On the Six Classics · Lectures on Chinese History

Author: Xiong Shili
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: This book includes three works by Xiong Shili: "On the Six Classics," "Lectures on Chinese History," and "Outline of Chinese History." "On the Six Classics" discusses the Six Classics—Poetry, Book of Documents, Rites, Changes, Music, and Spring and Autumn Annals—with particular emphasis on the "Rites of Zhou" in the Book of Rites. It elaborates on Confucian governance, expresses the utopian ideal of Confucian socialism, and carries a strong flavor of utopian socialism. "Lectures on Chinese History" was written during the War of Resistance Against Japan, aiming to promote national spirit through exploring Chinese history and providing a historical basis for the united resistance of all ethnic groups. The author attempts to prove that the Han, Manchu, Mongol, Hui, and Tibetan ethnic groups share a common origin, though this claim is not entirely scientific, it fully reflects the author's sense of national crisis and patriotic sentiments. "Outline of Chinese History" was written to clarify the general history of China. The points the author emphasizes in writing history and his views on Neo-Confucianism during the Song and Ming dynasties reveal his perspectives on ethnicity, history, and the history of scholarship, and can be compared with "Lectures on Chinese History." Additionally, it reveals how the common people use "weapons of the weak" to fight for their own destiny.