Exploring The Resources Of Liang Shuming's Thought On Rural Construction

Liang Shuming(1893-1988)is considered as the pioneer of modern Neo-Confucianism,and is also one of the few " three immortality" characters in Chinese history,and has achieved marvelous achievements in winning virtue,merits and memory,known as one of “Three Sages of Modern Neo-Confucians”.He is praised by general Marshall as “China's Mahatma Gandhi” and called “the last Confucian” by American Sinologist Guy Alitto.He claims himself to be a “man in problem” and his life revolves around two problems: one is the problem of life,and the other one is the Chinese problem.His rural construction thought and practice can be regarded as a great experiment after in-depth study of these two problems,namely,to integrate the strengths of eastern and western civilization and avoid the shortcomings of eastern and western civilization,and therefore to create a new situation for human civilization.Different from other rural construction theories,Liang Shuming's theory is based on life practice,social practice and solid academic research.His theory is designed from the perspective of culture,to construct rural areas by moral education instead of administrative orders,and with faith in the conscious of human nature not material lure.The theory is not even a theory merely for rural construction.It is not only a " new Confucianism program " to create a new culture in order to build a new China,but also to integrate the strengths of eastern and western civilization and avoid the shortcomings of eastern and western civilization,and therefore to create a new situation of civilization for human kind.However,as scholars such as Guo Qiyong and Gong Jianping has exquisitely pointed out,Liang Shuming's theory seems to encounter an almost unresolvable problem: Why this rural construction movement designed according to ethical spirit can not arouse the moral sentiments of rural farmers who are deeply influenced by ethical spirit of Confucianism but through class struggle Communist Party can arouse the dedication of Chinese farmers? This is the greatest interrogation to Liang Shuming's rural construction theory.Many scholars believe," the traditional rationality has become difficult to grasp the ‘mind' of today's Chinese people.It will be difficult to arouse their ‘minds' if their practical problems such as land distribution,tax relief and other‘body' requirements are not solved.In their life,the desire of‘body' has occupied a dominant position.In this case,whoever meets their desire of ‘body' will win their ‘minds'." [(1)]This Interrogation refers to the problem of body and mind,and it also involves an old problem between justice and altruism,and the deviation and distortion of the relationship between justice and altruism since SongMing era.At present,the academic circles either consider the Liang's rural construction theory and practice as untimely and neglect it,or merely show sympathy.Few has thought of the great feelings and lofty ideals behind Liang Shuming's spirit of “who knows the impracticable nature of the times,and yet will be doing in them”.This great feeling is the faith of previous pure Confucians consistently from Confucius on human reason and human kind “which will be better day by day”.This paper aims to explore and discuss this great feeling and the spirit of Chinese culture it reflects behind Liang Shuming's rural construction theory and practice and the significance of this theory on the Four Confidences(road confidence,theoretical self-confidence,system confidence and cultural confidence)since the 18 th National Congress of the CPC.