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Zhang Feng’s Thoughts on Governance and the Ideas of the Times
——Assessment of “The Interpretation of the Speech” as the Middle
Author: Yang Shiwen (Sichuan Big School)
Source: Original from “Wenya: Zhang Feng, Confucianism and the Construction of the Family”, edited by Zhou Jingyao, and published the Bookstore May 2016 edition
Time: Confucius was the 18th year of the 2568th year of Dingyou Puyue, Gengwu
Jesus June 12, 2017
Zhang Feng was a famous politician, thinker and teacher of the Southern Song Dynasty. His thoughts were profound and independent, and he was highly praised by then and later generations. Although Zhang Feng never lived forever, his experience was very rich. When he was young, he was polite with his father Zhang Jun, and he had a hard time. Later, his father was promoted and led, and he participated in the military affairs. After his father passed away, Zhang Feng lived in Changsha for five or six years, and studied hard, and taught his disciples at Yuelu and Chengnan Academy to spread the scientific thinking. At the same time, they traveled with old friends Zhang Xiaoxiang, Liu Gong and others. The two of them successively consecrated Hunan, and many of them were supported by Zhang Feng, and their political measures were affected. In the fifth year of Qiandao, Zhang Feng left Changsha and left the magistrate of the harsh state. The central government has been in court for more than a year, and due to political differences with Zai, he lived in Changshayu for three years. In the second year of Chunxi, he was in charge of Jingjiang Prefecture and Anhui Guangxi. In the fifth year, he was appointed as the Anhui Envoy of Huabei Road in Zhuzhou and died in his post. For more than ten years, Zhang Feng discussed academic studies with Zhu Xi, Zuo and others, and cooperated with Da Guang Da Science. On the other hand, he also won good political achievements during his tenure as a senior in the office and had a political foundation.
As a politician and thinker, Zhang Feng not only has many practical experiences in governing the country, but also has a relatively systematic discussion on governance and treatment. Based on the foundation of Confucian political thinking, he proposed the governance initiative with the energy of the times. Confucian moral governance, tyranny, and civilized thinking have obtained good resources from Zhang Feng.
Confucian thinking on moral governance has a long history. As early as the era of Shun and Yu, the concept of moral governance began to sprout. “De” as a contemplation and rich social connotation began in the Zhou Dynasty. Zhou rebelled against the Yin Dynasty and “supervised the Yin Dynasty”. Zhou Gong and others realized that “the destiny of heaven is not always”, “the emperor and heaven have no virtue, but virtue is pure”, and proposed the idea of ”respecting virtue and protecting the common people” and “using the Yuan to comply with the heaven”. This is the year-on-year change of China’s thinking since the Xia and Shang dynasties from “respecting ghosts and gods” to “focusing on human affairs”.The character rules and shirts of the ruler are the important connotations of “virtue”. Confucius advocated the civilization of the Zhou Dynasty and once said, “It’s so depressing! I’m from Zhou.” He inherited and developed Zhou Gong’s thought of respecting virtue, and took the lead in proposing a systematic moral governance thinking of cultivating oneself, rectifying one’s own politics, respecting one’s abilities, taking advantage of one’s abilities, and loving one’s abilities, and loving one’s abilities. Since then, Mencius, Xunzi and others have inherited Confucius’ thoughts on virtue and governance in the past and developed further. After the Qin and Han Dynasty, Confucianism became popular among all the people, and the thinking of moral governance also gained recognition from the rulers of the traditional rulers. It was basically gained power in the political reality of Confucianism, and became the mainstream of traditional political thinking in China.
As a connoisseur of Confucianism, Zhang Feng was suspicious of Confucius and Mencius’s thoughts on governance. He not only pursued it in his political practice, but also spent a lot of space on the governance of the country in his works. The book “Explanation of the Path” is Zhang Feng’s main work. Through his comments and development of the “Explanation” thoughts, he constructed his own theoretical thinking and developed his own self-cultivation, governance, and governance. Zhang Feng’s thoughts on governing the country inherited the essence of Confucianism since Confucius and Mencius, and had strong characteristics of the times. This article uses “Online Interpretation” as the middle and briefly sorts out Zhang Feng’s thoughts on governing the country.
1. Cultivate oneself and correct oneself
“Cultivate oneself and correct oneself” is the development point of Confucian thinking on governing the country. Confucianism since Confucius believed that the politicians themselves should have the virtues and qualities that are outstanding, set an example by example.
“The Book of Songs·Yuan Jing” records: “Ji Kangzi Confucius asked Confucius about politics, and Confucius replied: ‘Politics is righteous. If you do not use justice, who dares to be unrighteous?’” The so-called politics is to make people fall into evil ways. In this regard, Zhang Feng said: “Being the foundation of politics, correcting oneself is the first. Don’t be upright, and no one dares to be wrong, justify oneself and then teach it, and then others will be happy to follow it. Otherwise, even if punishments are imposed on a day, there is no ban.” Zhang Feng regarded “correcting oneself” as the most basic foundation of politics. He believed that those who are politicians must first regulate their own virtues, make their own examples, and set up a list of outstanding people for the elderly, and then correct themselves before gentlemen. Only in this way can they seek to be good, and the elderly will also be happy to hear the audience. Otherwise, even if you use all kinds of punishments, you will not be able to truly make people good and will not achieve the consequences of governance.
In “Theory”, Confucius had many similar statements, and Zhang Feng also made a reversal in his “Theory of Interpretation”.
As in the “Speech: Zilu”: “The Master said: ‘Why is there a man who has the following politics? What is it like a gentleman who cannot be corrected?’”
Zhang Feng said: “The sage’s argument for politics is not based on the right body. If the body is correct, it is also a matter of being punished by politics. If the body is not correct, what is it like for a gentleman? There is no one who can convince people’s hearts in the future.” In Zhang Feng’s view, “correcting the body” is the same as “political principle”.By correcting one’s body, we will recommend it to the politics. If a ruler fails to set an example, it will be difficult to convince the people.
How to “correct yourself” and “correct yourself”? In “The Book of Thoughts,” a conversation between Zilu and Confucius was recorded: “Zilu asked to correct others. The Master said, “Cultivate yourself to respect yourself.” He said, “Has you cultivate yourself to comfort others.’ He said, “Is it so cruel?’ He said, “Cultivate yourself to comfort others.” He said, “Cultivate yourself to comfort others.” He said, “Cultivate yourself to comfort others. He said, “Cultivate yourself to comfort others.” The key to self-cultivation lies in the word “respect”. Only on this basis can we talk about peace and peace. This is actually the Confucian way of “the inner sage and the outer king”. Zhang Feng said to this: “The way of cultivating oneself is not beyond respect and purity. The way of respecting oneself is not indecent. All the people who cultivate oneself are not indecent, and the reason why people are content with peace and peace are all here. One is about respect, and the family that is recommended, as well as the country and the whole country, is all the reason. In the extreme, the six-union position is in place, and all things are cultivated. Even though they are inclined to the general, are there any one who cannot be at peace?” Zhang Feng made a fuss about Confucius’s words from the perspective of theory, and especially focused on the word “respect”.
From the specific moral cultivation, “correcting oneself” is nothing more than filial piety and kindness. Those who are filial are respectful to the elderly, and those who are kind love to the young. Filial piety is not only a fundamental request for the politicians, but also an objective effect that the politicians must achieve. According to the “Speech: Confucianism”, someone asked Confucius why he went to “confucianism”. Confucius replied: “The Book says: ‘Filial piety is to be filial, be friendly to brothers, and b