King of Codex (The Tang Code and Chinese Culture)

Author: Xu Yongkang et al.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: The dialectics of history repeatedly reveal that development is not simply growth and increase; it often does not follow a straight-line progression but rather achieves its realization through a series of spiral layers. In this way, "return" does not always mean repeating the past but can be an upward form—a form of "awakening" the potential that has long been latent in things from their very beginning. As a culture created by conscious human beings, it vividly demonstrates a spiral developmental trajectory. For example, Europe's "Renaissance," which revered ancient Greek culture, and the "Reformation," which adhered to the Bible, were both developments and recreations of the "spirit of the canonical texts." It was through such "returns" that European culture achieved historical progress. This phenomenon of drawing inspiration from "cultural canonical texts" to gain a foundation for advancement has also appeared multiple times in China. The famous "Classical Chinese Movement" is a typical example. Examining the history of modern Chinese thought and culture, it is evident that this tendency to "return to the roots while forging the new" or to "emancipate through revivalism"—that is, to return to the spirit of the canonical texts in order to innovate—has been widespread. Of course, modernization is a cultural transition process filled with transformation and renewal. Modern life is like a massive filter, allowing or blocking elements of traditional culture, and navigating the path of promotion and restraint through selection and rejection. Modern Chinese people, grounded in the social practice of civilizational transformation and saving the nation from peril, chose the adaptable philosophy, sense of urgency, distinction between the Chinese and foreign, concept of revolution, and people-centered thought from the spirit of Chinese canonical texts. They then engaged in dynamic interaction and fusion with relevant aspects of Western learning, thereby forging theories such as social transformation theory, theory of saving the nation, theory of the nation-state, theory of social revolution, and democracy that played a significant role in modern China. It is clear that the selective promotion and creative transformation of the spirit of canonical texts are an inherent part of modern and contemporary culture. This theme is one that the present and future generations must repeatedly explore and strive to practice. The Tang Code and Its Interpretations (Tanglü Shuyi) is one of the representative feudal legal codes of ancient China and also the earliest legal code preserved to this day. Whether in ancient times or now, it holds a unique position. Many people read it in the past, but due to its great distance from our time, its language is relatively difficult, and its content is profound, making it difficult for most modern readers to understand easily. This book introduces and explains it to readers in plain and accessible language for this very reason. The book begins with the story of its creation.