The Eastern Han Dynasty Confucianism, Taoism And Social Customs

Confucianism and Taoism as one body with two wings of Chinese traditionalculture, have changed as the changes of the times developing. Since Western HanDynasty, the two has going to merge from opposition. As far as the Eastern HanDynasty, change with an overview of the thought of Confucianism and Taoism is that:Confucianism declined and Taoism revived.Confucianism and Taoism as academic culture, is elegant culture, as opposed tothe customs culture is popular culture. These two kinds of culture penetrate mutually,and customs culture also exists as behavioral culture, affecting each other withacademic culture. Under the political orientation and powerful implementation,academic culture always controls the direction of customs culture.This thesis is divided into three parts. PartⅠdiscusses the shift between theConfucianism and Taoism in the Eastern Han dynasty. Firstly, I will analysis itscauses. The main reason is largely due to changes in the political situation at that time.If one thought can better meet the political demand, it will be able to gain an officialruling position. Secondly, I will discuss the decline of Confucian in Eastern Handynasty: One was academic crisis, namely Confucian was increasingly bizarre,cumbersome and inflexible, and increasingly mysterious and political vulgar; Anotherwas belief crisis, namely the Confucianism theory maintaining social stabilitydeclined, and people had doubt of it. Literary scholars were flashy, to the trendsmaking friends first. Thirdly, I will address the performance of T Taoism’s renaissance:First is the rise of the political thought of Huang-Lao. From emperor Guangwu torespecting Huang-Lao academics and the ruler’s personal cultivation all showed therise of that. Second is Huang-Lao health thought’s epidemic. Up to the noble, down tothe scholars and hermits were all cultivate their moralities by it. Third is the statusascension of Taoism, which is extremely obvious in the inheritance and developmentof academic among Wang Chong, Wang Fu and Zhong Changtong.PartⅡdiscusses the influence of Confucianism and Taoism on social customs.Academic culture influence on the customs culture in Eastern Han dynasty is that scholars’behaviors return to Taoism. One is the transformation from focusing onbeing official to be reclusive. The enthusiasm of being official has descended; a largenumber of scholars became hermits, dedicated to writing or professing. The second ischanging from valuing honor to life. In situations of political darkness, party headedby Li Ying and Fan Pang valued honor very much, struggle with consort clan andeunuch. Under the influence of Taoism, the scholar’s value of individual life graduallyawakening, people’attentions changed from honor to life. The third is changing fromfollowing Confucian norms to maverick performance. Late Eastern Han Dynasty,Confucianism increasingly decline, "the three cardinal guides and the five constantvirtues" as the core of Confucian norms went bankrupt, scholars have pursuedindividuality liberation, rising maverick ethos.PartⅢdeals with main ways of how Confucianism and Taoism influence socialcustoms. The first is township election. As the most important electoral system in theHan Dynasty, due to its extremely heavy reputation and virtue, it greatly promoted theimprovement of society ethos. The second is Confucian education. Confucianeducation in Han Dynasty includes imperial college schools consisting of State andCounty. In addition, there were private schools and family educations. Differenteducation modes supplemented each other, strengthen the status of Confucianism andpromoted the all-round permeation through social life, leading the change of socialethos. The third is social demonstration effect of the Confucian scholar class. Thereare a number of Confucian scholars, who promoted academic’s permeation throughsocial customs.