The Dream Of Red Mansions And The Way Of Cultivation And Governance Of Confucian Ethics

Confucian ethics contains the two-dimensional structure of self-cultivation and governance of others and this structure are included in destiny and moral belief.Destiny is the general foundation of Confucianism as well as the boundary and possibility of building up oneself then leading others.The realistic literature,The Dream of Red Mansions,has a reflective meaning to the three mainstream traditions of Confucianism,Buddhism and Taoism in traditional society.In terms of Confucian ethics,The Dream of Red Mansions also constitutes a separate reflection on the way of self-cultivation and the way of governing people.As far as self-cultivation is concerned,regardless of aiming at a sage or a person with a gentleman’s character,the author conveyed an attitude in a way of positive recognition and appreciative protection,which is also the author’s attitude towards the Confucianism of self-cultivation.Concerned about the way of governance,The Dream of Red Mansions was presented through the deduction of Jia Fu’s fate.The husband and wife,and the father and son were the primary components of a family relationship.The traditional rule of governance regarded the husband and the father as the principle,while the novel made criticism and examination of the principle of governance,thus breaking the inherent pattern of the three principles and finding an ideological opportunity for the reconstruction of social order.To sum up,the reflection on Confucian ethics in The Dream of Red Mansions has both the whole thinking on its consistent way and the observation of self-cultivation and governance of others respectively.This method provides a useful enlightenment for the study of Confucian ethics today.This paper intends to analyze and positively affirm the characters of self-cultivation in the literature of The Dream of Red Mansions.Meanwhile,it also shows the author’s doubts about the logic of Confucian self-cultivation,governing family and the promotion of the three-cardinal-guides hierarchy.Finally,from the current standpoint,the author tried to promote and summarize the Confucian way ofcultivation and governance.The Confucian classics for pursuing the purpose of way of cultivation and governance must have value and behavior support,so it can become the practice of self-cultivation and regulation of family.Explanation for the authentic attitude of Confucian ethics through the practice and theoretical dimension of Confucian ethics is not only helpful to carry forward the excellent traditional culture,but also to absorb nutrients of human relations from the normal values of The Dream of Red Mansions and Confucianism.