Confucius and Mencius' way of governing the country is "Governing the country by virtue" (Governing the country by virtue) and "Benevolence is invincible" (Hui Liang Wang Shang). Specifically, it is: to guide it with morality, to unify it with courtesy, to control it with music, to control it with morality, and to control it with benefit. Laozi and Zhuangzi's way of governing the country is "governing by doing nothing". The specific requirements are: the monarch's way is simple, the subject's way is simple, everyone goes with the flow, strives for self-improvement, guides the situation and does not interfere arbitrarily.
Human growth and social development need both "man-made" and "nature". The so-called "artificial" is the inheritance, development and creation of civilization, that is, people's subjective initiative. The so-called "nature" is the coordination and purification of civilization, the inherent nature of things and the objective development trend of things. Civilization needs both development and adjustment, so the thoughts of Laozi, Zhuangzi and Confucius and Mencius have already contained each other. Confucius highly praised Dashun's "inaction" (Wei Linggong), and his enterprising attitude towards life also included retreat, so he said: "Use it and do it, but hide it" (narrator), "If there is a way in the world, you can see it, but if there is no way, you can hide it" (Taibo) and "seclusion for ambition" (Ji) and ". Mencius drew lessons from Laozi's thought that virtue is more important than innocence (Chapter 55), and put forward that "adults should not lose their childlike innocence" (Li Lou II), thus purifying his concept of "conscience". He also said: "nourishing the heart is not good at wanting less" ("wholeheartedly"), which is in the same strain as Laozi's "wanting less". On the contrary, in addition to advocating seclusion, Lao Tzu also talked about "loving the people and governing the country" (Chapter 10) and "being kind and faithful" (Chapter 8). In addition to criticizing Confucianism, Zhuangzi also talked about benevolence and righteousness: "Benevolence has no tolerance; If the Tao is ignored, it will be righteous (Zhuangzi Xiuxing). Confucianism and Taoism have their own classics, such as Poetry, Book, Spring and Autumn Annals, Analects of Confucius and Mencius. Taoism studies Tao Te Ching, South China Classic and Liezi. Only the Book of Changes is shared by Confucianism and Taoism. The reasons are as follows: First, The Book of Changes is the source of China culture, and of course it is also the source of Confucianism and Taoism; Second, the Book of Changes was written by two scholars, Confucianism and Taoism, so later Confucianism cherished it and Neo-Taoism cherished it.
There are three records in Zhou Li Guan Chun Zongbo: Lianshan, Guizang and Zhouyi. Jin, an expert in Zhouyi, believes that Gui Zang Yi, headed by Kun Gua, highlights the status of Kun De and women (see Jin and Lu Shaogang: The Complete Explanation of Jin Zhouyi). Jilin University Press, 1989), which is closely related to the thought of gently guarding women in Tao Te Ching. The Book of Changes is a positive culture, which is easily accepted by Confucianism. During the Warring States period, the combination of Confucianism and Taoism became a trend of thought. Confucianism relies on the theoretical thinking of Taoism to develop its own philosophy, while Taoism relies on the realistic attitude of Confucianism to develop its own political ethics. Under such a cultural background, Yi Zhuan appeared. It advocates the combination of yin and yang, combining rigidity with softness, and creates a philosophical system accepted by all families for the first time, that is, the philosophy of yin and yang. On the one hand, Yi Zhuan expounds the Confucian ethics of benevolence and righteousness, so it says: "Be content with your place, you can love others" (Yi Zhuan), "Benevolence is the way to establish people" (Yi Zhuan), "Father, son, brother, brother, husband, wife and family. On the other hand, Yi Zhuan uses the Taoist theory of heaven to find the philosophical basis for Confucianism. Therefore, before discussing "the way to establish man", Shuo Gua first talked about "the way to establish heaven, which is called yin and yang, and the way to stand on the ground, which is called rigidity and softness", indicating that the way of man comes from the way of heaven and earth. The preface to divination begins with everything in the universe, telling the relationship between monarch, minister and father: "There is heaven and earth and then everything, there are men and women and then men and women, there are couples and then fathers and sons and then princes and ministers. "Confucianism has never said that." "On Cohesion" said: "God has no way and is easy to have no body". Without a body, there is no fixed body. It is "silent and feels the world". This is Lao Tzu's way. However, the Book of Changes revised Laozi. It is not limited to explaining the essence of Tao with obedience, but paying equal attention to yin and yang, and respecting both dry and Kun. Therefore, it is said that "one yin and one yang are the way", and it is also said: "The husband is dry, his quietness is also specialized, and his movement is also straight, based on great life; Fu Kun, who is still and dynamic, based on his extensive knowledge (Book of Changes), also said that "men and women are diligent, and all things are metaplasia", and "Yin and Yang are virtuous, but rigid and soft" (ibid., under Book of Changes). Yi Zhuan uses the concept of Yin and Yang to organically combine Taoist metaphysics with Confucian ethics to achieve perfect harmony. Taoism in Song and Ming Dynasties (including Zhu Cheng's Neo-Confucianism and Lu Wang's Neo-Confucianism) was the pinnacle of Confucian philosophical theory and was called Neo-Confucianism. Taoism in the Song and Ming Dynasties inherited and developed Confucianism in the pre-Qin and Han and Wei Dynasties, and established a philosophical system based on reason or heart under the guidance of the highest concept "Tao", which finally made Confucianism have a metaphysical level that is beautiful enough to be comparable to Buddhism and Taoism.
Predecessors have seen the absorption of Buddhism, especially Zen thought, by Taoism in the Song and Ming Dynasties, and thought that Buddhism improved Confucianism. This is true, but the formation of Taoism in the Song and Ming Dynasties was also very effective in absorbing Taoist philosophy. In some ways, Taoism may have a deeper influence than Buddhism.
(1) Laozi's "Tao" became the highest concept of Taoism in the Song and Ming Dynasties, and the name of "Tao" came into being. Before this, Confucianism took "benevolence" as the highest concept, which was a major change. Shao Yong said: "Tao is the foundation of heaven and earth, and heaven and earth are the foundation of all things." (Shao Yong: "Yellow Five Articles") Zhang Zai said: "It is not enough to say that it is transported by invisible means." (Zhang Zai: "The horizontal canal is said to be connected") Cheng Cheng said: "Yin and Yang, qi is also physical; Tao space, metaphysics. " Zhu Yue said, "Yin and Yang are qi, not Tao, so those who have Yin and Yang are Tao." (Volume 74 of Yu Saito's Zi Wen Lei) He also linked Tao with reason and Tai Chi, saying: "The reason is also the metaphysical way, and the foundation of biology is also" (Volume 58 of Zhu Wen's Official Documents), "Tao is the Tai Chi of Yi" (ibid.). Psychologist Wang Yangming believes that "Tao" and "heart" can be explained to each other, and the heart of Tao is conscience. He said: "The heart is the so-called Tao", and said: "The heart is the Tao" (Wang Yangming: Notes). Taoism advocates the 16-character true biography: "The heart of man is only in danger, and the heart of Tao is only in subtlety, only in perfection, leaving it in the middle" (see Shangshu Dayu Mo). The Taoist mind is the ideal human nature, and the so-called Taoist mind is the human nature that conforms to the avenue of the universe. As can be seen from the above, the concept of "Tao" covers the concepts of "reason" and "heart".
(2) Inspired by the statement in Yi Zhuan that "metaphysically refers to Tao, but physically refers to the device" (Yi Zhuan's connection), Taoism put forward its own theory of using the body, using the device, or taking reason as the body and qi as the use, so as to coordinate the essential world with the phenomenal world. Zhu believes that the world of reason is the noumenon of the world of qi, which is intangible and intangible, and the world of qi is the embodiment of the world of reason, tangible and tangible: "Reason is also the metaphysical way and the foundation of biology; Gas also, physical device also, biological device also "("Zhu Wen official documents "volume 58). Wang Yangming's "four-sentence teaching" said: "No good or evil is the body of the heart, good or evil is the movement of the heart, knowing good or evil is the conscience, and doing good or evil is the standard." (under Biography) He takes "no good and no evil" as his mind, which is different from the traditional Confucian view that "goodness is the beginning of life". He also found a mind beyond good and evil on the basis of good and evil, which was influenced by Taoism's "inaction".
(3) The mind of Taoism in Song and Ming Dynasties, especially Taizhou School, advocates subjective consciousness, pure humanity and spiritual freedom, all of which are influenced by Zhuangzi School of Taoism and Fangda School of Metaphysics in Wei and Jin Dynasties. Yan Jun gave full play to Taoism's theory of natural human nature, inherited the demeanor of Wei and Jin Dynasties, and said, "If you follow nature, you must know its way" (Huang Zongxi: Taizhou case of Ming Confucianism), so he was not bound by Zoroastrianism. Li Zhi gave full play to Lao Zi's theory of "a pure baby" and Zhuangzi's theory of "a real person", and put forward the theory of "childlike innocence", which holds that "those who are childlike are sincere ... and if they lose their sincerity, they will lose their reality" (Volume III of Burning Books), so as to oppose all hypocrisy. Jiao Hong gave full play to Zhuangzi's thought that "the knower doesn't speak" ("Zhuangzi Know the North Tour"), denouncing the sage's book as "ancient evil spirits (dross)" (ibid., "Heaven"), and put forward that "a scholar should do his best to sweep the ancient dog and dig out a piece of dried Kun from his chest, and it will be a success. Why do they want to die willingly? " (Shi Jiao Bi Cheng, Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House, 1986 edition) and denounced "Tang Shu Song annotation, I am smart", "Han Song Confucianism is sparse, its dross is also", (with the book), forming a fairly free mind. He's "rivers and lakes forget each other", "no children forget each other" and "forget each other" (He Ji) originated from Zhuangzi's thoughts and became heretical thoughts at that time. In a word, the adaptability, critical spirit and civilian concept of Taizhou School are rooted in the individual consciousness of Taoism, and its ideological context is clear.