University Zhongyong

Author: Wang Guoxuan
Publisher:
Publishing Time: Not available
Features: The Great Learning and Doctrine of the Mean were originally two chapters of the Book of Rites. The Great Learning focuses on personal cultivation, proposing that "From the Son of Heaven down to the common people, all must take self-cultivation as the foundation." It outlines methods such as investigating things, achieving harmony, sincerity, and rectifying the mind as ways to cultivate oneself. It emphasizes that self-cultivation is not merely an introspective process but also involves engaging with external things, delving into the nature of things to gain knowledge, and nurturing moral character and perfecting one's personality. The purpose of self-cultivation is to govern the family, rule the state, and bring peace to the world. The Great Learning holds that governing the state and bringing peace to the world should be based on virtue.
The Doctrine of the Mean emphasizes "sincerity," viewing it as the key to achieving the "Way of the Mean." The Doctrine of the Mean is an important Confucian classic, much like the Book of Changes, serving as a theoretical foundation for Confucianism. However, the Book of Changes has a broader influence and wider scope than the Doctrine of the Mean. After the Song Dynasty, the Doctrine of the Mean became a focal point for Confucian scholars to study. Many concepts and propositions in Neo-Confucianism originate from the Doctrine of the Mean, and many prominent Neo-Confucian scholars adhered to its principles. Many Confucian thinkers used its methodology for reflection, demonstrating that the Doctrine of the Mean has had a profound influence on the formation of Chinese civilization.