Zhongshu Enlightenment Philosophy - The Establishment Of The Confucian System Of Indoctrination And Its Practice Beginning In The Great Unified Society

Cultivation is a problem which penetrates the whole Confucian thoughts. Confucius, Mencius and Hsün Tzu have explored the issue extensively and established the basis of cultivation theory. Based on the Cultivation theory of Pre-Qin Confucianism ,combining the social situation at the time, Dong Zhong-shu outlines his special Cultivation Thoughts. Thus Chinese traditional Cultivation system came into being and under the historical condition of national unification, completed the realization of the Confucianism theory and turned the theory into practice. It also has had a profound influence on the later society.In the Dong Zhong-shu'cultivation theory system, the starting point is the theory of human nature. Dong Zhong-shu points out human nature must not be actually good or evil. There is latent good and evil in human nature. By cultivating, the latent good will change into actually good and the latent evil will be restrained. Secondly, the targets of cultivation include social and political aspects. The cultivation is an issue of political tactics when national unification is realized, and it is also an important issue concerning the social ethos. The cultivation is a national important affair. It sticks to the principle that moral training is fundamental while penalty is incidental. Cultivation takes Confucianism as its tenet. Its core content is the three cardinal guides and the five constant virtues in the Confucian ethics. Thus the purpose of Heaven is the basis of cultivation theory. Cultivation is the job that Heaven arranged to a monarch. The content of Cultivation is the orders from Heaven. He strives to restore the respects to Heaven that had been lost since the late Warring States Period and Qin Dynasty. The Ways to reach Cultivation goals mainly include setting up the model, ritual and music Cultivation, and school education,Comparing with the cultivation thoughts of Pre-Qin Confucianism, Dong Zhong-shu made a great progress in the theoretical aspect, his theory system becomes the model for the later society, but what's more important is his considerable achievement in the practical aspect. It has a very important influence on the rule with priority to morality instead of penalty. Because of his efforts the Confucian culture become the dominant Chinese traditional culture, the three cardinal guides and the five constant virtues penetrate into people's thoughts and behaviors, and the national cultural psychology takes shape.