Zhou Dunyi, the founder of Neo-Confucianism, put forward a simple and systematic theory of the composition of the universe, that is, the theory of "infinite Tai Chi". He explained the origin of the universe and the creation of everything with the movement of Taiji and Jin Mu's five elements of fire, water and soil. Zhou Dunyi is simple-minded, honest and generous. He especially likes beautiful lotus flowers. He once dug a pond to grow lotus flowers and named it "Ailian Pool". The famous "Ailian Shuo" was written by him when he felt the lotus in the pool. "Mud is not stained, but it is not evil." This is the true portrayal of Zhou Dunyi. Zhou Dunyi's academic status was not very high before his death, and his pioneering position in Neo-Confucianism was officially confirmed only after he took charge of Confucianism.
Zhou Dunyi initiated the theory of objective idealism, while Zhang Zai, another founder of Neo-Confucianism, put forward a simple materialistic view of nature.
Zhang Zai's father was an official, but his father died when Zhang Zai was very young. Since then, Zhang Zai's family has been living in Hengqu Township, Meixian County, Shaanxi Province. Zhang Zai was later called "Mr. Hengqu".
Zhang Zai's philosophical thought is the theory of qi, that is, the ontology of qi, which is a school opposite to Buddhism and Taoism idealism. He believes that everything in the world, whether tangible or intangible, is "Qi". In his view, reason is subordinate to qi, and qi is still changing in motion. In fact, he put forward the philosophical view that the world is matter, and pointed out the internal relationship between matter and movement. Therefore, we can say that Zhang Zai opened a new stage of China and ancient naive materialism's philosophy.
Zhang Zai's philosophical system laid a solid foundation for Neo-Confucianism in Song and Ming Dynasties. He put forward the famous "cross-canal four sentences": "Make a heart for heaven and earth, make a life for the people, link the past with the future, and be peaceful for all generations." These four famous sayings advocate that scholar-officials should join the WTO, learn from the world, shoulder their own moral mission and historical responsibility, revitalize culture and benefit future generations. His active entry into WTO and optimistic spirit became the goal pursued by intellectuals after the Song Dynasty.
Zhang Zai has been giving lectures in Guanzhong for a long time, so the school he founded is also called "Guan Xue". Contrary to Zhang Zai's "monism of qi", Luo School advocates "monism of reason". The founders of Luo School are Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi brothers who are a little later than Zhang Zai. Because they are from Luoyang, the school they founded is called "Luoxue".
Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi are disciples of Zhou Dunyi, who established a relatively complete objective idealism philosophy system on the basis of Zhou Dunyi's theory. They believe that "reason" is the origin of all things in the universe, so the ethics of feudal society should follow the norms of "reason" and put forward the idea of "preserving righteousness and destroying human desires" In their view, as long as self-cultivation can preserve human nature and eliminate evil.
Although Guan Xue and Luo Xue are opposite in view of nature, they are basically the same in view of ethics. Both schools became pioneers of Zhu Xi's thought.
During the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu accepted the banner of Neo-Confucianism.
Zhu was born in the fourth year of Jian 'an (1 130). 19-year-old admitted to the middle school and worked as a local official for nine years. During his tenure, he made remarkable achievements in promoting education, rectifying official management, and promoting advantages and eliminating disadvantages. He is also determined to serve the imperial court and dedicate himself to the country. However, due to political corruption and the degeneration of officialdom in the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu Zhengzhi's personality was repeatedly frustrated in his official career, which prompted him to devote himself to officialdom, write books all his life, set up academies, give lectures and preach, and become a famous philosopher and educator in the Southern Song Dynasty. Zhu once founded Bailudong Academy, resumed Yuelu Academy, and gave lectures and apprentices. When he was in Bailudong Academy, based on years of educational experience, he personally formulated Bailudong Academy Code, and established the learning method of "step by step" and the learning principle of "intensive reading". This classic is a typical educational program guided by Zhu Cheng's Neo-Confucianism, and it is one of the earliest educational laws and regulations in the history of education in the world. It has not only become a model of running a school in China's feudal society for 700 years, but also been guided by the education circles in the world.
Zhu is a disciple of four families of Cheng Yi. At the age of 365,438+0, Dong Li, a disciple of three schools in Cheng Yi, was officially accepted as his teacher. He inherited the Neo-Confucianism of Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi in the Northern Song Dynasty, deepened and perfected the thought of rational ontology, established a delicate and reasonable idealistic neo-Confucianism system, reached the highest realm of idealistic neo-Confucianism, and became a master of Neo-Confucianism in the Song Dynasty.
Zhu's Neo-Confucianism is divided into two parts: philosophical principles and ethics. Like Cheng Er, Zhu regarded "reason" as the highest philosophical category. It is believed that everything in the universe is full of an omnipresent "reason", which Zhu also called Tai Chi. He believes that Tai Chi contains the principle of everything, and everything can embody the whole Tai Chi. Therefore, everyone has the spirit of Artest, and everything has the spirit of Artest. Zhu also proposed "Qi" which is second only to reason. He believes that between heaven and earth, reason and qi coexist, but reason is angry and qi exists by rights, so reason is primary and qi is secondary. This is Zhu's theory of regulating qi.
Zhu developed the contradictory views of Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi that "there is no independence but rights". It is believed that there are pairs of contradictions in all phenomena in nature and society. For example, "there are yin and yang, benevolence and righteousness, good and evil, and movement." Moreover, there are interrelated and interdependent relationships between opposing things. So he came to a conclusion that there is a relationship between opposing things to overcome and struggle with each other. They can gradually change in the opposite direction and accumulate to a certain extent. When they exceed the limit, they will transform into each other. This reflects the dialectical viewpoint in Zhu's thought.
Zhu applied the proposition of "the unity of knowledge and action" in The University, put forward the theory of "the unity of knowledge and action", and discussed the relationship between knowledge and action. He believes that from the source of knowledge, it is necessary to be aware of the prophet; From the perspective of social effects, we should attach importance to knowledge, not to knowledge.
On the issue of human nature, Zhu inherited Zhang Zai's ontology of vitality in the Northern Song Dynasty and the thoughts of Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi, and put forward the dualism of human nature. He believes that the good and evil of human nature are caused by different innate qualities. People are born with the truth of benevolence, righteousness, propriety and wisdom, that is to say, human nature is kind, which is the nature of destiny. And because everyone suffers from different qi, there are differences between good and evil, between virtuous and foolish, and between personality. This is the essence of temperament. Therefore, Zhu also discussed the issue of human desire and put forward the idea of "restraining human desire and preserving human desire". However, Zhu does not advocate no desire, but he still admits people's legitimate desire for material life.
At the same time, the reason why Neo-Confucianism can be regarded as orthodox thought by rulers lies in Zhu's application of "reason" to feudal ethics. The concrete embodiment is the "three cardinal guides and five permanents". The "three cardinal guides" means "the monarch is the minister's guide, the father is the son's guide, and the husband is the wife's guide", which requires that the minister, son and wife must absolutely obey the monarch, father and husband, and at the same time require the monarch, father and husband to set an example for the minister, son and wife. This is a special moral relationship between monarch and minister, father and son and husband and wife in feudal society. The "five permanents", namely, benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom and faithfulness, are the code of conduct used to adjust and standardize the relationship between monarch and minister, father and son, brother, husband and wife and friends. In feudal society, general ethics is always regarded as the highest moral standard. Therefore, the rise of Neo-Confucianism, politically speaking, adapted to the needs of strengthening feudal centralization in the Song Dynasty. Zhu's theory of human nature played an extremely important role in maintaining feudal rule and strengthening feudal ethics. His academic thought has always been the official philosophy of the feudal ruling class in the Southern Song Dynasty and even the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, and has become a powerful spiritual pillar to consolidate the ruling order of feudal society. Of course, with the continuous development of China's feudal society, his strengthening of the "Three Cardinals and the Five Permanents" also has more and more negative effects.
Zhu is another great thinker, philosopher and educator after Confucius in the history of China. He was not only a master of Neo-Confucianism in Song Dynasty, but also studied Confucian classics, history, literature, music, Buddhism, Taoism and even natural science. He is one of the most prolific Confucian scholars in the history of China. The main philosophical works include Notes to Four Books, Four Books or Titles, Illustration of Taiji, Interpretation of Tongshu, Interpretation of Mingxi, Original Meaning of Zhouyi, Enlightenment of Yijing, etc. Among them, "Notes to Four Books" has become the official textbook and required bibliography of the imperial examinations in Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. Zhu's philosophy not only influenced China's feudal society for more than 600 years, but also played a connecting role in the development of China's traditional culture.