| The word " sage" itself is only a description of a certain quality of a person,which evolved into a proxy for the ideal personality as historical conditions changed;The term "sage king" is also synonymous with an ideal personality of great moral virtue and capable of ruling the world.The Sage character portrayed in The Yellow Emperor’s Four Canons is,on the one hand,connected to the Tao,the only person with the ability to know and grasp the Tao,and,on the other hand,able to apply the wisdom of the Tao to personal cultivation and real-life politics.Thus,the study of the philosophy of The Yellow Emperor’s Four Canons from the perspective of the "philosophy of the holy kings" is of great significance for a profound understanding of the philosophy of the Tao,the philosophy of governance and the philosophy of cultivation in The Yellow Emperor’s Four Canons.Firstly,we analyse the origin of the concept of sage and king,and through the examination of word forms,origins and meanings,we sort out the origin of the concepts of sage and king and their original meanings,and analyse the concept of sage and king as well as their connotations and the process of their evolution by the scholars of the pre-Qin dynasty,pointing out that sage and king is the general term for the ideal personality in The Yellow Emperor’s Four Canons.Secondly,the relationship between the sage kings and the Tao in the The Yellow Emperor’s Four Canons.The Tao in The Yellow Emperor’s Four Canons is the origin of all things in heaven and earth,and the philosophy of the Tao is the theoretical basis for all aspects of The Yellow Emperor’s Four Canons.The function of the Tao is manifested in four areas: the origin of all things,the Reason that is internalised in all things,the law that is expressed in the movement and change of all things,and the standard of all things in heaven and earth.As the bridge and link between the Tao of Heaven and politics,the Sage King has the ability to know the Tao and grasp it,and only the Sage King can follow the Tao of Heaven and apply it to his personal training and politics.Thirdly,the inner cultivation of the sage king,and an analysis of the way in which the sage kings of The Yellow Emperor’s Four Canons cultivate themselves.The Yellow Emperor’s Four Canons believe that the sage king should be quiet and just,like the Tao,and embrace all things with a broad mind,so that he can truly realise the spirit of the Tao and walk with it.He then applies this spirit to politics and regulates his own behaviour at all times,staying within the limits set by the Tao of Heaven.Such a sage king had the virtue of the mysterious and knew the art of kingship,and could be an example to be followed and emulated by all the people of the world.Fourth,the rule of the sage kings,an analysis of the guidelines for the rule of the sage kings in The Yellow Emperor’s Four Canons.The Tao gives birth to all things,and then all things have a "form and name",on the basis of which the sage king establishes the rule of law,with the rule of law as the core,and adheres to the method of governing with both force and flexibility.To manage relations with his subjects,his people and with other nations,to appoint wise people and to establish a harmonious and orderly relationship between the ruler and his subjects in order to receive the full support of wise people;Only by leaving wealth with the people and respecting public opinion can he gain the support of the people,and then the sage king can achieve his political goal of kingdom of the world by adopting a strategy of nurturing life and eliminating death in obedience to heaven.Fifth,based on the different contexts and historical conditions in which The Yellow Emperor’s Four Canons and Laozi were produced,we compare the philosophical inheritance and development between the The Yellow Emperor’s Four Canons and Laozi in terms of the shaping of the ideal personality from three aspects:the philosophy of the Way,the theory of governance and the idea of war. |
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