The Study On The Development Of Yan Yuan’s Thought

Yan Yuan is a thinker in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasty, who disagrees with the thinking of Cheng-Zhu and Lu-Wang. He insists on learning to meet practical needs based on the Six Arts, which has an effect on the thought circle in the early Qing Dynasty. This paper mainly investigates the development of Yan Yuan’s thoughts in early years and his thought of criticizing heterodoxy. Meanwhile, this paper inspects some of Yan Yuan’s works.According to his own review, Yan Yuan firmly believes in the study of Lu-Wang at first, then turns to the study of Cheng-Zhu. At the age of thirty-four, he follows close to the line of Zhu Zi Jia Li (Zhu Zi’s Family Rites) during his grandmother’s funeral. During this time, Yan Yuan realizes that Zhu Zi Jia Li is against humanity and the ancient etiquette. After then, he finds out that the study of Zhou-Kong is the right way. But there is something we should pay attention to. As Yan Yuan says, at the age of twenty-six to thirty-four, he firmly believes in the study of Cheng-Zhu, but his works written at the age of twenty-nine shows the influence made by the study of Lu-Wang, some other works tend towards the study of Zhou-Kong. So maybe it is valuable to concern the development of Yan Yuan’s thoughts, Chapter Two is written around this issue on the basis of forefathers.Chapter Three observes Yan Yuan’s thought of criticizing heterodoxy. He writes Huan Mi Tu in his later years in order to urge people to do good. By studying comparatively, it is obvious that Yan Yuan’s thought of criticizing heterodoxy is influenced by Diao Bao. His idea of ghosts and gods reveals his emphasis on filial piety.