| Since Qing Dynasty, most criticism in increasingly critique about Neo-Confucianism is the idea of"keeping natural principle, extinguishing the human desire"which advocates natural principle and thinks people only need keep their own morals without any human desire. But why did scholars in that time have this idea? Man was born with a desire, and why was the human desire eliminated in that time? Need man eradicate all the desires in human mind? If not, what was the desire that they want to extinguish? These ideas connected with social background at that time. In the early years of Northern Song Dynasty, with social deterioration in morals, a few of scholars were awakening; they called people build the right life values to understand what the real happiness in life is. Zhou dunyi, in his own words and acts, rebuild a spirit word which regarded morals as happiness to find the dependence in his own spirit and to think the ultimate meaning of life.Zhou dunyi is an important scholar in the developing history of Confucianism, especially in that turning time. Since Han Dynasty, Confucianism was not only the unified official guiding ideology, but also was people's spiritual support. To the Northern Song Dynasty, with the impacting of Buddhism and Taoism, Confucianism in Han and Tang Dynasty had lost its original vitality and can not respond to external challenges. Confucianism needed to be updated. At that time, Confucianism reached a turning period and Zhou zi stood this turning point. Zhou zi's philosophies not only inherited traditional Confucianism to contend with the impacting of Buddhism and Taoism, but also he pointed to the new direction of its development and rebuild the new idea about life happiness. Zhou zi combined Taiji with Cheng and first put forward the concept of ontology and values. He regarded the Taiji as the basis of human nature and value to link Heaven-Man relationship. Heaven-Man were connected by Zhou zi's philosophy about Cheng. Zhou zi's philosophy about Cheng, i.e. sincerity, having the meaning of ontology, is the highest state of morality and the highest standards of being man. Zhou zi finished his mind ontology by Cheng to show his pursuit of the sincerity realm. The metaphysical moral theory about Zhou zi'philosophy, he aimed to find the metaphysical basis for the Confucianism theory of ethics. Although Zhou zi did not define the meaning of"happiness"directly, his understanding about unhappiness can make us know the most happiness in his life which is becoming the noble man. Zhou zi's philosophy reflected his life values which view morals as the life happiness.Generally speaking, Neo-Confucianism has three resources. The first is innovation of Confucianism. The second is the revival movement of Taoism. The third is the spread of Buddhism. In Zhou zi's spiritual world, the ideology of Taoism and Buddhism had a strong influence on him. In early Song Dynasty, with the impact of Taoism and Buddhism, the development of Confucianism declined increasingly. Many Confucians studied the thought of Taoism and Buddhism to save orthodox status of Confucianism and wake up to the spiritual ideal of Confucianism in people's mind. Zhou zi's philosophy develops a new direction for Confucianism and rebuilds a new spiritual pursuit in the confused and puzzled time.The real intention and influence of Zhou zi's philosophy was to find the meaning of life in troubled time. Zhou zi wanted to save people from the materialistic and shamless world through his spiritual ideal and the pursuit of values. He wanted people to reflect the real meaning of the happiness in their lives. Getting rid of desire in New-Confucianism aims to let people rebuild the new pursuit of values and the role of the morality in society. |
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