Great Learning - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Great Learning(simplified Chinese:; traditional Chinese:;

pinyin:D Xu)[1]

was one of the "Four Books" in Confucianism. The

Great Learninghad come from a chapter in the Classic of Rites which

formed one of the Five Classics. It consists of a short main text attributed

to the teachings of Confucius and then ten commentary chapters

accredited to one of Confucius' disciples, Zengzi. The ideals of the book

were supposedly Confucius's; however the text was written after his death.

The "Four Books" were selected by the neo-Confucian Zhu Xi during the

Song Dynasty as a foundational introduction to Confucianism andexaminations for the state civil service in China.

Contents

1 Writing and Influence2 Principal Teachings

3 Meaning of "Investigation of Things"

4 The Main Text

5 The Great Learning and Education in China

6 Impact on the Education in China

6.1 Effects on the Education in Modern China

7 Impact on Chinese Politics8 Textual Significance

9 Works cited

10 References

11 External links

Writing and Influence

Learning - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_

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Writing and Influence

Confucius, who incorporated ideas from earlier philosophers, compiled or

edited the Classic of Rites, the Five Classics and the Spring and Autumn

nnals. Confucius' student, master Zengzi wrote the introduction and

exposition of the Great Learning. Zeng Zi lived from 505-436 BC.

Confucius taught 3000 pupils; of which 72 mastered the six arts. It is still

unclear how much his students wrote and edited.

The Great Learningdeveloped from many authors adapting to the needs

and beliefs of the community at the time. The Cheng brothers, Yi

(10331107) and Hao (10321085) both utilized the Great Learning's

philosophies. Their ideas met with strong official opposition, but werereconstituted by Zhu Xi. Cheng's idea ofyi was that it was identical with

nature, which he believed was essentially good. Cheng'syi emphasized the

necessity of acquiring knowledge.[2]

During the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi rearranged the Great Learning

and included it in the Four Books, along with the "Doctrine of the Mean",

theAnalects of Confucius and theMencius. Zhu Xi separated the Greatearning, which was originally a chapter in the Classic of Rites.[3] Zhu Xi

organized the book as Jing followed by ten expositions. Zhu Xi was a

student of Li Tong. Zhu Xi developed the Chengs' Confucian ideas and

drew from Chan Buddhism and Daoism. He adapted some ideas from

these competing religions into his form of Confucianism.

Li Ao, a scholar, poet, and official, used and brought attention to the GreatLearning. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, The Great Learning became

a required textbook in schools and a required reading for imperial

examinations. During the Warring States Xunzi and Mengzi were

influenced by the Great Learning. The Great Learning was used by Japan,

Korea and later in the west.

Such critics such as Lu Xiangshan and Wang Yangming later disliked thegreat learning because of the stress on scholarship rather than action.


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great learning because of the stress on scholarship rather than action.

Wang Yangming rejected Zhu Xi's changes and returned the text to the

original, from the Classic of Rites. During the Han dynasty the Great

Learning rose to prominence, and the Classic of Rites had to be

re-organized by Dai De and Dai Shang. The Dais divided the book into fivesections. This included the Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Mean, the

Evolution of Rites, the Yili, and the "Etiquette and Rites" .

There is a popular commentary by philosopher Zhang written by his

disciples. Han Yu and Li Ao both used The Great Learning. Li Ao

incorporated a lot of Buddhist and Taoist ideas into his work. Zi Si

Confucius's grandson is said to have taught Mencius and written the

Doctrine of the Mean. He may also have written the beginning of the

Great Learning. Ma Yung edited the Great Learning in the Han dynasty,

giving his views of the general meaning.[4]

Principal Teachings

Achieving a state of balance and refining one's moral self such that itis a reflection of the Way (Tao).

Ample rest and reflection such that one achieves peace of mind.

When one is calm and reflected, the Way will be revealed to them.

Setting priorities and knowing what is important is essential in one's

quest for moral refinement, for it allows one to focus on that which

is of the greatest importance and that which is in line with the Way

as outlined in Confucian teachings.One must bring his affairs and relationships into order and harmony.

If one hopes to attain order in the state, he must first bring his own

family and personal life into order through self-cultivation and the

expansion of one's knowledge and the "investigation of things."

Each and every man is capable of learning and self-cultivation

regardless of social, economic or political status. This, in turn, means

that success in learning is the result of the effort of the individual as

opposed to an inability to learn.


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opposed to an inability to learn.

One must treat education as an intricate and interrelated system

where one must strive for balance. No one aspect of learning is

isolated from the other and failure to cultivate a single aspect of

one's learning will lead to the failure of learning as a whole.

Meaning of "Investigation of Things"

The text sets up a number of controversies that have underlain Chinese

philosophy and political thinking. For example, one major controversy has

been to define exactly the investigation of things. What things are to be

investigated and how has been one of the crucial issues of Chinesephilosophy.

One of the first steps to understanding The Great Learning is to understand

how to "investigate things". This did not consist of scientific inquiry and

experimentation, but introspection, building on what is already "known" of

"principle".[5]

True introspection was supposed to allow the mind to

become all knowing with regards to morality, relationships, civic duty andnature.

[5]

The Main Text

The Way of the Great

Learning involves

manifesting virtue,

renewing the people, and

resting in supreme goodness.

(...)

(...)

The ancients who wished to


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Reproduction of a rendition of "Great

Learning" by Yuan calligrapher Zhao

Mengfu at the Taiwan Confucian

Temple in Tainan, Taiwan.

The ancients who wished to

illustrate illustrious virtue

throughout the

world, first ordered well their

own States.

Wishing to order well their

States, they first regulated

their families.

Wishing to regulate their

families, they first cultivatedtheir persons.

Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts.

Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their

thoughts.

Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended to the

utmost of their knowledge.

Such extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things.

Things being investigated, knowledge became complete.

Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere.

Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then rectified.

Their hearts being rectified, their persons were cultivated.

Their persons being cultivated, their families were regulated.


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