A Research On The Science Of Li Of New Text Scholars In The Late Qing Dynasty

The New Text Confucianism was prone to seeking the great principles in subtle words that existed the Confucian Classics. During the metaphase of the Qing dynasty, the Chang-zhou school, which was represented by Zhang Cun-yu, Liu Feng-lu and Song Xiang-feng, sprang up and inherited the style of Former Han New Text Confucianism after the New Text studies had been declined for 20 centuries. The Chang-zhou scholars began to researching New Text school system on the science of li, and enlightened late Qing New Text scholars.Gong Zi-zhen and Wei Yuan who succeeded the Chang-zhou School, threw themselves to discussing imperial politics by explaining the subtle meanings that were in New Text Classics. Their studies of the science of li did not matured enough to find New Text school system, however, commenced had the late Qing New Text scholar's studies of li with it. The remarkable viewpoints of Shao Yi-chen was that Confucius created the Classic ofli which there wasn't any lack, evoked Kang You-wei's opinions that contained in his book entitled A Study on Forged Scriptures. After that, three masters named Liao Ping, Kang You-wei and Pi Xi-rui, found their own ways in the researching on Classics ofli. Among these, Liao Ping's studies ofli became odd and was beyond the realm of traditional Confucianism. At the same time, Kang You-wei advocated political reform in virtue of his academic research on the science of li. Differed from the two, Pi Xi-rui' studies not only adhered to New Text school system, but also showed his political ideas of advancement. In the end, Liang Qi-chao studied comprehensively and profoundly to judge the value of the science of li, transformed and researched it in the field of "the new historiography", which with modern thoughts of learning. And then, he finished the whole design on the modem transformation of the science ofli.Late Qing New Text researches of li explored under deep impulsions, and exceeded the field of traditional learning. Further more, the researches that contained intensive political ideas, agreed the reformatory trend of thoughts in the late imperialChina. All the characteristics were showed by Liao Ping, Kang You-wei and Liang Qi-chao' studies.Late Qing New Text Confucianism, with other two schools, i.e. the Song Confucianism and the Old Text Confucianism, their researches on the science of li composed the main part of scholar's studies of li. The three schools' studies had the same feature just like that they all cried for their own political aims, nevertheless, many differences were existed among them.Late Qing New Text scholar's studies of li played an important role in the development of the studies of li. There were two viewpoints on the science of li in Qing dynasty, the first was that Confucianism is the Science of Li, which created by the master named Gu Yan-wu in the early Qing dynasty; the second, which was propounded by Ling Ting-kan and Ruan Yuan in the middle of Qing dynasty, was that Replaced Cheng-Zhu Thoughts by the Science of Li. The two ideas were all emerged before the late Qing New Text studies of li. Succeed the two trends of the science of li, late Qing New Text scholars abandoned the old forms of Confucianism, took the advantage of expressing profound meanings that contained in New Text classics of li, and promoted the reformatory movement of 1898. At last, late Qing New Text scholar's studies of li also finished its transformation from which traditional learning to modern science.