The Philosophical Exploration On Confucius's Connotation Of "Shi"

The Pre-Qin Confucians attached great importance to "shi" and made use of it in their life,whose theories implied the philosophical thought of "shi" nowhere.Though,the ideas of "shi" was always in the "background" role,compared with anther core ideas.In the horizon of the Heaven-man,this paper is trying to quest for the connotation of "shi" of Confucius,analyze its source and meanings and explore its influence on later Confucians and modern value.The article have five parts:the first part—preface:an introduction of the article's research background and the significance of the topic and literature review related;the second part:starting from the word "shi" to analyze the concept of "shi" in Shangshu(The Book of History),Shi(The Book of Songs)and I Ching(The Book of Changes);the third part:the core part of the article,the connotation of "shi" of Confucius presented in the Analects of Confucius,analyses of the structure and basic meanings of "shi";the fourth part:on the basis of the above,to explore the influence on later Pre-Qin Confucians;the last part:little talk of modern values and significance of the concept of "shi" in Pre-Qin Confucianism.The word "shi" appeared as early as the Oracle era,whose original meaning is the rhythm of the sun moving when the word was made.The basic connotation——"four shi" has an obvious feature of self-experience.In the later dictionaries,the meaning of "shi" extended to some abstract meanings,such as " ?"and "law",and around using "shi" come a set of opportune wisdom,for example doing things opportunely in specific circumstance.The early ancestors lived a harmonious life with nature.Through looking up to observe the moving of the sun and looking down at all the lives,they got the original concept of "shi"——"four shi ".Obviously,the understanding of "shi" in the early days cannot do without the nature and seamless life with the world.In the early Pre-Qin period,the ancestors had a sense of reverence for "heaven"."Shi" is logically deprived from "heaven",and has meanings concealed as "four shi","what the heaven presents",and opportune implication on using "shi" The transition from the Yin to the Zhou Dynasty was really big,that the worship of "supreme God"(" ? ")had been replaced by heaven("?")which impacts human world according to the rulers'virtue.At that time,humanistic rationality started to awaken,and people thought that their future depended on their own virtue.Reflected in the understanding of "shi",it seems that "shi" turned to "shi" of the "I " from the natural "shi",and the connotation of"shi" started to have moral orientation.Confucius put forward the theory of "ren",in which "shi" was embodied in the moral life under the concern of heaven.When people practice "ren" in their current life and finally shape their personalities as the sage of "shi",their existing identifies with the current of "shi".As the first-hand data of Confucius,the comprehension of "shi"presented in the Analects of Confucius sketched out the outline of "shi" in the field of morality of the Pre-Qin Confucianism:"shi" manifests rich implications in the practice "ren" of moral life.After the analysis of the text,we can see four intertwined meanings of "shi":"four shi" "shi zhong"(the mean of "shi"),"shi ji"(opportunity in shi)and "opportunity in shi".Later Pre-Qin Confucians inherited the four meanings of"shi",and developed two different approaches to link the heaven and man:Simeng school extended the inward aspect of "shi":based on "xing"(human nature or what makes man man),"shi" equals to the moral life in which one returns to the innate good nature("xing")that heaven endows with;Xunzi held the theory of evil human nature and underlined continuous moral cultivation subsequently through practicing"shi" to modify the nature.In the horizon of Heaven-Man,what the "four shi" presents is where the "Dao"is.As the direct manifestation of heaven,all the natural movements and human activities in the "four shi" are harmonious and involved with "Dao".The concept of"shi" of the Pre-Qin Confucian shows a strong sense of coherence in which factors with tension have been hold together such as heaven and man,constancy and variation,intermittence and continuity.As a medium between heaven and man,"shi"produces new connotations and values in its constant changing current."Shi" focus on man and its moral life,which reflects rich humanistic characteristics.The idea of "Shi" in the Pre-Qin Confucianism is abundant,that provides a new possibility for the understanding of time.And the thought of Heaven and Man in the concept of "shi" provides beneficial thinking for the environmental improvement and the existing of human in modern society."Shi" as the unfolding process of the moral life,focuses on appropriate behaviors following "ren" in the current of"shi".Thus the concept of "shi" has significant importance for modern society.