns over reality and the nation’s fate.