Zisi

Zisi

Kongzi (483-402 BC), a native of the state of Lu, is the son of Kongli, the son of Confucius. He was born in the 37th year of King Jing of Zhou Dynasty (483 BC) and died in the 24th year of King Weilie of Zhou Dynasty (402 BC). He was 82 years old.

He was a famous thinker in the spring and Autumn period. Confucius' thoughts and doctrines were passed on from Zengshen to Zisi, and the disciples of Zisi passed on to Mencius. Later generations called Zisi and Mencius the school of thinking about Mencius. Therefore, Zisi inherited Zeng Shen and enlightened Mencius, which played an important role in the inheritance of Confucian and Mencius' orthodoxy. The biography of Mencius Xunqing in historical records describes Mencius as a disciple of Zisi, while Mencius' inscriptions describes Mencius as a student of Zisi.

Zisi played an important role in the development history of Confucianism. He inherited Confucius' doctrine of the mean and Mencius' theory of mind and nature, which had an important and positive impact on Neo Confucianism in Song Dynasty. Therefore, in the Huizong period of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zisi was granted the title of "Yishui Marquis"; in the first year from Wenzong to shun of the Yuan Dynasty (1330 AD), Zisi was granted the title of "Shusheng Gong", and later generations respected him as "Shusheng" and were sacrificed by Confucianism.

Textual research on characters

"Xunzi · feishiezi" says that Xunzi discussed the study of Zisi and mengke in "feishiezi", saying: "it's better to learn from the former king and not know his rule, but you have great talent and ambition, and you can hear and see miscellaneous knowledge. According to the old creation theory, the five elements are very secluded, disobeying but without category, secluded but without explanation, and closed but without solution. The case is decorated with its words and only says, "this is the true gentleman's words.". Zi Si sang it, Meng Ke and... "

Among the eight Confucians, Han Feizi ranked Zi Zhang first. Tao Yuanming put the poor Zisi in the first place. The Yan family refers to the disciples who respected Yan Hui after Confucius died in Qufu. They are also the compilers of the Analects of Confucius. It can be seen that the education methods of Zi Zhang and Yuan Xian are more famous than Confucius. Therefore, the old Confucianists can only be regarded as the third. From Han Fei and Zhuangzi Tianxia Canwen, we can fully understand that in the late Warring States period, although Zizhang and Zisi had great academic influence, they were already in the minority position. Tianxia Canwen praises the other six Confucianists, praises them in the order of poetry, rites, music, spring and autumn, and six arts, and ridicules Zizhang and Zisi separately. It can be seen that, first, the five Confucianists, who were originally separated, had become unified in the late Warring States period, and recognized the orthodox status of Zengzi school in the state of Lu. On merit, no longer stubbornly against. Second, only the only son, Zhang Zhiru, and Zisi Zhiru, resisted to the end and became a traitor. Taoism is not shameful. This is consistent with the publication records of the Analects of Confucius and Hanshu Yiwenzhi. It also shows that after the Han Dynasty only respected Zeng Zi, zhongliangzi, lezhengzi and other school works against Zeng Zi were not published. It can be seen that Ji Bu's promise was not fulfilled, so Shi Ji highly praised Ji Bu's promise, and secretly ridiculed the Confucianists at that time for breaking their promise

Kang Youwei's research is very reasonable. First of all, from the time of Confucius' birth and death, Confucius was born in the 22nd year of Duke Lu Xiang (551 BC) and died in the 16th year of Duke Lu AI (479 BC). Zisi was born in 483 BC, that is to say, Zisi was born when Confucius was 68 years old. At that time, Confucius had just sent Ji Kangzi to invite him back from the state of Wei with a generous gift to become an official. Although Confucius was respected, what Ji Kangzi did ran counter to Confucius' political thought, so he refused to be an official. Instead, he devoted all his energy in his later years to the cultural cause. He deleted poems and books, determined rites and music, revised spring and Autumn Annals, wrote Yi Zhuan, and tried to collect and organize ancient literature as teaching materials for his children. Therefore, in terms of time, it is possible for Zisi's enlightenment education in his childhood to be influenced by Confucius. Secondly, Confucius himself did attach great importance to the cultivation and education of future generations. He once taught his son Bo Yu to study poetry and propriety seriously, and warned him that "if you don't study poetry, you can't speak, if you don't study propriety, you can't stand.". Confucius also had high hopes for his grandson Zisi. It is recorded in the book of the sixteen sons of the holy gate that Confucius once sighed when he was idle in his later years. Zisi asked him if he was worried that his descendants would disgrace his family. Confucius was surprised and asked him how he knew. He replied, "it's unfilial for a father to chop firewood but not for his son. I want to inherit my father's career, so I will study very hard from now on and dare not relax at all. " After hearing this, Confucius said happily, "I don't have to worry any more."

There are similar records in Kong Congzi. It is likely that Zisi first accepted Confucianism under the education of his grandfather Confucius, and what he accepted was the theory of Confucius in his later years. Later, when Confucius died, Zisi learned from Zengzi and benefited a lot. Therefore, it is said in the book of the sixteen sons of the holy gate that "Zisi started from Zeng Zi's studies, was honest and moral, and had a heart to spread his ideas, which is to describe the meaning of his teacher, the origin of his poor life, and the mystery of the heaven and man, and to write the book of the mean, so as to show the afterlife." From Zeng Zi, Zisi also continued to learn the true story of Confucius' thought and expounded Confucius' doctrine of the mean. He wrote the book of the mean and was included in the book of rites. In addition, "the book of Rites" in the "table", "Fang Ji", "Ziyi" is also Zisi's works. According to the records of Han Dynasty, there are 23 Works of Zisi, but most of them are lost.

However, the book of the sixteen sons of Shengmen originated in the Qing Dynasty, and there was no similar story spread before. Although Kong Congzi can be used as a reference, its completion date has been questioned since ancient times, and the earliest can only be extended to the late Qin Dynasty and the early Han Dynasty. Therefore, the things contained in the two books can not be easily regarded as facts.

However, there have always been two different views about the author and the time of the book. One is that it was written by Zisi in the middle of the Warring States period, and the other is that it was written after the unification of the six states in the Qin Dynasty.

According to the traditional view, the doctrine of the mean comes from Zisi. Sima Qian clearly pointed out in the historical records of Confucius family that "Zi Si wrote the doctrine of the mean." After that, most of the annotators in Han and Tang Dynasties followed this theory. For example, Zheng Xuan said: "those who are called" the doctrine of the mean "use it as a tool. Yong, Yong. The grandson of Confucius thought about it to show the virtue of his ancestors. " Lu Deming and Kong Yingda of Tang Dynasty also agreed with this view. The same is true of Cheng ER and Zhu Xi in Song Dynasty. They all think that Zisi wrote the doctrine of the mean. For example, Zhu Xi clearly pointed out in the chapter and sentence of the doctrine of the mean: "what does the doctrine of the mean do? Zisizi was worried about the loss of Taoism He also said, "this is the mental method taught by Confucius. I'm afraid I'll be poor for a long time, so I wrote it in a book to teach Mencius." Some modern scholars also think that Zisi is the author of the doctrine of the mean. For example, Hu Shi thinks that although some materials of later generations are included in the book, it is still Mencius' previous works in general. It is because there should be a transitional stage in the development of Confucian philosophy of life from Confucius to Mencius. This process is a transition from extreme ethicism, valuing monarchical power and extreme practical philosophy of life to respecting individuals, advocating civil rights and psychology. The University and the mean reflect this process.

Different from Zisi's doctrine of the mean, they are based on the words in Chapter 28 of the doctrine of the mean: "today, we get off the train on the same track, write the same text, and act in the same way." It is believed that this is the speech of Qin Shihuang after the unification of China and should not appear in the Warring States period. "The doctrine of the mean" also said: "although there is its position, Gou without its virtue, dare not do rites and music Yan." This should be said after the death of Qin Dynasty.

In fact, there should be no problem in Zi Si's the doctrine of the mean. Ban Gu of the Eastern Han dynasty recorded two articles on the doctrine of the mean in the book of Hanshu · Yiwenzhi, but did not mention the author; in the Confucian category, he recorded 23 articles on Zisi, which said: "Mingying, the descendant of Confucius, is the master of Lu Mu." Whether there is the doctrine of the mean is not stated. Among the categories of rites in Hanshu Yiwenzhi, none of the chapters in the book of Rites has a separate title, only the doctrine of the mean is described in it. Therefore, Yan shigu's note says: "today, there is a chapter in the book of rites, which is not the book of rites and covers the stream." It seems that "doctrine of the mean" may be just like "Lu Shi Shuo" and "Han Shi Shuo" in "Shi", which are specialized in "saying" doctrine of the mean. This shows that the doctrine of the mean has been used alone and has a considerable influence. According to Mr. Li Xueqin's point of view, Confucius was born in the late spring and Autumn period, the Zhou Dynasty declined, and the political culture tended to be split. There is no "car on the same track, books on the same text, and deeds on the same line" in the doctrine of the mean ”The word "Ruo" should be interpreted as "Ruo". Many examples in ancient books cited in Jing Zhuan Shi CI are hypothetical mood. What Confucius said is also hypothetical, which is not the fact at that time. Therefore, we can't doubt the completion date of the doctrine of the mean.

Not only that, the statement that Zisi wrote the doctrine of the mean has also been confirmed by the latest materials. Xunzi feishiezi once denounced Zisi and Mencius' theory of "five elements". In the silk book unearthed from Mawangdui Han tomb, there is a Confucian work "five elements", which proves what is the theory of "five elements" criticized by Xunzi feishiezi, and finds traces of this theory in Zhongyong and Mencius. Therefore, it can be determined that Zhongyong is indeed a Confucian work It's a work of thinking.

According to the records of Hanshu Yiwenzhi, there are 23 Works of Zisi, which was once called zisizi. In the winter of 1993, a large number of bamboo slips were unearthed from a Chu tomb in Guodian, Jingmen, Hubei Province. This not only enables people to give a positive answer to this question, but also proves that Zhongyong is indeed a work of Zisi. The bamboo slips unearthed from the tomb have been compiled into bamboo slips from Chu tomb in Guodian, which was published by Cultural Relics Publishing House in May 1998. Among them, there is the academic value of Confucianism

Chinese PinYin : Zi Si