Dong Zhongshu thought

Dong Zhongshu, a native of Guang Chuan (now Jingxian County, Hebei Province) in the Western Han Dynasty, was a key figure in the history of China who pushed Confucianism to orthodoxy and achieved the status of official philosophy. Since Dong Zhongshu, Confucianism has gradually jumped from a school to an official ideology. Dong Zhongshu's works are mainly The Story of the Spring and Autumn Period and The Wise Plan of the Sage. His strategic thinking formed subordinates? On the occasion of heaven and man? Starting from the overall system of governing the country, punishment, talent and learning.

First, the principle of doing things: the sense of personnel is in the sky

Dong Zhongshu believes that the plan of personnel must take the natural law, and if you want to be an adult, you must follow the natural law. ? I would like to commit a crime for the Spring and Autumn Annals, seeking the end of kingly way, and get it from Tianzi, Tianzi and Wang Cichun. Spring, what heaven does, what righteousness does, and what the king does, means: what heaven does and what righteousness does is the end of kingliness? . So? If a king wants to do something, he should expect it to end in heaven. ? The reason why we must ask for heaven is because everything in the world is decided by heaven. The source of heaven, those who follow it prosper, and those who go against it die. The country will lose its way, and the day will be the first disaster; I don't know how to introspect, but I am weird and scared; I still don't know how to change, but I am hurt and even defeated. Personnel only? Looking for its end in the sky? It is possible to succeed if you conform to heaven.

Second, unity is the foundation of governing the country.

Starting from the fact that personnel planning is based on the sky, governing the country must be unified? Spring and Autumn Annals is a great unity, a constant test of heaven and earth, and a friendship between ancient and modern times? . Everything in heaven and earth is unified in Tao, and the source of Tao comes from heaven, which shows that everything in heaven and earth is unified, which is the practical basis of national unity. In ancient and modern times, those who prosper are rooted in Tao, and those who die are lost in Tao. What does this mean? Tao? Is it consistent from ancient times to the present? The sky remains the same, and the Tao remains the same? . The source of Taoism comes from heaven, which also shows that great unity is an unchanging law from ancient times to modern times.

The application of unification in politics is centralization, which unifies the power and decrees in the world, and the application of unification in teaching is the unity of ideology and ideology. The unity of teaching must be unified with the unity of politics, otherwise, it will destroy the unity of governance. Therefore, to make the world belong to the rule of law, we must unify our thoughts and theories. This is the famous? To oust a hundred schools of thought and respect Confucianism alone? .

Third, the way to govern the country is to teach morality without punishment.

Because personnel must be based on the sky, and the sky can be divided into yin and yang, yang is virtue, yin is punishment, and providence respects yang and condescends to yin, so we should be virtuous and not punish for politics.

Fourth, promote imperial academy to become the source of enlightenment.

If you want to teach morality, you must promote enlightenment. Education requires talents. To be virtuous, we must inspect and cultivate scholars, and the purpose of cultivating scholars is to promote imperial academy. So, Dong Zhongshu said:? Imperial College, Sages and the Origin of Education? . ? The interests of all people are like water flowing downwards, and you can't stop it without education. It is the principle of realizing and stopping evil and completing the embankment; If enlightenment is abolished and evil comes out, punishment will not win and its dike will be broken. The ancient king knew this, so he ruled the world from the south. He took education as his major task, set up universities to teach the country, set up steps to transform the city, gradually show kindness to the people, show friends to the people, and keep courtesy in the people. Therefore, the punishment is very light, and people who do not commit crimes are prohibited. The customs are beautiful. ?

Dong Zhongshu's Ideological System

1。 Theological teleology of the connection between man and nature.

What is Dong Zhongshu's philosophical basis? Heaven-man induction? Theory. The theory of induction between man and nature inherits and develops the pre-Qin Confucian theory of destiny, and absorbs the mysterious theory of Yin-Yang and Five Elements of Yin-Yang School. Dong Zhongshu believes that only the human body structure is coupled with heaven and earth: adults have 366 bones, equivalent to the number of months in a year; Living in the five internal organs, the five elements complement each other; There are limbs outside, which are in harmony with the four seasons. Man is the sky ") and so on. In short, is man really similar to the sky? Combine into one? . Since? Harmony between man and nature? Nature and human beings are the same? Heaven and man have the same temperament and emotion, so they can sense each other. Is this him? Heaven-man induction? The basis of theological theory.

On the world view, Dong Zhongshu put forward? Heaven and man? This theory holds that heaven and man are interlinked, and heaven has the will, and is the highest personality god, and heaven makes man according to its own appearance. He believes that people's bodies are all constructed according to the shape of the sky. For example, the sky has the sun and the moon, and people have eyes; There are mountains and rivers in the sky, and people have bones and muscles. People's moral conduct, emotions, national day, rewards and punishments are closely related to different days. Dong Zhongshu said: man's virtue turns into righteousness, man's goodness into the warmth of the sky, and man's affection into the cold and heat of the sky. ? ("Spring and Autumn Story?" It means: people's moral exercise comes from the change of heaven, people's likes and dislikes come from the change of cold and warm weather, and people's emotions come from the change of cold and hot weather. He said that the weather has four climates: warm, hot, sunny and cold. Correspondingly, there are four laws on the earth: celebration, reward, punishment and punishment. Dong Zhongshu also believes that everything is born with a purpose. He said:? Everything in the world is born to support people. Therefore, people who can eat can support their bodies, and those who can be awesome can take them. ? ("Spring and Autumn Story?" In fact, nature has no purpose, only causality, but no purpose. Dong Zhongshu added the theory that heaven has a purpose to nature. Rulers use providence as an excuse to facilitate the implementation of their own ideas. Dong Zhongshu carefully built it? Heaven-man induction? His theological teleology served the rulers of the Han Dynasty to consolidate centralization and autocracy.

From where? Heaven-man induction? Based on theological teleology, Dong Zhongshu believes that the monarchy is given by God. He said:? Those who are at peace with heaven and earth are called emperors, and those who are blessed by God are called sons of heaven. ("Spring and Autumn Story?" Three generations of restructuring quality ") and said:? The son of heaven is ordered by heaven, and the world is ordered by the son of heaven. ? ("Spring and Autumn Story"? "That is to say, the emperor is the son of heaven, and they rule the world according to the orders of heaven. He believes that the emperor is supreme and holds the power of life and death in the world. Be a teacher by example, live in the position of supreme virtue, and master the potential of life and death? ("Spring and Autumn Story"? "Therefore, people should be loyal to them unconditionally and obey them. However, Dong Zhongshu thought that excessive monarchical power would harm society, so he invented the theory of yin and yang disaster and warned the emperor. He believes that when the rulers are at fault, disasters will happen in the morning to express condemnation and warning. If you don't repent, you will be surprised. If you don't know how to fear, then disaster will happen, and there will be changes in the throne and dynasty.

? Heaven-man induction? This is undoubtedly a very absurd theory. If there are some reasonable ideological elements, it can only be said that Dong Zhongshu saw that there is still some relationship between man and nature. Even so, it was attached to theology by him, and even distorted by the achievements of natural science at that time, serving his theological purpose. Due to the development of astronomy, physics and medicine at that time, we found the phenomenon of mutual inductance in nature, especially between similar things, such as? A?vagho?a should be a horse and a cow should be a cow? ; Some effects of weather changes on human body, are yin qi leading to the death of rainy people first? ("Spring and Autumn Story?" Similar. " Dong Zhongshu used the mutual induction between these natural phenomena to demonstrate his? Heaven-man induction? Theological theory.

2. Yin-Yang and Five Elements Theory and Three Cardinal Principles and Five Permanent Principles Theory

Dong Zhongshu absorbed the theory of yin and yang, and attached it far-fetched, and invented the so-called theory that yang respects yin and inferiority. Dong Zhongshu said that there are yin and yang in the sky, but their functions are different. Yang is the master, and Yin is the master. Yang governs morality and Yin governs punishment; Yang dominates light, while Yin dominates darkness; Yang governs temperature and yin governs cold; Yang gives, Yin takes; Yang dominates happiness, while Yin dominates depression; Yang is generous and yin is powerful; Wait a minute. From this, he decided that heaven is good for a living, not for killing, but for virtue, not for punishment, and respecting yang and belittling yin. Dong Zhongshu absorbed the theory of yin and yang, which was far-fetched, and imagined the so-called theory that yang respected yin and inferiority. Dong Zhongshu said that there are yin and yang in the sky, but their functions are different. Yang is the master, and Yin is the master. Yang governs morality and Yin governs punishment; Yang dominates time and Yin dominates darkness; Yang governs temperature and yin governs cold; Yang gives, Yin takes; Yang dominates happiness, while Yin dominates depression; Yang is generous and yin is powerful; Wait a minute. From this, he decided that heaven is good for a living, not for killing, but for virtue, not for punishment, and respecting yang and belittling yin. He said:? The righteousness of the monarch, the Lord and the couple all adopt the way of yin and yang: the monarch is yang and the minister is yin; The father is Yang, the son is Yin, the husband is Yang, and the wife is Yin. ? ("Spring and Autumn is full of dew. The meaning of the five elements ") is inferred from this? Three cardinal guides and five permanent members? Moral philosophy. In order to adjust the relationship between monarch and minister, father and son, husband and wife, Dong Zhongshu emphasized? Benevolence, courtesy, wisdom and faith among the five permanent members should be decorated by the king. ? (Han Shu. Dong Zhongshu biography)? Three cardinal guides and five permanent members? Dong Zhongshu's political ethics theory has formed a complete system. Theoretically, it provided an ideological weapon for the feudal ruling class, thus strengthening the rule of the feudal landlord class in political power, clan power and patriarchy.

3。 Metaphysics and circular historical view.

Dong Zhongshu's view of history is a metaphysical circular view of history. He inherited Zou Yan, a Yin and Yang scholar at the end of the Warring States Period? General manager Wu de said? , put forward? Three unification and one rectification? Go ahead. ? Three series? In other words, every new dynasty will change its clothing system and adopt three colors: black, white and red. ? Sanzheng? It is said that the beginning of every new dynasty begins with the three months of the summer calendar, ugliness and filial piety. For example, the Xia dynasty was black, and the month (the first month of the lunar calendar) was the first month; The Shang Dynasty was white, and the ugly month (December of the lunar calendar) was the first month. The Zhou Dynasty is red, and the first month is February (November of the lunar calendar). In the Han dynasty, it returned to the black system, with the first month of the lunar calendar as the first month. This cycle is endless.

4。 Rule the country by virtue, supplemented by punishment.

Drawing lessons from Confucianism, Dong Zhongshu advocated ruling the country by virtue, supplemented by punishment. He thinks? Virtue is the most important, but power is the second? Governing the country should be based on enlightenment, through which people can gradually get used to the moral norms of benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom and trust. At the same time, he also advocated a clear distinction between rewards and punishments. Those who make meritorious deeds are rewarded, and those who are guilty are punished. The winners will be rewarded and the guilty will be severely punished. Can't make contributions, although there is a good name, don't reward officials, don't abolish officials, although there is a stupid name, don't punish? ("Spring and Autumn is full of dew. Test fame "). He warned the rulers to save punishment and taxes, and not to seize the farming season. He opposed the Qin dynasty? One of the ways to apply for business is to do as Han Fei says and hate the emperor Wang Zhidao? The tyranny of.

As the founder of Neo-Confucianism in the era of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, Dong Zhongshu absorbed Zou Lu's cultural thoughts dominated by Confucianism in the pre-Qin period, and also absorbed Yan Qi's thoughts of Yin and Yang and Sanjin's cultural thoughts dominated by the thoughts of famous officials. Neo-Confucianism evolved from a school to the feudal ruling thought of the country. Especially his theory of divine sovereignty? Three cardinal guides and five permanent members? Said, the most far-reaching impact on future generations. It made China people's thoughts under theocracy and feudal ethics politics for a long time. However, due to the rising stage of feudal society in the Western Han Dynasty, the Confucian ideology established by Dong Zhongshu basically met the needs of the times and played a certain role in promoting the development of society at that time.

Dong Zhongshu's theological world outlook and his theory of the relationship between man and nature.

In Liang Wudi's time, the ruling institutions took the countryside as the starting point, advocated virtuous literature, advocated Confucianism on the surface, but was theology in essence. In order to deal with the autocratic landlord class obstructing the centralization of court officials, especially the peasant uprising, we have to find a logical starting point from heaven in terms of the form of discussion. Dong Zhongshu said? The greatness of Tao comes from the sky, and the sky remains the same, so does Tao? The right path means mutual justice.

Is this a god? God? , don't people follow the objective procedures of the universe, and theology is upside down, on the contrary? God? For what? The original of the Tao? : this as a god? God? what's up Saint? According to one's own subjective intention, but theology, on the other hand, takes its place? Sage law heaven? From this point of view alone, Dong Zhongshu's ideological system is obviously an inverted worldview. This inverted hypocritical form, as we will point out later, is a form of theological teleology.

The first thing we need to find out is what Dong Zhongshu said. God? What kind of day is this?

In spring and autumn? God? Sometimes it refers to the sum of numbers without material content (as volume 17 of Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth says:? Heaven, earth, yin, yang, wood, fire, earth, gold, water, nine, ten and people, how many days are half? ), but like this? God? Words don't matter: his central idea, the so-called? The original of the Tao? From where? Out? what's up God? , is a sacred god.

Dong Zhongshu caters to the laws of Liang Wudi? Great unification? The empire deserves it? Great unification? The grand plan of world religion, put? God? Dressed up as a supreme, dominant, personalized, German god. This kind of catering can be seen not only in the social sense, but also between their questions and answers. The question that Emperor Wu sent to Dong Zhongshu in The Countermeasures between Heaven and Man contains the answer. Third generation, is * * * Fuan there? What are the reasons for the change of disasters? Love life? Not candles * * *,? What is the decoration, frost is dew, and gold is a hundred? ? In other words, everything in the universe, from nature, society and even human beings, is revealed according to the purpose and will of heaven. At this point, the question is not? God? Whether it is absolutely excluded as the image and attribute of nature depends on how God created them. Obviously, Dong Zhongshu's answer is: These images and attributes are not understood as natural existence, but are reversed? God? The purpose of the arrangement is to understand that once the nature of heaven is given a purpose, it will inevitably become the external light in the hands of theologians. For example, the sky is high, invisible and bright, which was originally the natural rough appearance that people obtained in the Wei Party. But Dong Zhongshu explained with the mentality of a theologian:? God? Is it enough to prove that it is endowed with such an image and aftertaste? God? There is a purpose, and even this day contains moral motives. He said:

? The sky is high and the ground is high, and the foundation is hidden and the light is seen (click here to start? God? Express it as a god with will, and then explain the meaning of his peep at death. High status, so respected; Under its application, it is also benevolent; Conceal its shape, so it is God, see its light, so it is Ming, so it is respect for benevolence, conceal its shape, and those who see its light will follow heaven. ? (Clutch Root)

High above, prove it? God? Does anyone want to make themselves? Respect? The purpose of; Invisible, proof? God? Does anyone want to make themselves? God? Japanese; There is light, proof? God? Does anyone want to make themselves? Ming? Purpose. This makes natural paradise teleology and religion? God? Yes It must be pointed out that this technique and its songs are for deification? God? But to suggest to the secular emperor that the master should abide by it? Holy? Ethics. Follow? Sage law heaven? Formula, Dong Zhongshu immediately from heaven to earth, from god to man:

? The master's trip to Buddhism and Heaven is because he is deeply hidden inside, so he is a god and his external knowledge is bright. Ren Qunxian is not overworked because of his success, so he respects others, loves everyone, and does not reward or punish them with emotion, so he is a benevolent. ? (Clutch Root)

? The accumulation of days is self-sufficient, and the accumulation of saints is voluntary. Heaven makes the sun, the moon and the stars shine, and saints make their noble behavior self-evident. ? (Li)

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Dong Zhongshu is like this? God? We found the moral law that the master should follow from the purpose and will of the master, and got a glimpse of the moral law that the master needs? God? The purpose of will. If Christianity has the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and Buddhism has Buddhism, Dharma and Monk? Sambo? Trinity, and then Dong Zhongshu.