Outside said Confucianism

Author: Wang Junlin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-03-01
Features: The origin of Confucianism is an extremely important and highly challenging issue in the history of pre-Qin Confucianism. For thousands of years, many scholars have shown great interest in this question and have conducted numerous fruitful explorations, leaving behind rich and valuable research outcomes. However, due to insufficient documentary evidence, many conclusions drawn from these studies remain speculative, and the issue has yet to be fully resolved. It must be noted that the following discussion is merely an attempt to address the problem.
I. The Origin of Confucianism
Confucianism refers to the school of thought founded by Confucius. Before Confucius, were there indeed Confucians? If so, where did they come from? When did the term "Confucian" first appear, and what was its fundamental meaning? These are the questions we must first address.
I. "What is the origin of the name 'Confucian'?"
The term "Confucian" was used to refer to the school of thought represented by Confucius. What is the fundamental meaning of this name? It is said that as early as the late Warring States period, people began to inquire about and explore this question. When Confucius's seventh-generation descendant, Kong Chuan, met Zhao Sheng (also known as Plainfield Marquis) of Zhao State, Zhao Sheng asked him: "What is the origin of the name 'Confucian'?" (Record of Kong, "Confucian Attire"). Clearly, Zhao Sheng raised an intriguing question, and it is often the first issue people encounter when engaging with Confucianism. Although this question is not considered crucial in the history of Confucianism, it has attracted the attention of many scholars since its inception. They have devoted time and effort to examine it from various perspectives, attempting to uncover the truth behind the question, which has led to numerous valuable interpretations.
Authoritative explanations are found in Xu Shen's Shuowen Jiezi (Dictionary of Chinese Characters) in the Eastern Han Dynasty, under the "Human" section: "Confucian (), meaning 'gentle' or 'soft.' A term for scholars. It consists of the character 'human' () and the sound 'xu' ()." "Gentle" implies mildness, weakness, or docility. In the commentary on the character "Confucian" by Gui Fu of the Qing Dynasty in Shuowen Jiezi Yisheng, it is noted: "The Ritual records that the term 'Confucian' refers to the actions of those who practice moral virtues. The word 'Confucian' conveys 'mildness' and 'gentleness.'" Wang Can's Discourse on Confucian Officials states: "The Confucians recorded in bamboo and silk texts were not inherently slow or indecisive. They emerged from lecture halls and roamed through village schools, lacking strictness or decisive action to govern themselves. Even if they wished to be decisive, they could not achieve it. Seeing this, the ancient kings decreed that officials should be refined in their conduct. Confucians are skilled in literary and legal matters, hence they can balance leniency and severity, and restrain themselves with both firmness and gentleness."
In the Biographies of the Northern Dynasties, under Wang Xian's biography: "Wang Yi had a gentle and indecisive temperament." Under Liu Fang's biography: "He governed with gentleness, unable to prevent banditry and theft." In the Tang Dynasty Annals, under Zheng Ting's biography: "The enemy inside regarded Zheng Ting as light, and he was gentle and soft."
From the perspective of "gentleness," the term "Confucian" carries the meanings of mildness, weakness, indecisiveness, and slowness. The character "Confucian" is also composed of "human" () and the sound "xu" (), as the sound is similar, the two characters are connected. "Xu" () is the original form of "Confucian." Therefore, let us examine the term "xu" from another angle.
In the Rites of Zhou, under the section "Baoshi" in the Examining Workshops, it is written: "Leather should be bleached white and washed quickly to make it firm; if it is made soft and greasy, it becomes 'xu.'" Here, "firm" () is contrasted with "xu," suggesting that "xu" also implies softness. "Xu" is also written as "ao," as seen in the Han Dynasty stele of Lu Jun: "Learning is the true master." "Xu" is the same as "ao." The Book of Changes has the hexagram "Xu," and the Commentary on the Hexagrams explains it as: "Xu means 'waiting.'" The Erya defines "xu" as "wait," meaning to wait. The Commentary on Miscellaneous Hexagrams states: "Xu means 'not advancing.'" Thus,