A Study On The Concepts Of Seclusion In The Analects Of Confucius

The concept of seclusion is a kind of viewpoint and attitude of the reclusive tendency of the people with knowledge and virtue.It is not unique to the hermits,its emergence does not depend on the direct reclusive behaviors.The Analects of Confucius records the communication process between Confucius and the hermits,outlines the subtle relationship between the two and shows the appearance of the reclusive concepts in the Analects of Confucius.The predecessors focused on the study of Confucius’ and hermits’ concepts of seclusion from the perspective of literature and history,but ignored the influences of the hermits and their concepts of seclusion on Confucius Thoughts.Compared with the previous research results,this paper studies the concepts of seclusion in the Analects of Confucius from the overall perspective,which has three levels.First of all,the seclusion of the hermits.There are the hermits of two times in the Analects of Confucius: the hermits during the Yin and Zhou Dynasties,and the hermits who were contemporary with Confucius.By analyzing these images,I summarize the group characteristics of the hermits and Confucius’ attitudes towards the hermits.Confucius praises the purity of the hermits,but criticizes “the Seclusion from the World” of the hermits.Second,the influences of hermits and their concepts of seclusion on Confucius Thoughts.This point is often ignored by predecessors when they study the concepts of seclusion in the Analects of Confucius.Therefore,it is necessary to analyze the process of communication between the hermits and Confucius in detail.Confucius reflected and summarized the limitations of the hermits’ concepts around the issues of shi(士),yi(义),shi(时)and ming(命),which further completed the process of the unity of opposites and formed a Confucian concept about “Practice Benevolence and Know the Heaven” as the core.Third,the concept of seclusion in Confucius Thoughts.Confucius’ concept of seclusion is “the Seclusion from the People”,which advocates not giving up political efforts.It’s a kind of wisdom of “Self-saving to Protect the Benevolence” to live in a world without Tao.The main symbol of it is the Doctrine of the Mean with the essence of “time in the middle” and the Aesthetic Nature that transcends the worldly utility.Confucius’ concept of seclusion is the transcendence of the general reclusive concepts.Thus,from the pursuit of early individual spontaneity to the form with universal social value,Confucius made seclusion truly complete and definite.Confucius’ concept of seclusion became the guidance of the future scholars.Through the study of this paper,the overall context of the concepts of seclusion in the Analects of Confucius will be basically combed in the investigation of the communication between Confucius and the hermits,and the highest system of the reclusive concept in Confucius Thoughts will be displayed,thus revealing Confucius’ role as the founder of Chinese seclusion tradition and the influences of his reclusive concept on later generations.