The Research On Family Moral Education In Zeng Guofan’s Home Letters

Zeng Guofan is a controversial figure in late Qing Dynasty,but his book,named Zeng Guofan’ home letter,is very good.Zeng Guofan’ home letter began to be recorded from the twentieth of Daoguang to the tenth of Tongzhi.At present,there are about 1,400 letters in the world,including the cultivation,the family,the army,the study,the officials and so on,and the content is quite extensive,among which the most important part is the thought of family moral education.Under the influence of his family moral education,he is regarded as the outstanding figure of the family education in modern history.This article mainly includes introduction,the origin of family moral education in Zeng Guofan’s home letter,the systematic explanation of family moral education in Zeng Guofan’s home letter and the contemporary value of family moral education in Zeng Guofan’s home letter.First of all,from the Confucianism,Taoism,Mohism and Buddhism we explore the origin of family moral education in the Zeng letter.Any idea is not created out of thin air,included the thought of Zeng Guofan’s family moral education.He widely absorbed the Confucian filial piety,kernel,faithful,forgiveness,and practiced the concept of“self-cultivation,family harmony,country management and world peace”.At the same time,it is also deeply influenced by Taoism of action without action,and pursuit the vain quiet,lack of desire and profit and loss.Besides,it is also influenced by the Mohism’s enhancing agricultural production and economize expenses and the Buddha’s compassion and equality.Second,this paper systematically expounds the thoughts of family moral education in Zeng Guofan’s family book from three aspects: goals,contents and methods.His goals mainly include the life creed of cultivation and reading,the target of the moral education,the moral spirit of work modesty honest imperfect and the personality psychology of strong perseverance generous concentration.The family moral education thought in the family book is quite extensive,mainly including: reading to become a gentleman,rather than seeking fame and fortune;treating people with honesty and kindness;dealing with affairs and interpersonal relationship sincerely and methodically;in self-cultivation,being quiet and cautiousness;managing family pursuing hardworking and thrifty and neighbourhood harmony;being official thinking the world and loving people.The methods that embodied in the family book mainly include the words and deeds and self-examination,teacher and friend of helping and cultivating the morality,individualized teaching,encourage strengths and avoiding shortcoming and so on.Finally,based on the current situation of family moral education in our country,we should take an objective and fair attitude towards the Zeng’s thoughts.Take the essence,discard the dregs,take history as a mirror,and contrast the ancient and modern times.So this paper puts forward the practical enlightenment of family moral education to contemporary family.