A Study Of Lv Nan's Doctrine Of Ren

Lv Nan(1479-1542),lived in Gaoling county of Shanxi province,styled himself Zhongmu,has his alternative name as Jingye,was respectfully called Mr Jingye by scholars.As a great Confucian in Guanzhong region,he was as famous as Wang Yangming and Wang Tingxiang etc.in middle Ming Dynasty,and was called "Great Confucian of one generation","Great person of the era".As a member of Confucians,Lv Nan considered Yao,Shun,the Duke of Zhou,Confucius,Yanzi, Zengzi,Zisi,Mencius,Zhou,Zhang,Cheng,Zhu were orthodoxy Confucians,and consciously assumed the mission of promoting Confucianism.Lv Nan also had particular regional origins of Confucianism that was Zhang Zai Guanism.He inherited the major ideas of Guanism,which were "Qi(气) is noumenon of universe","practice rites",as well as the style of study of Guanism which were "surefootedly practicing" and "broadly containing ",he became one of the most outstanding Guanism scholars in Ming Dynasty.Grounding on Zhang Zai Guanism,Lv Nan amended Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism which was official doctrine at that time,and rescued Wang Yangming's Doctrine of Conscience which was very fresh and modern.On the one hand,he used the theory of "Qi is the only thing in universe" to amended Cheng-Zhu's theory of "Li(理) is the noumenon of universe" which means "Li Qi are separated".He proposed views that "Li Qi are one thing","Qi is Li".On the other hand,grounding on the major idea of "practice",Lv Nan pointed out that Wang Yangming teached with "conscience" was too obscure.His view was quite far-sighted,and was useful to save the subsequent scholars of Wang Yangming who became more and more vacuous and unpractical.Lv Nan was quite dissatisfied with Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism,which contains Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism and Doctrine of Xin(心),because it was inclined to be a kind of Metaphysics and philosophy.By contraries,he praised Han Dynasty Confucians Classics,because he thought it "didn't disobey the ideas of Confucius and Mencius".He totally agreed with Classic Confucianism especially Confucius's Doctrine of Ren(仁),and according to this paradigm,he established his own system of Doctrine of Ren.Confucius's Doctrine of Ren was morality doctrine and ethnics which aims to perfect personality,and it emphasized practicing in daily life.It was not a speculative philosophy,no ingenious system of metaphysics.Lv Nan's Doctrine of Ren,which was based on Confucius's Doctrine of Ren,was a kind of ordinary and daily doctrine,its characteristic was "surefootedly practicing".It didn't engaged in discoursing metaphysical concepts such as Xing(性) and Ming(命),but emphasized that we should practice Ren in daily affairs,such as eating,affiliating with men and women,dressing,housing,talking,moving,quieting and so on.From doing these affairs,we gradually learn to overcome our selfish,learn to love relatives,love human being,love everything in universe,and finally reach the understand of everything are unitive, everything unified in Ren,In this way,we gradually perfect our personality and become men of Ren, gentlemen,sages and saints.This is Lv Nan's ideas of philosophical construction:grounding on Zhang Zai Guanism,through amending Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism,rescuing Lv-Wang Doctrine of Xin, advocating Han Dynasty Confucians Classics,and finally returned to Confucius's Doctrine of Ren. The theoretical construction way of Lv Nan's Doctrine of Ren was internalize Neo-Confucianism categories such as "Li","Ming","Xing","Qing","Xin" into moral practice,so they became dynamic and practical.To the category of "Li",Lv Nan changed Cheng-Zhu's metaphysical "Li" into interpersonal "Li" in daily life.Interpersonal "Li" is emotion and action of love,it has the same connotation as Confucius's Ren.Lv Nan considered "Ming" as "Moral Ming",and "Ming is achieved by oneself',people should consciously fulfill Moral Ming and perfect virtue."Xing" is emitted from "Qi",Xing is goodness,and people can carry out goodness in daily life."Qing" is outer display of Xing, so people can return to original Xing by restraining Qing."Xin" is not an abstract concept too,but is "Ren heart" which should be cultivated and expanded in daily life..Lv Nan's Doctrine of Ren carried out in practicing,which involves all aspects of daily life, including the main points of the Doctrine of Ren,individual morality cultivation,the way of regulating family,the way of governing and so on.Firstly,Lv Nan considered that the main points of the Doctrine of Ren are practicing conscientiously,learning everywhere,learning in daily life is transcendence itself, learning gradually and valiantly.Secondly,in the aspect of individual morality cultivation,Lv Nan had a series of practice Ren Gongfu,which were very detailed and closely,including overcome self-shortcoming,practice rites and music to improve self-cultivation,study interpersonal affairs to obtain moral knowledge,be loyal and truthful,be vigilant when alone,practice Ren in any trivial affairs,be happy in poverty situation,overcome faults,and so on.Lv Nan's practice Ren Gongfu was unvarnished and practical,it was helpful to save the empty and blundering style of study in that age. Furthermore,in regulating family,Lv nan considered each family member should play his respective role well,father should be kindly,son should be filial,older brother should be tenderhearted,younger brother should be obedient,husband should be responsible,wife should be submissive.He also emphasized in making harmony with all clan members,worshiping ancestors,compiling pedigrees etc., in order to unite whole family in Ren.Finally,in the aspect of governing,Lv Nan didn't think that learning and governing are two things,he succeeded Confucius and Mencius's "the Politics of Ren", emphasized that politicians must have benevolent and love heart at first,and in carrying out policies, they should put the task of feeding common people at the first place,let them have plenty of food and clothing,and then carry out education of rites and music,rule people by virtue and morality.The contribution of Lv Nan to the history of Confucianism is that he lived in the era when Neo-Confucianism was flourishing,but he succeeded Guanism,amended Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism,rescued Lv-Wang's Doctrine of Xin,and made unremitting efforts for the succession and development of classical Confucianism,especially Confucius's Doctrine of Ren.He was a pioneer of Ming-Qing dynasty Confucians who reflected Neo-Confucianism,advocated Han doctrine,and returned to classical Confucianism.He was worthy to be called master and great Confucian of one generation.Lv Nan's Doctrine of Ren has important modern values:Firstly,it provides theoretical reference for modern Confucianism which was in the predicament of "soul wandering" to reflect its direction of developing,and rebuild other Confucianism paradigms such as life Confucianism,educational Confucianism etc..Secondly,it provides a wealth of theoretical resources and practical programs for carrying forward the spirit of "benevolence and love" and practicing "benevolence and love" in modern society. This paper starts from Lv Nan's first-hand literature,defines that Lv Nan's academic system is "Doctrine of Ren",and has given a relatively comprehensive dissertation.It doesn't follow the views of the past,and provides a new program for today's interpretation and construction of lv Nan's academic system.In addition,in the aspects of researching and exploring Lv Nan's Chronicle,family tree.table of disciples and writings etc.,this paper also has moved forward than before.