Research On Cao Duan's Family Governance Thought

Although the Neo Confucianism of Ming Dynasty is the continuation of Neo Confucianism of Song Dynasty,it has a great development in the process of continuation.Neo Confucianism in the early Ming Dynasty inherited Zhu Lu’s thought of harmony in Yuan Dynasty and Wang’s in the middle of Ming Dynasty,which is of great significance in the development history of Neo Confucianism in Ming Dynasty.Cao Duan was an important representative in the development history of Neo Confucianism in the early Ming Dynasty.He tactfully put forward different views from Zhu Xi on the relationship between Li and Qi,and had a direct impact on the establishment of Hedong school.Cao Duan paid more attention to the transformation of Confucian ethics into a wide range of Confucian practice,especially in family governance.His thought of management the family is mainly reflected walking by candlelight at night and the collection of family rules,which has its own characteristics in the works of family instructions in the early Ming Dynasty.There are at least three factors that can’t be ignored when we investigate the basic framework and formation process of Cao Duan’s thought of ruling the family.First,the pre Qin Confucian and Mencius’ thought of ruling the family and the family rules and family precepts under the influence of the four books in the Northern Song Dynasty are the theoretical origin of the formation of Cao Duan’s thought of management the family;second,the establishment of Cheng Zhu’s orthodox position in the early Ming Dynasty and the implementation of the enlightenment policy in the early Ming Dynasty are the social background of the formation of Cao Duan’s thought of management the family;finally,it is inseparable from Cao Duan’s own learning and practice experience.From the perspective of Cao Duan’s Neo Confucianism system,his thought of management a family is undoubtedly a derivative of this system,and it is also a practical application in the specific context of family,ethnic group and local society.Therefore,Cao Duan’s thought of management the family is built around his Neo Confucianism system,which includes three aspects: the thought of management the family by courtesy,the thought of management the family by benevolence and justice,and the thought of management the family by sincerity and respect.On the whole,Cao Duan’s thought of management the family has the characteristics of social practice and practical feasibility,social education,attaching importance to the rule of etiquette.The leaders of Hedong school and Sanyuan school,such as Xue Xun and Wang Shu,have a deep source of learning from Cao Duan,and their thoughts of management their own families are mostly in the same line with Cao Duan,and they have played and promoted in different historical periods and ideological environments of Ming Dynasty.In this sense,Cao Duan made a significant contribution to the formation and development of Ming Dynasty’s thought system of family governance.