A Study Of Zhen Dexiu’s The Collected Works Of The Analects Of Confucius

The Southern Song scholar Zhen De Xiu’s The Collected Analects was written to interpret Zhu Xi’s The Collected Analects,and can be regarded as an interpretation of Zhu Xi’s The Collected Analects.This paper examines the compilation,style,hermeneutic method,hermeneutic characteristics,hermeneutic ideas and hermeneutic achievements of The Collected Works of the Analects of Confucius from the perspectives of classical hermeneutics and the history of academic thought,using the method of examination,comparative study and hermeneutic approach.This paper consists of four chapters.The first chapter clarifies the life and intellectual origins of Zhen De Xiu.He was a re-disciple of Zhu Xi,and he also consciously associated with many people who had Zhu’s academic background,which together contributed to the fact that Zhen De Xiu became a master of science in his own generation by inheriting Zhu Xi’s academic thought.Although Zhen De Xiu is a patriarchal scholar,he holds an open and tolerant attitude toward Buddhism and teleology,which is reflected in the interpretive methods and ideas of the Collected Works.The second chapter compares the process of compiling The Analects of Confucius and the style of writing the book.Through the study of relevant documents,it is clear that the Collection of Analects was not compiled by Zhen De Xiu himself,but by Liu Cai Zhi,a later scholar,based on the style of the Collection of the University and Zhen De Xiu’s posthumous books,and was finally assembled into the Collection of the Four Books.The most noteworthy style of "The Analects of Confucius" is "according to the book of notes",that is,the whole book to explain Zhu Xi "The Analects of Confucius" set of "notes" as the core,this style also led a group of later scholars competing to write interpretations of Zhu Xi’s writings,forming a group of classical interpretation of Zhu Xi’s scholarship.The third chapter explores the interpretive methods and features of The Analects of Confucius.Quoting history as proof of scripture,quoting literature as proof of scripture,quoting scripture as proof of scripture and invoking Buddhism and Taoism to interpret the Analects of Confucius are common methods of scripture interpretation in the Song dynasty,and using Zhu Xi’s ideas to interpret Zhu Xi’s ideas is True’s unique method of interpretation.The third chapter is influenced by the ideas of the Song Dynasty’s philosophy of righteousness and nature,and the interpretation of The Analects of Confucius is characterized by "all righteousness and nature","extensive quotations,righteousness and nature",and "the patriarch Zhu Xi,with some quotations".The interpretation is characterized by "total righteousness and nature-oriented","extensive collection and quotation of righteousness and theory",and "the master Zhu’s school,with some play".Zhen De Xiu has also evaluated the arguments of the scholars in the collection.Chapter 4 reveals the interpretive ideas and achievements of The Collected Works of Analects.Related to the academic style and the mission of Song Confucianism,the rejection of Buddhism and Taoism in favor of Confucianism and the exposition of righteousness are the important interpretive ideas in the whole text.Since the Southern Song Dynasty was a period of intense national conflict,the main line of interpretation was to explore the political ideas of the Collected Analects.Thus,the interpretive achievements of The Collected Works of Analects are also outstanding,not only creating the interpretive style of "making a book according to the notes",promoting the development of the “Four Books” after the Southern Song Dynasty,but also promoting the popularization and officialization of Zhu Xi’s academic thought.Some scholars believe that the Collected Works of Analects adheres to Zhu Xi’s scholarship without much innovation.The study finds that the scholars’ criticism has its objectivity,but their understanding of the innovative nature of The Collected Analects may be biased.The main achievement of The Collected Works of the Analects of Confucius is that it opens a new mode of interpreting The Collected Works of the Analects of Confucius by the style of "making a book according to the commentary",and makes The Collected Works of the Analects of Confucius easy to understand and disseminate.