Author: Jiang Bichun hits: update date: 2006- 10-27
(Department of Philosophy, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234)
Abstract: Dong Zhongshu was a famous thinker and educator in the Western Han Dynasty. He has accumulated rich experience in long-term moral education practice. Starting from the theoretical basis of moral education-the theory of three natures of sex, he creatively set the content of moral education and put forward insightful views on the methods of moral education. Its rich theory still has important reference significance for our moral education today.
Keywords: Dong Zhongshu; Moral education thought; Modern significance
About the author: Jiang Bichun (1983-), male, from Nantong, Jiangsu Province, holds a master's degree in philosophy from Shanghai Normal University.
Dong Zhongshu was a famous thinker and educator in the Western Han Dynasty. His cultural and educational policy of "ousting a hundred schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone" transformed pre-Qin Confucianism into neo-Confucianism in the Han Dynasty, which had a far-reaching impact on China's feudal social education and ideological culture. As far as his educational thought is concerned, its core is moral education. Therefore, we must pay attention to the in-depth study of Dong Zhongshu's moral education thought, tap its essence and critically learn from it. This paper tries to analyze Dong Zhongshu's moral education thought from three aspects: theoretical basis, moral education content and moral education method, in order to draw lessons from our moral education today.
First, the theoretical basis of moral education thought-the theory of three natures
Moral education is a social activity in which certain social subjects exert moral influence on people. The object of the activity is people in real life, and the purpose is to make them accept the moral influence exerted. The basis of moral education is that it is possible and necessary to educate people from outside. The demonstration of the possibility and inevitability of external education points to the discussion of human nature, so the discussion of human nature has become the logical starting point of various moral education theories.
In the history of China's philosophy, Confucius first saw the connotation of human nature, that is, Mencius was good in nature and Xunzi was evil in nature. They put forward a systematic theory of moral education on the basis of their respective theories of human nature. Dong Zhongshu sublated the pre-Qin Confucian theory of human nature. He combined the theory of good nature with the theory of evil nature, thought that human nature has good and evil products, and put forward the theory of three natures. Thus laid a theoretical foundation for his own moral education thought. Let's look at how he demonstrated it from the perspective of the three-sex product theory.
Dong Zhongshu believes that human nature can be divided into three types, namely, the nature of saints, the nature of people and the nature of fighting. The most superior is the nature of a saint, and the nature of a saint is "too good" and "can't name it". Sages, by virtue of their innate kindness, educate all people by "inheriting God's will" and "learning from Heaven". In the relationship between the formation of human nature and education, it has nothing to do with the son of heaven. It can be seen that Dong Zhongshu holds the view that human nature remains unchanged for the explanation of the nature of saints. For saints, goodness is not a potential possibility, but a realistic personality that has been realized. Therefore, external education is redundant.
The lowest of the "three qualities of sex" is the "nature of struggle", which Dong Zhongshu regards as "non-nominal" and inferior to "human nature" and is pure evil. "Other countries don't seek thieves. How many people are there? It's just a matter of numbers. " In his view, as the embodiment of evil, "people who struggle with evil" have no possibility of becoming saints, and belong to pure evil people who cannot be educated. Only external criminal law can be used to enforce it.
Except for a few saints and "fighting men", most of them are "people's nature". "The nature of a saint can't be named, the nature of a fight can't be named, and the nature of the people in a name" ("Reality") "If a name doesn't go up or down, it will be named by it." ("Dig deeper") Therefore,
Dong Zhongshu's exposition on the relationship between human nature and education is only aimed at people with "China human nature".
He believes that "China people" have both goodness and desire in their nature. "the name of the body takes the heavens, and there is yin and yang in two days, and there is greed in the body." "Benevolence and greed are all in the body." There are both greedy men and women in human nature, but they are all latent. "Benevolence" is not ready-made goodness, but a good gene, but it can be cultivated into goodness, so it is a positive trend, which stipulates the development of the subject's personality to goodness. Lust is "the gas of greed". If left unchecked, it is evil, so it is a negative potential, which inhibits the direction of goodness. It is the negative potential contained in human nature that makes the formation of good virtue depend not only on the ability of the subject itself, but also on the power outside the subject. "Today's human nature can only be good after being taught by a foreign teacher", "The nature of a natural person is good, not good, so it is God's will to make a king be good", and if "there is no king to teach it, it will be simple and bad". (Reality) In short, only by combining innate potential with acquired education can we become excellent adults.
Therefore, Dong Zhongshu sublated the disadvantages of Mencius and Xunzi, based on his theory of good nature and evil nature, and emphasized the possibility and necessity of external education, explained the innate potential of human nature development and laid the theoretical foundation of his moral education thought. It must be pointed out that the theory of "three natures of human nature" is wrong as an abstract theory of human nature. Dong Zhongshu doesn't understand that human nature is the unique stipulation of people who are active in reality. He doesn't understand that good and evil, as a moral evaluation, is a social consciousness and a product of social relations. He doesn't understand that human nature is a historical category that changes with historical development. But he gave a logical answer to the question of why moral education should be given to people and whether people can get good. It affirms the possibility and necessity of moral education, which has important enlightenment for us to fully understand the value of moral education today.
Second, the content of moral education
The setting of moral education content is the basis of moral education, and Dong Zhongshu's Moral Education for Maintaining the Feudal Hierarchy in Han Dynasty also systematically and creatively expounded its content. Mr. Zhang Dainian said: "The basic moral principles of the feudal era were decided by Dong Zhongshu." [1] This basic moral principle is "three cardinal principles and five permanents".
Confucianism in the pre-Qin dynasty once summed up five basic relationships in the complicated human relations of patriarchal society, namely the so-called "five relationships": monarch and minister, father and son, couple, brother and friend. Dong Zhongshu absolutes and sanctifies the relationship among monarch, minister, father and son, and husband and wife, and sums it up as "three cardinal principles of kingly way", that is, "the monarch is the minister's cardinal principle, the father is the child's cardinal principle, and the husband is the wife's cardinal principle", taking it as "the feeling between heaven and man"
And the theory of "Yin-Yang and Five Elements". He said: "The righteousness of husband and wife, the monarch, the minister, the father and the son, all adopt the way of yin and yang. The monarch is yang and the minister is yin; The father is yang and the son is yin. Vagina can't walk alone, it can't be specialized at first, and it can't be split in two at the end. Therefore, I am both a monarch, a son and a father, and a wife and husband.
..... The three cardinal principles of kingcraft can be sought from heaven. "("basic meaning ")
Dong Zhongshu expounded the "Wang Sangang" and the corresponding "five permanent members", and thought: "A king should cultivate the principles of benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom and faith in the five permanent members.
. "(biography of Dong Zhongshu in Han Dynasty) cooperates with the" three cardinal guides "with five unchangeable moral concepts of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faith.
Dong Zhongshu talked about the Five Permanent Principles and made many new developments on the basis of pre-Qin Confucianism. He gave full play to Confucius' thought of loving others and expounded the thought of "benevolence". In the Law of Benevolence and Righteousness, he said: "The law of benevolence and righteousness lies in loving others, not in loving me ... People who are not loved by them, although they love themselves, will not be regarded as benevolence and righteousness." Therefore, the ruler can't "enrich himself with benevolence", but should "love private and die with benevolence." Dong Zhongshu's "benevolence" thought is to actively cultivate people's benevolence and teach people to truly love others, especially to respect the monarch.
While teaching people to "protect the people with righteousness", he also put forward the moral concept of "righteousness" and its code of conduct. He said, "A righteous person is what suits me, what suits me, and then it can be named." (The Law of Benevolence and Righteousness) That is to say, we should correct inappropriate behavior and make it appropriate, and correct behavior should start from ourselves first. Regarding the relationship between righteousness and benefit, Dong Zhongshu said: "Being born in heaven also makes life righteous and beneficial. Profit supports his body, while righteousness supports his heart. Heart can't be right, can't be happy; You can't be healthy and safe. Righteousness, the cultivation of mind; Those who benefit are also raised. " ("body cultivation is more important than righteousness") This clearly expounds the importance of righteousness to people's material interests and spiritual pursuit. However, he still inherited the Confucian tradition of using righteousness to control benefits, and advocated the concept of "emphasizing righteousness over benefits". "An honest wife can enjoy herself even if she is poor; And those who are big and meaningless, although rich, cannot survive on their own. " The benefits are small for people, and the righteousness is for the people's congress. "(ibid.)
In order to maintain the feudal way concretely, Dong Zhongshu put forward the regulations and requirements of "courtesy".
"Rite" is a variety of laws and regulations and life norms in feudal society. In response to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, he said: "You should keep the right law and don't act in collusion with others to prevent lust." He said, "Owners. ...
The order is the position of respecting the size, but the difference between the outside and the inside is new. "(Biography of Han Dong) In the education of etiquette, he also emphasized the practical significance of etiquette. On the one hand, he asked the nobles of the Han Dynasty to strictly abide by the feudal hierarchy, take "rites and music" as a gentleman, and achieve "don't say anything unless you are indecent" (a trip to heaven). On the other hand, he called for "saving the people from courtesy" and "making the people know the courtesy and be ashamed of committing it", emphasizing the role of etiquette and preventing civil strife.
Dong Zhongshu also emphasized "wisdom" in the way of the five permanent members. He explained the meaning of "intelligence",
"What is wisdom? Speak before you act. Mortals who want to give up their actions are guided by their own wisdom. Its rule is, so it does it, so it does it, and its actions are honored. His death is beneficial, not bitter, and beneficial to future generations. Dejia is for the people, soup and martial arts are also. Violators are not allowed to do anything, behave inappropriately and act unsuccessfully. Their name is humiliation and injury to the body, and the world has not recovered. Class remnants die out, and the country dies. So, don't be too smart. " (Different people have different opinions.) Here, wisdom is rationality. Dong Zhongshu realized the guiding significance of "wisdom" to behavior and held high the rational spirit.
As an important moral norm and belief, "faith" is also an important part of the "five permanent members". He gave full play to Confucius' thought of "respecting things and believing" and expounded the great significance of Spring and Autumn Annals. He thought: "Spring and Autumn Annals respects ceremony and trusts, trusts the ground, and respects the body with courtesy." ("Chu Zhuangwang") and said: "The meaning of" Spring and Autumn Annals ",your faith and cheap fraud. If you cheat others and win, although you make meritorious deeds, a gentleman will do it. " (Don't be kind to Dr. Jiao Xi Wang Yue)
"I am a minister ... guilty of capital punishment, and there is no tyranny, so I raise it; Tired fools write love and don't decorate it, so it is loyal. "
("Journey to Heaven and Earth") It is necessary to "be loyal to your husband". For the working people, the essence of "belief" is to ask people to believe in their exploitation and slavery.
As the basic moral principle of feudal times, "Three Cardinal Principles and Five Permanent Principles" contains many unreasonable factors, but there are also some positive factors. Therefore, we must critically inherit it. The "Three Cardinals" was established to meet the needs of feudal autocracy, which is an absolutization of human relations and negative decadence. With the disappearance of feudal society, it lost its rationality and was abandoned by people. To a certain extent, the "five permanent members" reflected the people's heart and public opinion at that time, maintained the harmony of interpersonal relationship and social stability, and had a positive impact on society. Although its connotation has changed or even alienated to some extent with the changes of society, the basic spirit contained in it has universal significance and wide adaptability, and has become a part of the excellent cultural heritage of the Chinese nation.
Third, moral education methods.
(a) "Be kind to others and correct me with justice"
Benevolence and righteousness are two basic methods of moral education.
Dong Zhongshu distinguished the difference between the two: "A gentleman seeks the difference between benevolence and righteousness to regulate others and me, and then divides the difference between inside and outside, focusing on the land of obedience." Therefore, it is necessary to treat the internal governance against the principle and persuade the blessing according to the ceremony; External governance promotes goodness with leniency, and tolerance promotes leniency. "(The Law of Benevolence and Righteousness) The Law of Benevolence and Righteousness aims at loving people. He said: "the law of benevolence is that lovers don't love me ... people who are not loved by them, although they love themselves, are not kind." He also said, "Benevolent people love human beings. "As can be seen from Benevolence, benevolence emphasizes love.
The "appropriateness" of righteousness lies in "righteousness". He said: "the law of righteousness lies in righteousness, not righteousness." I'm not self-righteous. Although I can be upright, I am righteous. " (Benevolence and Righteousness Law) This is to teach people to cultivate themselves, pay attention to the cultivation of moral subjects, start from their own goodness, set an example, take the lead in demonstrating, "attack their evils" and "bow to themselves and blame them". From the ideological essence, "benevolence" and "righteousness" are both put forward to reconcile class contradictions and the internal relations of the ruling class. However, as a moral principle, it conforms to the law of moral education. For the vast number of moral education workers, being strict with ourselves and being lenient with others is also a moral principle that we must abide by in today's moral education work.
(B) "Ming Dow values ambition, and the streets support ambition."
Dong Zhongshu emphasized "Ming Dow". He said: "A benevolent person does not seek his own interests, nor does he seek success by self-cultivation." ("Don't pay attention to Dr. Wang Yue of Jiaoxi") is to adhere to the correct moral values and take moral self-improvement as the highest pursuit of life. Any realistic utilitarian gains and losses will not affect and shake a person's pursuit of life. The "Ming Dow" emphasized by Dong Zhongshu actually became the ruling tool of the feudal ruling class. It regards universal ethics as human nature, unilaterally emphasizes rational life, suppresses people's true natural attributes, and makes moral education a shackle of human nature, alienated into a dogma that educates people to tolerate autocratic rule. Today's moral education should get out of this misunderstanding. While attaching importance to people's social attributes, we should not neglect people's natural attributes. "If modern moral education is to get out of the predicament, it is necessary to return to life, and the life world is the foundation of moral education. Because the life world is rich in value and significance, it seems ordinary, trivial and secular in form, but the value and significance of life exist in it in general, and people can explore and feel the fun, value and significance in concrete life; ……。 " 〔2〕
Dong Zhongshu is also very convinced of the importance. He said: "The theory of Chunqiu is not more important than ambition. ...
The most important thing in the ceremony is its ambition. "(Jade Cup II) requires people to develop a strong will in the process of moral cultivation, so as to achieve" sincere relic and no change, and the bow width is indisputable and does not follow the custom ". At the same time, he asked people's moral cultivation not only to stay in understanding, but also to take active actions to strengthen moral cultivation during walking. His thoughts of "promoting good and eliminating evil", "transforming good", "opposing morality and getting rid of blame" and "accumulating good and evil" reveal the general methods and laws of moral education, which has certain reference value.
(c) "Kindness and wisdom"
Since Confucius, the unity of benevolence and wisdom has constituted a basic concept of Confucian personality realm.
Dong Zhongshu inherited this idea. He said: "heartless, courageous and resourceful, crazy and beneficial to soldiers." If you argue and give wisely, you will be fascinated and get a good horse. Ruthless, unwise and talented, he will use his materials to supplement his evil and crazy heart and praise his eccentric and disobedient behavior, which is enough to make big mistakes and bad ears.
……
Uninformed benevolence is love that never gives up; Knowing without mercy is knowing without doing it. Therefore, the benevolent loves others, and the wise eliminates its harm. "(Benevolence) Here we can see that Dong Zhongshu's unity of benevolence and wisdom is based on benevolence, and wisdom is used, and wisdom is subordinate to benevolence, and its role is benevolence. Dialectically treat the dialectical relationship between moral education and intellectual education.
At present, the development of science and technology is changing with each passing day, and technical disciplines are constantly emerging. It is an indisputable fact that humanistic education is weakened and intellectual education is valued over moral education. Science and technology not only bring great benefits and comfort to mankind, but also cause great disasters and threats to mankind because of inhuman use, and various social problems and crises in the field of human spirit are becoming increasingly prominent. All these warn us that we must change the abnormal education that has long been seriously biased towards science and neglected humanities. Therefore, contemporary moral education construction should attach importance to humanistic spirit, correctly handle the contradiction between humanistic education and scientific education, and pay attention to the overall improvement of people's comprehensive quality. If we exclude the feudal essence of benevolence and wisdom, Dong Zhongshu's thought of the unity of morality and wisdom still has reference significance for our moral education today.
In a word, Dong Zhongshu's moral education thought is profound and profound, which has a very important influence on the national psychology and national morality of the Chinese nation and still has very important practical significance. It is of great practical significance to further inherit and explore the essence of Dong Zhongshu's moral education thought for promoting the socialist ideological and moral construction in China and promoting the civilization and progress of all mankind.
References:?
Zhang Dainian. Speech at the First National Symposium on Dong Zhongshu's Thought [J]. Hebei Academic Journal, 1987, (1).
[2] Sun Feng. The Century Trend of Moral Education in the Process of Modernization [J]. Journal of Liaoning Normal University Social Science Edition, 2000, (2).