Feng Youlan: The Position of Confucius in Chinese History| A Brief History of Chinese Philosophy

▇ The position of Confucius in Chinese history

The West probably knows more about Confucius than any other Chinese. However, within China, although Confucius has always been famous, his historical status has been evaluated very differently in various eras. In historical order, he was originally an ordinary teacher, but he was just one of many teachers. But after his death, he gradually became regarded as the Most Holy Prophet, above all other teachers. By the 2nd century BC, his status had risen even higher. Many Confucians at that time believed that Confucius had truly accepted the Mandate of Heaven and succeeded zhou as king. Although he did not really ascend to the pole, he was ideally the king of the whole country of King's Landing. This is obviously a contradiction, but what is the basis? These Confucians say that the basis can be found in the subtle meaning of the Spring and Autumn Period. They described the Spring and Autumn Period as one of the most important political works written by Confucius expressing his ethical and political views, rather than a chronicle of Confucius's native State of Lu. By the 1st century BC, Confucius's status had risen to a higher level than that of a king. According to many people at the time, Confucius was a living god among the crowd, and this god knew that there was a Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) after him, so he established a political ideal in the Spring and Autumn Period that was complete enough for the Han Dynasty to implement. This deification can be said to be the culmination of Confucius's glory, and in the middle of the Han Dynasty, Confucianism can indeed be called a religion.

But this period of deification did not last long. At the beginning of the 1st century AD, there were already Confucians with more rationalistic characteristics who began to gain the upper hand. From then on, Confucius was no longer considered a god, but his status as the "Most Holy Prophet" was still extremely high. Until the end of the 19th century, Confucius's claim to be king by the Mandate of Heaven was briefly resurrected, but soon after, with the establishment of the Republic of China, his reputation gradually declined below that of the "Most Holy Prophet". In the present, most Chinese would think that he was originally a teacher, indeed a great teacher, but far from the only teacher.

In addition, Confucius was considered a learned man during his lifetime. For example, there was a man who was at the same time as him who said, "Oh Confucius! Erudite and not famous. (Analects of Zihan) From the preceding quotations, we can also see that he considered himself to be the one who inherited the ancient culture and made it permanent, and some people at his time also thought so. His work is narrative, which allows his school to reinterpret the culture of previous generations. He adhered to what he considered the best in antiquity, and created a powerful tradition that has been passed down to recent times, which are like the time of Confucius himself, and China is facing great and serious economic and social changes. Finally, he was the first teacher in China. Although historically speaking, he was just an ordinary teacher, it may be reasonable for some later times to think that he was a "most holy teacher".