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Chapter 333 Qing Dynasty: Decline of Confucianism

The fifth stage of the development of Confucianism began its decline in the Qing Dynasty.

In fact, even if Su Chen didn't introduce it, the common people of every dynasty knew it.

Especially Confucius, as the founder of Confucianism, realized this long ago.

He clearly remembered that with the massive invasion of Western powers, the Qing Dynasty completely collapsed.

Before the collapse of the Qing Dynasty, it also abolished the imperial examination system in an attempt to save the nation.

You know, the imperial examination tested Confucian classics.

The imperial examination system and Confucianism were born together. The abolition of the imperial examination system meant the complete decline of Confucianism.

"In ancient feudal society, Confucianism was widely used in various social relations and political activities."

"It became an important ideological foundation and had a profound impact on ancient China's political culture and social development."

"During the Qing dynasty, Confucianism was further strengthened and promoted, becoming an important part of the political and educational systems."

"The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of Chinese feudal society, and its establishment was marked by the Qing army's entry into the country."

"During the Qing Dynasty, society experienced a long period of war and turmoil, and the internal and external troubles in the late Ming Dynasty further exacerbated social unrest."

"Against this backdrop, people began to re-examine and explore Confucianism, seeking an ideological system that could stabilize society."

"During the Qing Dynasty, there were significant differences between the Manchu rulers and the Han culture."

"So what is promoted in official thought is the traditional Manchu culture and thought, while Confucianism is regarded as the Han culture and thought."

"However, as the Qing dynasty gradually stabilized and unified the country, Confucianism was gradually re-emphasized and strengthened."

"By incorporating Confucianism into political philosophy and statecraft, the Qing rulers used this to strengthen the status of Confucianism."

"The Qing dynasty rulers emphasized traditional etiquette and important principles of Confucianism, such as benevolence, human relations, and education, and used them as the basis for governing the country."

"For example, the Qing government emphasized civil governance rather than military achievements in the selection and assessment of officials at all levels, and used Confucianism as an important criterion for selection and assessment."

"Moreover, the Qing government also strengthened the status of Confucianism through reforms in the education system."

"During the Qing Dynasty, the government began to vigorously promote Confucian classics and formulated a series of education policies and systems."

"Such as the eight-legged essay system, the provincial examination, the metropolitan examination, the palace examination, etc., to promote the inheritance and development of Confucianism."

"In these systems, Confucian classics were compulsory subjects, and talents were selected through strict examinations and selections."

"The Qing government also established many schools and academies to foster the study and research of Confucian classics and the inheritance of Confucian thought."

"At the same time, the Qing government also regularly held activities such as imperial examinations and cultural competitions."

“This will help select outstanding Confucian scholars and talents, and enhance the social status and influence of Confucianism.”

"During the Qing dynasty, Confucianism became an important part of social and cultural life, influencing the people's ideas and concepts."

"Confucianism emphasizes traditional values ​​such as benevolence, filial piety, respect for teachers, and virtuous people, and encourages people to respect etiquette and improve themselves."

"These values ​​not only help maintain social order and stability, but also help promote social progress and development."

Zeng Guofan: Confucianism developed in many aspects in the early Qing Dynasty, but unfortunately it was impacted by Western ideas in the later period.

The strengthening and promotion of Confucianism in the early Qing Dynasty had a profound impact on the social and cultural life of the time.

In politics, Confucianism became an important part of the Qing Dynasty's philosophy of governance.

The Qing court advocated traditional values ​​such as benevolence in Confucianism and used them as the basis for governing the country and exercising political rule.

In addition, the Qing court also formulated a series of educational policies and systems to promote the inheritance and development of Confucianism.

These measures not only strengthened the court's governing ability and social stability, but also helped promote social progress and development.

In terms of education, Confucianism became the core content of the Qing Dynasty's education system.

The Qing government established many academies to cultivate the study and research of Confucian classics and the inheritance of Confucian thought.

Through these educational measures, Confucianism was widely promoted and became one of the main contents of social and cultural life at that time.

Under the influence of Confucianism, people's ideas and behavioral habits have undergone major changes, and moral customs have been improved and enhanced.

In terms of culture, Confucianism had a profound impact on the development and evolution of Qing culture.

During this period, many outstanding representative works appeared in the fields of culture and art, such as "Dream of Red Mansions".

These works not only demonstrate the unique charm of Chinese traditional culture, but also reflect the influence of Confucianism on culture.

"A Dream of Red Mansions" displays the Confucian value concepts such as the friendship between gentlemen is as pure as water, and reflects the concept of etiquette in Chinese traditional culture.

In terms of society, Confucianism played a positive role in the development and transformation of Qing society.

Under the influence of Confucianism, many important cultural and social changes occurred in Qing society.

Such as the awakening of national consciousness, the rise of commerce and handicrafts, and the improvement of women's status.

These changes have not only promoted social progress and development, but also promoted prosperity and development in the cultural field.

Confucianism was not only the guiding ideology of the Qing court in governing the country, but also an important part of Qing culture.

The development and influence of Confucianism profoundly affected all aspects of Qing society and made positive contributions to the development and progress of the Qing Dynasty.

Although Confucianism promoted the development and progress of all aspects of the Qing Dynasty to a certain extent, it also had some limitations and negative influences.

Its positive effects are mainly reflected in the inheritance of ideology and culture and the construction of social morality, but it also has some limitations.

Nevertheless, Confucianism made positive contributions to the development and progress of the Qing Dynasty, laid the foundation for the inheritance and development of Chinese culture in later generations, and has important historical significance and value.

Unfortunately, the Western powers used their powerful ships and cannons to blast open the door to the Qing Dynasty, causing Confucianism to suffer an unprecedented blow.

"In the late Qing Dynasty, internal rigidity and cultural tyranny determined that the Qing Dynasty could not get out of the historical maze."

"During the heyday of the Qing Dynasty, China sowed the seeds of decline due to cultural shackles."

“By the time of the Opium War in the late Qing dynasty, the imperial court had basically become a replica of the late Ming dynasty.”

"They were unwilling to humble themselves and learn from the strengths of foreigners. The minds of the civil and military officials in the court were full of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, which obstructed reform and opposed Westernization, and ultimately destroyed the Qing Dynasty."

"Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism has its essence, such as the idea of ​​loving the people and being strict with oneself, which has positive significance."

"However, as a system of governing ideology, it is closed and backward, and has been proven in practice to be a thought that brings disaster to the country and the people."

"Governing a country with Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism will only result in one outcome: the country will suffer, the people will be humiliated, and civilization will be tarnished."

"Since the Opium War, countless people of noble character and lofty ideals have actively explored ideas to save the country and the people."

"They discovered the crux of the problem: they had to get rid of the shackles of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism."

"Zhang Zhidong advocated Chinese learning as the basis and Western learning as the application, and then the May Fourth Movement advocated the overthrow of the Confucian school."

"What they want to overthrow is not Confucius and Mencius, but Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism."

"Confucianism at that time already needed to learn from the West, so Confucianism was on the decline and even collapsed."

"Confucianism has supported the operation of Chinese civilization for two thousand years, and its emphasis on benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness still has an impact on the Chinese people today."

"But the invasion of ancient China by the Western powers that had completed the second industrial revolution and the subsequent bourgeois reforms awakened the people."

"In contrast, during the same period, the Qing Dynasty had mixed ideas and the door was wide open."

“Although there were advanced scholars who opened their eyes to the world, most people were stuck in Confucianism.”

"The so-called Chinese learning for the basics and Western application for practical use ended up with the failure of the Westernization Movement."

"The Qing dynasty, which adhered to the core Confucian ideology, was ultimately unable to support this unified multi-ethnic country, and after thousands of years of development, Chinese feudalism came to an end."

"The military invasion of Western powers and the infiltration of Western thought and culture."

"After the defeat in the Opium War, the Chinese people blamed their backwardness and defeat on traditional Confucianism. Some scholars became more radical and wanted to completely westernize."

"In addition, Yuan Shikai wrote to Empress Dowager Cixi to abolish the imperial examination system, and scholars no longer read the Four Books and Five Classics." "Facts have proved that neither of these two paths is feasible."

"Looking back over the past two thousand years of the development of Confucianism, there have been both lows and nirvanas."

“When its structures collapse, society begins to reorganize.”

"Although Chiang Kai-shek later worked hard to restore the orthodox status of Confucianism, such as vigorously advocating Confucian ideas such as benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness, he ultimately failed."

"Under the combined effect of various factors, Confucianism gradually declined, and no great Confucian scholars emerged."

"Until now, Confucianism seems to have faded from people's horizons, but its influence still exists."

“Perhaps, this era is another period of silence for absorption, innovation, and then becoming mainstream again.”

"After all, Confucianism, which has been passed down for thousands of years, is, to a large extent, half of the history of Chinese culture."

Yuan Shikai: Confucianism is no longer suitable for the development of the new era and must be changed in order to save the Chinese nation.

Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, Mohism and other thinkers, in essence, all focus on how to maintain the long-term survival of China. This is the fundamental reason why they can be called thinkers.

The difference lies in that different thinkers are based on different times and different focuses, and have proposed their own solutions.

Confucius advocated respecting the Zhou rituals because he was faced with the situation of the Spring and Autumn Period where rituals and music were in disarray.

Confucius believed that the best solution was to restore the state of the early Zhou Dynasty and rule the world with rituals.

Of course, this proposition is unrealistic and does not provide much benefit to actual political development.

Dong Zhongshu advocated the abolition of all schools of thought and the respect for Confucianism alone, and advocated the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues.

It was also a solution proposed based on the current situation of the Han-Xiongnu confrontation during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han and the potential concerns of various vassal states, and it could only solve the urgent problem temporarily.

The era when Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism emerged was the time when warlords fought each other during the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties before the Song Dynasty, and social order collapsed.

At the same time, faced with invasions from minority regimes such as the Liao and Jin dynasties, the rulers of the two Song dynasties urgently needed to maintain the survival of their rule through brainwashing.

The centralization of power in the Ming Dynasty was becoming increasingly mature, and external threats were not obvious. The biggest threat facing society at that time was precisely the collective corruption of the literati and bureaucratic group.

Mr. Wang Yangming proposed the philosophy of unity of knowledge and action, calling for unity of knowledge and action and for the pursuit of conscience. In fact, he was asking the literati and bureaucratic group to consciously be public-spirited.

As a result, Mr. Wang Yangming's painstaking efforts were in vain, and the Ming Dynasty was ultimately destroyed by the selfishness of the literati-bureaucratic group.

Confucianism in the early Qing Dynasty was born out of the painful lessons learned in the late Ming Dynasty.

Confucian scholars opposed the empty talk of Neo-Confucianism and began to promote practical learning and advocate practical application of knowledge to the world.

The research field is not limited to classics, but has expanded to astronomy, geography, and administration.

Although practical learning made great progress in the early Qing Dynasty, it was suppressed by the Qing government and gradually became a stalemate.

It was not until the late Qing Dynasty, after the Opium War, that the Westernization Movement gradually developed.

The representative figure Zeng Guofan proposed the concepts of learning advanced foreign skills in order to control them, and taking Chinese learning as the basis and Western learning for practical use.

In terms of ideology, Zeng Guofan adhered to the doctrine of the mean and took a pragmatic and peaceful attitude towards the country's development.

The development law of Confucianism in the Qing Dynasty was that in peacetime, Confucianism was mainly based on Neo-Confucianism.

Only in turbulent times will people gradually become pragmatic, and the two develop alternately.

Occasionally, there are scholars who pay attention to the development of natural sciences.

However, because the Qing government did not advocate it and always emphasized morality over tools, China gradually fell behind the West.

"After entering the modern era, the Confucian value system still constrains the progress of society."

"During its difficult journey towards modern times, Confucianism has repeatedly received responses from different directions, and has repeatedly experienced the tragedy of setbacks and revival."

"This profoundly demonstrates the complex connotations of the Confucian value system, and also provides a premise for further thinking about the relationship between Confucianism and modernization."

"As the mainstream of traditional culture, Confucianism has been repeatedly attacked by critics of tradition."

"During the May Fourth Movement, this kind of criticism even reached a very intense level."

“However, it was also in modern times that the New Confucianism emerged, which took it as its mission to safeguard the Confucian orthodoxy.”

"This paradoxical historical phenomenon not only reflects different understandings of the significance of Confucianism, but also implies different choices for the path of modernization."

"In modern times, Confucianism has both been subjected to unprecedented impact and gained new recognition."

“Although the historical choices are different, they all revolve around the same theme, which is the relationship between Confucianism and modern times.”

"As China moves toward modernization, Confucianism is a tradition that cannot be avoided."

“Although people may have different attitudes towards Confucianism, we cannot ignore its existence.”

"The critical trend since the May Fourth Movement has made many rounds of clearing up Confucianism and has highlighted the negative impact of Confucianism on the modernization process in an intensified form."

"But at the same time, it ignores the multiple implications of Confucianism and more or less shows a tendency to simply deny it."

"It not only triggers a crisis of cultural identity, but also makes people feel unfamiliar with modernization."

"New Confucianism focuses more on the positive significance of Confucianism, and thus affirms the connection between the modernization process and tradition, thus making efforts to ease the tension between modernization and Confucian tradition."

"However, by identifying with Confucianism, Neo-Confucianism has also led to the Confucian-centered theory, advocating the new external kingship from the inner sage."

"This line of thinking often makes it difficult to avoid the traditional framework of the inner sage overpowering the outer king, and the logical result of the latter is to inhibit the process of modernization."

"As defenders of the Confucian orthodoxy, Neo-Confucianism opposes the negation of Confucian tradition as a prerequisite for completing modernization."

“Unlike critics of Confucianism who emphasize the tension between tradition and modernization, Neo-Confucianists seek to demonstrate the compatibility of tradition and the modernization process.”

"In short, the fate of Confucianism in modern times is manifested as a bipolar confrontation between rejection and recognition."

"Behind this confrontation are different choices for the way of modernization."

“How to transcend the bipolar confrontation and make a more reasonable positioning of the relationship between Confucian tradition and modernization.”

"When modernization once again becomes the main theme of the times, this problem becomes increasingly prominent."

Confucius: It is biased to blame Confucianism for the country's backwardness in the late Qing Dynasty.

He couldn't help but feel deeply saddened by the decline of Confucianism. Perhaps this is the law of extremes.

Confucianism has had a profound influence on the Chinese nation for two thousand years, but in the end it was criticized by later generations.

By the Qing Dynasty, Confucianism was no longer what he knew it to be, having been changed beyond recognition by rulers of successive dynasties.

Confucianism has completely become a tool for emperors of all dynasties to rule their subjects, and it is no longer what it originally was.

Confucianism, as the orthodox ideology of successive dynasties, regards class as the foundation of society, advocates feudal morality, and emphasizes personal self-discipline, which is obviously not feasible.

Now he gradually understood why there were two opposing Confucian ideological tendencies among the common people in the late Qing Dynasty.

One is to believe that everything about Confucianism is good and to fully affirm it without criticism.

One is to attribute all the causes of China's backwardness to Confucianism, and advocate completely abandoning Confucianism and total Westernization.

Both of these viewpoints are wrong. The attitude and method towards Confucianism should be to apply the past to the present and to inherit it critically.

The excellent value ideas formed in long-term historical practice can be inherited without reservation and then carried forward.

For example, an independent personality that cannot be corrupted by wealth and honor, cannot be moved by poverty and humbleness, and cannot be bent by power and force, as well as a sense of crisis that shares the joy and worry of the world.

For some content, we can extract the feudal ideological core and extract the useful ideological core to make it the ideological spirit of the new era.

For example, the people-oriented idea that people are the most important, the country is second, and the emperor is the least important, constitutes an important part of China's political thought for thousands of years of history.

By removing its feudal core, we can extract useful ideological core from a people-oriented perspective and develop it into the concept that the interests of the people are above all else.

In addition, the dregs in Confucianism must be denied and abandoned.

For example, the concept of women as follows: Three Obediences and Four Virtues, and the concept of nature as follows: Heaven never changes, and neither does the way of nature. These need to be abandoned in order to adapt to the requirements of the new era.

(End of this chapter)