The Thoughts Of Integrity And Social Customs In Han Dynasty

Integrity is one of the most important part of Chinese traditional morality and Chinese culture, as well as a precious heritage which the history left us. The thoughts of integrity have interpenetrated all aspects of the society in Han Dynasty, which have the extensive and far-reaching effects on political life, economic life, cultural life and social life in Han Dynasty. This thesis attempts to do the research on the thoughts of integrity and social customs in Han Dynasty to explore the active effects on the different levels of the society and the historical limitation which the integrity has have systematically. Then, to analyze the integrity that is of significance to reality.This thesis is divided into four chapters which are the Introduction, Chapter I , Chapter II and the Conclusion. In the first part of Chapter I , the present writer has analyzed the historical data to explain the connotation of "integrity" from the sociological and ethical perspective. And discussed the evolution of integrity briefly, which has been the modest thoughts of morality in the ancient period, and then the integrity has broken free of the religious connotation in Xia-Shang-Xi Zhou Dynasties, and it has been the most important part of traditional morality in the Warring States Period. The present writer has also analyzed and briefly summed up the discussion about integrity of the scholars before the Qin Dynasty. And has confirmed integrity as moral cultivation, as the same time has also confirmed that the integrity had important effects on self-cultivation, work and country management and so on.In the second part, the present writer has done the research on the writings of politicians and thinkers who lived in different periods of the Han Dynasty to summarize their main points of integrity. The thinkers in Han Dynasty have promoted the thoughts of integrity about self-moral cultivation, social interaction and individual act, which have been basically inherited and developed from the theories of the scholars before the Qin Dynasty, especially the theory of "the three cardinal guides and the five constant virtues as specified in the feudal ethical code" which has strengthened the key position of integrity in the whole Chinese traditional culture. They have also clearly pointed out the principles of country management in integrity: The ruler did not deceive the general public; rewards and punishment must be credible as laws and regulations; the traders should be honesty in business. They all have confirmed that the thoughts of integrity had the active effects on society and they have expounded profoundly the thoughts of integrity in many aspects of social life about self-moral cultivation, behavior and work, social relations and country management by the combination of the social condition at that time.In Chapter II, the present writer has analyzed the problems of integrity in Han Dynasty in the sociological and ethical viewpoints. In that period, the thoughts of integrity have interpenetrated in the relations between ruler and officials, parents and children, husband and wife, teachers and students, the Han nationality and the minority nationalities. The integrity of the relation between ruler and officials would consolidate political power and promote the development of society, and the integrity of the family relation would make sure the whole family happy and harmonious. In addition, the integrity of friendship would promote that people get well-connected, and the integrity of national affairs and foreign affairs would strengthen the friendship and promote the development of the economic and cultural communication. In a word, integrity has made active effects on the society in the whole Han Dynasty. In contrast, if has gone against integrity of the above relations, then it would pose a negative effect on the society, and even pose a destructive one. At the same time, the present writer has explained that the government of the Han Dynasty encouraged integrity actively and punished the acts heavily which had gone against integrity.In the Conclusion, the present writer has analyzed the reason why the thoughts of integrity and social customs had formed from the historical background and the social condition, and then has discussed the feudal dynasty of later ages had inherited and developed the thoughts of integrity in the aspects of politics, economy and culture. The present writer has also analyzed that the thoughts of integrity and social customs in Han Dynasty would be used as a reference for the construction of the harmonious society at the present time, and has discussed that both of the macro-social environment and the micro-interpersonal relationships would attach importance to the integrity. Finally, the writer has pointed out the obvious historical limitations of the thoughts of integrity and social customs in Han Dynasty.