An Elucidation of the Essential Meaning of Confucian Learning

Name: An Elucidation of the Essential Meaning of Confucian Learning
ISBN: 9787101156263

Liang Shuming / 梁钦元Zhonghua Book Company · ChinaDec 2023

4.3

Word count: 107K words
Chapters: 27
ISBN: 9787101156263

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Summary

In the second half of 1923 and the first half of 1924, Mr. Liang Shuming taught a course on "The History of Confucian Thought" in the Department of Philosophy at Peking University. Several of his students compiled and edited their lecture notes and published them in mimeographed form. Now Liang Qinyuan, Liang Shuming's eldest grandson, has reorganized the mimeographed edition and, in accordance with Liang Shuming's original intent, retitled it An Exposition of Confucian Learning.

The book vividly reflects Liang Shuming's attitude toward Confucian learning: he held that the learning of Confucius and the Confucian tradition should be a "learning of oneself" focused on one's own life.

The mimeographed edition was originally divided into seven chapters. After clarifying the course's title, scope, source materials, and methods, as well as the origins of Confucian thought, Liang Shuming selected thirteen points and fourteen attitudes through which to discuss Confucian learning, and concluded with a chapter devoted to Mencius.

Editor's review

An Exposition of Confucian Learning is an important work from Liang Shuming's later years. Its value lies not only in its systematic interpretation of Confucius's thought but also in the author's profound personal verification and explication—as a leading figure of New Confucianism, through his unique intellectual journey and cultural practice—of Confucianism's vitality in modern society. This is not a work of mere academic textual criticism; rather, it is Liang Shuming's "exposition" and "elucidation" of the spiritual core of Confucius, drawing on a lifetime of thought and lived experience. He departs from tedious philological exegesis and goes directly to the lived experience of ren (benevolence) and the social practice of li (ritual propriety) in Confucius's teachings, emphasizing the living, present-day significance of Confucianism as an attitude toward life and an ethical practice. In the twentieth century, amid the clash of Eastern and Western cultures and widespread questioning of traditional values, Liang Shuming firmly believed in the fundamental spirit of Chinese culture and devoted himself to its creative transformation. An Exposition of Confucian Learning is the fruit of that effort. Its language is plain yet its thought profound, integrating lofty Confucian ideals with the concrete affairs of daily life and offering readers an accessible path to understanding Confucius and, through him, returning to the foundations of their own culture. In reading this book, we are not merely learning about a doctrine but observing how a thinker verified and practiced with his whole life the truths he believed in. This unity of knowledge and action gives the book a distinctive reading value and spiritual power that transcend ordinary works of philosophical history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who wish to go beyond textbook-style interpretations and gain a deeper understanding of the spiritual core of Confucius's thought.
Scholars interested in the modern significance and transformation of traditional Chinese culture, especially Confucianism.
Readers who admire Mr. Liang Shuming's character and thought and wish to draw spiritual sustenance from his writings.
Thinkers seeking a way to ground themselves in life practice and hoping for inspiration from classical wisdom.

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking only quick, summary-style introductions to knowledge.
Purely academic researchers expecting rigorous Western-style philosophical system analysis or purely historical textual criticism.

Reading tips

It is advisable first to gain a general understanding of Mr. Liang Shuming's life and intellectual development (for example, the views presented in Eastern and Western Cultures and Their Philosophies), so as to better grasp his distinctive perspective on Confucian learning.
While reading, consult the original text of the Analects to appreciate how Liang Shuming draws new meaning from familiar passages, creating a dialogue between past and present.
The book is intellectually dense and should be read slowly and thoughtfully; reading may be combined with reflection on one's own life practice, and there is no need to rush.

About the publisher

Zhonghua Book Company China · Founded in 1912

Zhonghua Book Company is a publisher known for collating ancient texts and academic publishing, with its output centered on Eastern philosophy, culture, classic works, art, and historical reading. Its library contains 532 titles, including Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms, Guo Qingfan's Collected Commentaries on Zhuangzi, the four-volume Chinese Literature: Four Great Classical Novels, and the two-volume Table of Seal and Clerical Script Forms from Qin, Han, Wei, and Jin. These titles span historical classics, commentaries on the philosophers, classical novels, and philological reference works. Representative authors include Chen Shou, Guo Qingfan, Wu Cheng'en, Shi Nai'an, Cao Xueqin, Luo Guanzhong, Xu Wenwu, and the Hanyu Dazidian character-form group, reflecting a focus on primary sources and scholarly editors. Its publishing character lies in combining authoritative editions and annotated texts with both accessible classics and specialized research. Public information on its fuller catalog is limited; this note describes only the directions evident in the library's holdings.

版权信息
写在前面的话（代序）
一、命名
二、范围
三、取材
四、方法
五、孔家思想之来历
六、孔子的人生态度
乐
仁
讷言敏行
看自己
看当下
反宗教
毋意、必、固、我的态度
非功利的态度
非刑罚的态度
礼乐的态度
孝弟
不迁怒，不贰过
天命
结论
七、孟子
人类心理之观察
生活的工夫
附录孔子学说的重光
跋这就是孔子的人生态度

FAQ

How does this book differ from the Confucius studies of scholars such as Qian Mu and Feng Youlan?

Liang Shuming's research is marked by a stronger practical and lived-experience dimension. He does not merely construct historical or philosophical systems; rather, he treats Confucius's teachings as a learning of life, focusing on elucidating their present-day guidance for individual growth and the construction of social ethics, with a distinct emphasis on "personal verification" and "practice."

Can I understand this book without a philosophical background?

Yes. Liang Shuming's style is plain, and he is skilled at expounding profound ideas in language close to everyday life. He avoids excessive technical terminology and emphasizes direct communication of thought and spiritual resonance. Readers need only a sincere concern for life and culture to enter his discourse and be inspired.

Is this book Liang Shuming's final, definitive statement on Confucius's thought?

It can be regarded as a systematic organization and concentrated expression of his mature later-period thinking on Confucius, crystallizing his long reflection. But Liang Shuming's thought is itself lively and practice-oriented; the book is more a starting point that guides readers to "expound" and "experience" for themselves than a closed, definitive conclusion.

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About the author

Liang Shuming Author · Chinese · 1893–1988

Liang Shuming (1893–1988) was a modern Chinese thinker, philosopher, and educator, and an early representative of modern New Confucianism. Born in Beijing to a family from Guilin, Guangxi, he once taught Indian philosophy at Peking University and later devoted himself to the rural reconstruction movement. His writings span comparative cultural studies, Eastern philosophy, Confucian interpretation, and personal essays. His major works include Eastern and Western Cultures and Their Philosophies, The Essence of Chinese Culture, Mind and Life, Morning Talks, A Brief History of My Self-Education, An Interpretation of Confucianism, and the two-volume Diaries of Liang Shuming; twenty-three of his works are held in this collection. Writing from pressing personal and social questions in a plain and earnest style, he explored the differences between Eastern and Western cultures, the character of Chinese culture, and the meaning of life, combining reflection with practical concern. His work has influenced the fields of culture, Eastern philosophy, history, and the personal essay.

梁钦元 Author

Liang Qinyuan currently has only limited publicly available information; basic details such as his biography, nationality, and dates of birth and death have not been clearly recorded. It is known that he has one work in the social sciences, An Interpretation of Confucian Learning, which falls within the scope of Confucian exegesis and intellectual inquiry. The book organizes and explains the teachings of Confucius and reflects a writing approach that blends classical scholarship with philosophical reflection. Judging from this single extant work, Liang Qinyuan's writing tends toward focused doctrinal discussion rather than popular introductory material, with attention to conceptual analysis and textual understanding, showing respect for and engagement with the tradition of Confucian thought. Because more biographical material is lacking, it is difficult to determine his academic background, intellectual affiliation, or the overall scale of his writings. Readers may take An Interpretation of Confucian Learning as an entry point for examining how he selects and interprets the essentials of Confucian learning, while awaiting further materials that might present a fuller picture of the author.