"Three Volumes of Contemporary Interpretation of Confucian Studies: (Issue 24 of Chinese Philosophy)"

Author: Jiang Guanghui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-04-01
Features: The World is set against the backdrop of the highly flourishing philosophical thought of the late Warring States period, exploring the origins of philosophical thought and clearly that the common source of all the Hundred Schools of Thought is "the ancient Way of Technique." As critics have noted, the "ancient Way of Technique" primarily refers to the religious traditions or the official learning of poetry, books, rites, and music during the Western Zhou Dynasty, or more broadly, the entire religious and cultural system of ancient China. According to The World, this ancient religious and cultural system has an "extensive reach, present everywhere," representing a vast and all-encompassing study that unites heaven and humanity. Its essence, however, is condensed into a single unity—the unity of the Dao and the unity of heaven and humanity. Thus, this study of heaven and humanity as a whole, on one hand, "understands the fundamental principles," while on the other hand, "is bound by practical measures." The former is called the "Dao," and the latter is called "technique," collectively referred to as "the Way of Technique."
The phrase "understands the fundamental principles" means having a fundamental understanding of the unity of heaven and humanity and extracting from it a unified principle, the essence of thought—this is what is called "the Inner Sage." The phrase "is bound by practical measures" refers to the practical operational level, where the fundamental understanding of the unity of heaven and humanity is applied to "nurturing all things, harmonizing the world, and benefiting the people," addressing various practical issues, and participating in the transformation everywhere, which is what is called "the Outer King."
Therefore, this "ancient Way of Technique" that permeates the religious traditions of the Three Dynasties is, in fact, a systematic and complete religious worldview. Its core ideology can be briefly defined as the study of the unity of heaven and humanity or the Way of the Inner Sage and Outer King, with its central theme being what is called "not deviating from the root, it is called the unity of heaven and humanity; not deviating from the essence, it is called the divine person." "Taking heaven as the root, virtue as the foundation, and the Dao as the gateway, embracing changes, it is called the Sage." It explores the relationship between heaven and humanity or between the divine and humanity, pursuing the integration of the Inner Sage and the Outer King.
Later, the philosophical worldviews of the Hundred Schools of Thought inherited this religious worldview, and their fundamental nature and overall characteristics were shaped by the "ancient Way of Technique," remaining within the realm of the study of heaven and humanity. They too pursue the integration of the Inner Sage and the Outer King, but the difference lies in that the Hundred Schools of Thought, starting from their respective perspectives, tend to be one-sided and "unfortunately fail to grasp the purity of heaven and earth or the grand essence of the ancients," falling short of the systematic completeness of the "ancient Way of Technique."
The discussion of the "ancient Way of Technique" in The World is a piece of "using the past to speak" and contains elements of glorifying antiquity. Its portrayal of the Hundred Schools of Thought reflects certain biases of the Taoist school, which is evident. However, the religious and cultural traditions of ancient China matured during the Zhou Dynasty and took the study of heaven and humanity as its substantive content, forming a systematic and complete religious worldview, which is supported by a wealth of historical documents. Although the discussion in The World has elements of glorification, it is historically grounded and not baseless.
As for its portrayal of the Hundred Schools of Thought, if one does not overly focus on the sectarian biases in its value judgments and instead focuses on the objective analysis of its ideological content, it is largely credible, and its historical value cannot be ignored. What is particularly important is that The World, through the surface of history and by setting aside specific details, stands at the height of worldviews and with a uniquely insightful genius reveals the common core ideology and central themes shared by the religious traditions of the Three Dynasties and the Hundred Schools of Thought, as well as their common ideals and pursuits. The relationship between the two