An Utopia Out Of Time

Tai Chi-tao,as the main constructor of the KMT and the Nanjing national governmental ideology with a strong traditional complex,had a strong sense of ritual systems when he was the dean of the Examination Center,that is,as the cultural conservative,he tries to work for the concrete ways of integration of the moral concept of the Confucianists with the modern society,which is also out of consideration for the national government’s seeking a stable social and moral order to have a stable political order.This paper will discuss the different concept construction and traditional courtesy and its corresponding disputes,disintegration,integration and other complexities from the following aspects:the origin of Tai Chi-tao’s ritual thoughts;planning of utopia ritual systems;discussions on implementation of his metaphysical ritual thoughts on concrete ritual systems at Bei Quan,such as marriage,funeral and sacrifice;some disputes about people’s attitudes towards Tai Chi-tao and the question to the situation being back to tradition of the national governmental long-term peace plan.The first part is about the origin of Tai Chi-tao’s ritual thought,trying to explain why Tai Chi-tao chose national governmental long-term peace plan as his ambition in face of historical opportunities of resistance against Japanese aggression and establishment of nation,based on investigation of growth environment,experience of studying in Japan and attitudes on the modern society and world situation.The second part discusses the Tai Chi-tao’s metaphysical planning on moral,social and political orders,taking the systems in Xi Zhou Dynasty’s Period as a model,and further talks about his Utopia from the following three aspects:planning on moral order that people should be moderate,constructive;planning on social orders that the government should be omnipotent and ruled by the sages and planning on political orders that ideal model leader can found a country and then pass it to his or her descendants and should be a gentleman.The third part aims to show the conflict,compromise and reconstruction between his metaphysical Utopia and modern society,based on the discussion on ritual systems at Bei Quan,and more importantly conflict between rite and law;the transformation of rite to custom;the reconstruction of rite to the nation and etc.,.The fourth part mainly talks about the different views on traditions among different groups and different attitudes towards modern politics,society and morality,by way of public opinions towards Tai Chi-tao and the situation being back to tradition of the national governmental long-term peace plan.The failure of Tai Chi-tao’s ritual thoughts and his keeping national government long-term peace plan reflect the co-existence of dilemma and vision of the Chinese conservatives in the social transformation.