Defend For Confucian "Tender And Gentle"

What the traditional Confucius "poetry enlightenment and cultivation"which is represented by Confucian "tender and gentle" is interpreted on the textbook of the ancient literature theory is puzzling.What the "tender and gentle"is criticized with the modern theories is full of terms like "advance,laggard,feudalism,conflict" and so on.Besides,someone even regard "tender and gentle"as a kind of constructive ideology.On the one hand,ancient literature is criticized with the excuse that it served for the feudal politics and strangled the art and aesthetic.On the other hand,it is asked to work as a tool to fight,to expose the darkness and contradiction of the past society.The reasons bring about such modern criticism are the theories of"progressivism" and "historicism" which originate from the Enlightenment Movement.Surely,the influence of the "new culture movement" and the present situation in our country should not be ignored."progressivism" regards the history as a course which develops from uncultured to advanced.As a result,there are some binary oppositions such as backward/advanced come into being."historicism" leads to kinds of terms and discourse.Consequently,ancient classical text about "tender and gentle" is molded by the modern theory frame.While if we probe the essential origin which leads to the present confusion with the interpretation of "tender and gentle",it may be the discard of "Tao"which is the fundamental in the world.On the contrary,we pursue kinds of values and ideology which are derivative.Besides,we mistake "Tao" for"ideology" and give "Tao" a lash.In fact,this article holds the view that "tender and gentle" embodies "Tao".Such "Tao" is the union of self-discipline and other-discipline,the bond of means and goal.