Substance, Gongfu, Function:the Disquisition Of One All-pervading Principle Of The Development Of The Confucianism In The Song Dynasty

The primary configuration of Confucianism in the Pre-Qin period is one all-pervading principle which includes three factors:Substance, Gongfu and Function. The Tao is a live life. It endows people and becomes humanity which has nature and morality. A man can arouse his own heart himself or by other people and come back his original humanity and in order to reach t he mandate of Heaven and experience t his transcendent sphere. Then he must practice it in ordinary life including serving other people, the community, the state, and other creatures to return the Heaven. This theory is the coordinate of the Confucianism in the Song dynasty. The development of the latter may be carved up five phases.The first phase is the beginning set up by Zhou Dun-Yi and Zhang Zai. Zhou Dun-Yi learned to the Taoism and absorbed some thoughts of Zhouyi accordingly built his theory of Taiji. He thought that the Wuji-Taiji was the Tao which we called original type and set up the pattern that Tao vertically endow to the humanity firstly in the Confucianism in the Song dynasty. But he cannot explain the Humanity, Heart, Function and Gongfu. On the Tao, Zhang Zai thought that the Buddhism’ errors was that they believe the world is the illusion and the life is a metempsychosis, the Taoism’s errors was they believe the world come from the Wu and human can gain the eternal of life. He believed that the world was a process that the Substance TaiXu come into being Qi and Qi come into being the world and the world come back Qi and Qi finally return to the TaiXu. So he set up his Tao called TaiHe. We think it is different from Zhou Dun-Yi’s, because it contains Qi and its nature. On the humanity, Zhang Zai thought that the Buddhism and Taoism’errors was they believe the retribution and thought the earthly life was delusive. The cause was they only knew the nature of QiZhi but not knew the TianDi. On the Heart, Zhang Zai thought that the Buddhism’s errors were they believe the sensory organ knowledge but not knew the morality. On the Function, Zhang Zai was the first one who inherited the Confucius theory on the unity of enlightening substance and realizing function. On the Gongfu, Zhang Zai cannot searched the right way.The second phase is the form set up by Cheng Hao and his brother Cheng Yi. They opposed Zhou Dun-Yi and Zhang Zai’s transeunt way and accomplished a GongFu’s turning. The Tao of Cheng Hao was the living Tian. The nature of people was also living. His GongFu was reaching the mandate of Heaven by the way of Respect and Yi. The Confucianism’s form in the Song dynasty was drove by Cheng Yi. On the Tao, Cheng Yi believed that the world was forced by the Li and Qi. This is a disaggrega-tire style. On the nature, Cheng Yi explained by justice. He began to discuss the Heart in the Song dynasty’s Confucian. On the Gongfu, Cheng Yi put forward three ways, the learning knowledge, the self-restrainting by Respect, the cultivating Qi by practice in the life.The third phase is the transition set up by Hu Hong. Hu Hong’s all categories have the traditional and innovatory explanations. These explanations have antinomy in every question. The important question is in the Nature and Heart. Hu Hong’s Nature was been define as no good or bad. But his Heart can distinguish them. These two views cannot been linked and in the same time bring the question that the heart can create the world.The third phase is the success set up by Zhu Xi. On the Substance, Zhu Xi bring forward ShiTi (substance) in order to unify the Qi and Li. On the Nature, Zhu Xi insisted on dimidiate pattern that people have nature and morality, because this pattern needs people’s practice to unity. On the Gongfu, Zhu Xi basically called for the respect to reach t he mandate of Heaven and experience t his transcendent sphere. At the same time, Zhu Xi emphasized people must learn and practice in the life. On the Function, Zhu Xi established some colleges and constituted the Rite of Family and originated a civilian bank called SheCang.The fifthly phase is the distributary set up by Lu Jiu-Yuan and Ye Shi. They all opposed Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi. Lu Jiu-Yuan’s theory has Heart but no humanity and Ye Shi has Humanity but no Heart. While they all persisted in the Confucius theory on the unity of enlightening substance and realizing function, so they were the wings of Zhu Xi.