Source: Xueguoxue Network (id: lexueguoxue)
In the inheritance of Chinese culture, the three schools of Confucianism and Taoism cannot play a substitute role, of which Confucian thought and culture have deeply influenced the Chinese people for more than 2,000 years since the Han Dynasty.
For more than two thousand years, Confucianism has been able to dominate Chinese culture, all thanks to one person and one thing. The person is Dong Zhongshu, the thing is to depose the Hundred Families, and to respect Confucianism alone.
Dong Zhongshu (179 BC ~ 104 BC), who lived through four dynasties in his lifetime, spent the heyday of the Western Han Dynasty at the age of about 75.
Dong Zhongshu was a Han Dynasty thinker, politician, educator, and idealist philosopher. He made a certain contribution to the socio-political and economic stability of the time.
Dong Zhongshu was born in a large landlord class family with a large collection of books, and he has been very attentive and diligent since he was a child. Because of his extensive knowledge, Dong Zhongshu was praised as "Confucius of the Han Dynasty" when he was less than 40 years old.
While studying on his own, Dong Zhongshu also recruited disciples. When lecturing, he always hangs a drapery in the classroom, and he speaks inside the drapery, and the students listen outside. In this way, some students did not even meet him after several years of class.
Through his lectures, he also cultivated a group of talents for the Han Dynasty. Due to the wide recruitment of protégés and the promotion of Confucian classics, Dong Zhongshu's reputation has also expanded day by day.
During the reign of Emperor Jing of Han, Dong Zhongshu became a doctor, went out of the house, and taught his disciples, mainly to teach "Ram Spring and Autumn" as a guide, because of the large number of disciples, many people respected him as a teacher.
In the first year of the Reign of Emperor YuanGuang of the Han Dynasty (134 BC), he talked about the "Three Strategies of Heaven and Man" in the "Measures for Raising The Virtuous and The Good", suggesting that "those who are not in the six arts and the art of Confucius are all desperate, and should not advance at the same time." ”
The countermeasure elaborated on the induction of heaven and man, discussed the relationship between divine power and monarchy, and was adopted by Emperor Wu, forming a political pattern of "exclusive respect for Confucianism and deposing hundreds of families", which was followed by feudal rulers for more than two thousand years.
Later, Dong Zhongshu was sent to Liu Fei (the brother of Emperor Wu of Han) as minister of state. Liu Fei has always wanted to dominate and hope to get the assistance of Dong Zhongshu.
Moreover, Dong Zhongshu was compared to Guan Zhongshu, who assisted Qi Huan in his hegemony, that is, he hoped that Dong Zhongshu would assist himself in the same way that Guan Zhong assisted Qi Huan Gong in order to usurp central power.
However, Dong Zhongshu used ancient metaphors to exhort him, pointing out that "those who are benevolent do not seek their own interests in righteousness; Knowing the way is not a matter of merit. It is the gate of Zhongni, the child of five feet, who is ashamed to call the five uncles (hegemons)", implying that he should not dominate.
During his time in Jiangdu, Dong Zhongshu also suffered the biggest change in his life. Once, a fire broke out in the imperial palace, and Dong Zhongshu thought that it was a good opportunity to publicize the induction of heaven and man, so he wrote a song with illness, hoping to warn Emperor Wu of Han that the heavens were angry with the fire.
As a result, the song was not yet presented, and the main father went to Dong's house as a guest, saw the song chapter, and because he was jealous of Dong Zhongshu's talent, he stole the draft of the song chapter and handed it to Emperor Wu of Han. Emperor Wu was furious and decided to execute Dong Zhongshu. After taking pity on him, he pardoned the capital offense and dismissed him from the post of minister of state.
Since then, Dong Zhongshu did not dare to say anything about the disaster again, but instead started his old business, engaged in teaching activities, and taught "Ram Spring and Autumn" for ten years.
In 125 BC, Gongsun Hong recommended Dong Zhongshu to Liu Rui, the king of Jiaoxi, as minister of state. After resigning and returning home, he wrote books at home, and whenever there was an important matter in the imperial court, he sent emissaries and court lieutenants to his home to ask for advice, and he was still respected by Emperor Wu.
Dong Zhongshu is characterized by the theology of Confucianism, which has also become a joint point in the development of Confucianism.
Dong Zhongshu wrote many works, but most of them have been lost, and only the book "Spring and Autumn Dew" has survived. According to research, "Spring and Autumn Prosperity" is also a compilation of Dong Zhongshu's posthumous works by later generations, probably in the Sui and Tang dynasties.
Dong Zhongshu's most profound influence on later generations was that in view of the need for centralized power at that time, he put forward the ideological propositions of "the great unification of the Spring and Autumn Period" and "deposing hundreds of families and respecting Confucianism alone".
"Deposing a Hundred Families and Respecting Confucianism Alone" made many ideas of the Spring and Autumn Period pass away with the wind. The history of China no longer bears the pomp and circumstance of that year.
However, as far as the social environment at that time was concerned, Dong Zhongshu's ideological proposition was conducive to establishing the supremacy of the monarch and maintaining social stability and harmony. Therefore, it could be accepted by Emperor Wu of Han at that time.