Studies On The Image Of Confucius In The Works From Pre-Qin Days To The Western Han Dynasty

This paper consists of five chapters. The introduction part introduces the previous study and the purpose of my study. Scholars had paid much attention to the change of the image of Confucius, and also explained about it. However, there are still lots of questions about Confucius'image in the related works. We need much thorough and detailed investigation into the works to find out the related records and the same stories but appear in different works. We need first to make clear the facts, and then state the changes, thus, write out the "Acceptance history of Confucius" dated from pre-Qin days to the Western Han Dynasty.The first three chapters deal with the collection and discussion of the material in The Philosophers, Classics and Histories, and Eclectics, which make the Confucius' image clearer. Because of the different character of each work, the image they carried has its own specialty. Confucian works showed the high image as the school's great master, The Analects of Confucius make we feel the happening condition, Confucius appears as an amiable and ordinary person, who found of good man of honor. The Mencius always sanctify Confucius spare no effort with frothy expression. The Hsun Tzu also describes Confucius as a saint out of power. But its last six chapters had written down many stories about Confucius and his disciples, which became the origin of a special history record named Happenings and Comments. Non-Confucian works give rich and diversified images of Confucius, praise and critics, Confucian and non-Confucian. A taoist in the work of Chuang Tzu, a legist in the work of Han Fei Tzu, and a mean person who didn't have his heart in right place in the work of Mo-tse, can be found their headstream in The Analects of Confucius.In the Classics and Histories, Confucius played a leading role in the classics. He became a great model in the political thought, social code and mores. In The Unauthorized biography of Han Poem, Confucius'image was changed from a living existence of history to a perfect person of noble character. Book of Rites sometimes advocate a theory of Confucian social institutions by quoting Confucius' talk tediously. But in Tangong, the description of daily lives of Confucius and his disciples were much vivid. The Book of Changes give us an expression of a master who can elucidate Confucianism by the theory of changes. Tso Chuan (a commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals) records the brave behavior of an politician. Confucius was a person of great influence for his words were quoted as judgments of histories. Historical Records put Confucius on the series of old and well-known families. He was a sacrosanct who draws up social laws for the whole world. Meanwhile, his biography was obviously in the author's tone.In Eclectics, The Lu Shih Ch un Ch iu and Huai Nan Tzu absorb the Confucian essence with an all-embracing eye. Thus, they praise Confucius in every aspect. He was a a saint out of power. The Story Garden praise Confucius from a Confucian position, he cultivates himself and puts family in order, rules the country and brings the people stability. The Story Garden has classified the stories, and has a close relationship with Confucius House Language Note.The forth chapter analyzes the cause of the image change. We make a conclusion of the first three chapters; summarize the process that Confucius changed from a fickle image to a divine image. The sanctification began from his disciples, finished in Historical Records, and reinforced in The Stories Garden. Record of Literature and Arts in Hanshu make Confucian six classics control over the whole theory, which match along with the political union in the Western Han Dynasty. Firstly, in the process of academic controversy, the philosophers took the words and deeds of ancient wisdoms as their powerful theoretical weapon. Secondly, against the social changing background, all philosophers are limited by their common studies and the period. The image of the great name of history is spring from the history, and from The Philosophers, Classics and Histories, and Eclectics.The fifth chapter states the meanings of the image's change. By collecting and contrasting the materials, we summarized a table about the same stories but appear in different works to analyze the meaning, In the history aspect, we find that the same material had their special way to hand down. Then we introduce the concept of Happenings and Comments; point out that the Confucius stories play an important part in it. As the political union and the academic syncretism, different authors chose different materials, showing their Confucian standpoint, In the literary aspect, most of the Confucius' stories are quotations, putting up an obvious sermon tune. They always paid more attention to the meanings, rather than the truth, some even go to imaginary. Meanwhile, folklores have a different eye on Confucius; they contribute much to enrich the Confucius image.