| Shun lived in the late Primitive Society and was the leader of the tribal alliance with outstanding military achievements.The ancestors passed down the deeds of Shun through oral transmission and collective processing,forming the legend of Shun.The initial legend of Shun was only a few brief comments,which gradually developed into plots with the development of the times.The pre Qin philosophers evolved the image of Shun into an ancient emperor with rich political strategies for the purpose of argumentation and reasoning.Pre Qin Confucian scholars used the image of Shun to discuss the Confucian ethical order and construct the principles of Confucian governance.After the transformation of Confucian scholars,Shun had various identities and evolved into an ancient sage who could be learned by everyone,reflecting the political philosophy of Confucianism.Chapter One Traces the Source of Shun’s Image.The image of Shun in pre Qin literature undergoes a process of development and evolution.The original image of Shun,with distinctive characteristics of Primitive Society,is the result of the ancestors’ narration,eulogy and praise of the tribal elites,some of which are very simple and based on the most basic blood relationship of political and ethical content.The ancestors attached the image of Shun with their original inventions,creations,and governance methods,shaping him into outstanding clan leaders who were used in occasions such as sacrifices,hymns,and gatherings to organize and unite groups to maintain the survival and activities of the entire society.The image of Shun during the tribal period is inseparable from the blood related family.Chapter 2: The evolution of the image of Shun in pre Qin Confucian.Confucius transformed Shun into an ideal sage with benevolence,wisdom,and filial piety,who can be regarded as a model for emperors and gentlemen.In the Analects,Confucius highly praised his character and achievements,leading him to evolve into a perfect benevolent and virtuous sage king.Confucius did not dwell too much on the life experiences of Shun,only citing relevant legends for argumentation and reasoning.Mencius added many details to the legend of Shun,giving the image of Shun a sense of human fireworks,and transforming Shun into an ordinary person living among the people.He lives in a house made of wood and stone in the mountains and forests,eating dry food and wild vegetables every day,wearing coarse linen clothes,and living a simple and ordinary life.He has emotions such as joy,anger,sorrow,and joy,is willing to socialize with others,actively participates in labor,and makes a living through farming,fishing,and hunting.During his social interaction,Shun realized the existence of "goodness",and his innate goodness was touched by the kind words and deeds from the outside world.He does good deeds from morning to night,develops good abilities,and constantly learns the strengths and weaknesses of those around him.In addition,Shun had a tragic original family,and his father listened to the slander of his stepwife and youngest son,and the three of them collaborated multiple times to murder Shun.Faced with the deliberate murder of his family,Shun did not choose to escape but instead became more respectful and filial,serving with care.Mencius made Shun evolve into a virtuous and filial son in the history of Chinese literature.Xunzi believed that overemphasizing the virtues of good nature would not greatly help solve practical problems,but would only lead to more chaos in the world.The society needs laws and other rules and regulations to maintain order,and the people need etiquette and righteousness to restrain and repair their nature.The image of Shun in Xun Zi has evolved into active learning etiquette and righteousness to change the evil in nature and grow the good in nature.Compared to Mencius’ description of Shun governing the country with morality,Xunzi emphasized Shun governing the country with law and establishing specific and clear laws to maintain social order.In terms of narrative techniques,Confucius’ description of the image of Shun is only a brief and conclusive judgment;Mencius weaved and composed specific stories about Shun,using character language,behavior,and ethical relationships between people to shape the image of Shun in detail;For Xunzi,the image of Shun was just the material and evidence for the author to conduct logical arguments,and the abstract conceptual features actually overshadowed the previously vivid image of Shun.The third chapter represents the political concepts of pre Qin Confucianism represented by the image of Shun.The image of Shun is a symbol of the development of the political concept of Confucianism in the pre Qin period to different stages.Its connotation is actually the proposition of Confucius,Mencius,and Xunzi,with different colors from the three of them.Confucius advocated for governing the country with benevolence and advocated that rulers emulate ancient sages and inherit ancient moral and political traditions.The Analects of Confucius cites the political legends of Shun for argumentation and reasoning,embodying the ideal of benevolent governance that is "benevolent to the people and capable of benefiting the people".Mencius believed that humans have a kind nature and advocated social governance based on human goodness,advocating the use of moral influence to educate the people.Rulers,like Shun,are filial sons and virtuous brothers in their families,sages and wise lords in the court,and virtuous gentlemen in society.They do not feel sad or happy due to their poverty or wealth,nor do they give up their innate morality in pursuit of power and wealth.The image of Shun in Mencius reflects the rulers’ political philosophy of governing the country through moral education and influence.Xunzi believed that pure moral influence would not only be beneficial but also cause serious harm to the governance of the country.The rulers’ pursuit of "moral reputation" ignored the strategy of enriching the country and strengthening the military.This approach can only fulfill the personal ideals of the rulers and is not conducive to maintaining a harmonious and stable social order.This practice of focusing solely on cultivating one’s own morality and using one’s own morality to influence the whole world is irrational and can lead to the country being in a critical situation.The image of Shun in "Xunzi" has changed from Mencius’ daily dedication to seeking and doing good,to a monarch who constantly contemplates how to make the people live a prosperous life and how to prevent violent countries from invading.The image of Shun in "Xunzi" is the carrier of Xunzi’s philosophy of moral cultivation and rule of law,which clearly demonstrates Xunzi’s philosophy of moral cultivation and rule of law. |
