A Review of the Meaning Structure of the Essay of Xi Ming
The Essay of Xi Ming is a famous article written by the outstanding philosopher Zhang Zai in the Northern Song Dynasty.It is regarded as an important foundational work of Neo Confucianism in the Song and Ming dynasties,and has been interpreted by scholars throughout histo-ry.However,different scholars have different understandings of the main theme of the Essay of Xi Ming,including various opinions such as the"Renti"theory,the"Liyi-Fenshu"theory,the"Wanwu Yiti"theory,and the"Renxiao"theory.In fact,the article has a rigorous meaning structure,which is closely related to the article layout,writing methods,and Zhang Zai's own thoughts.That is to say,the Essay of Xi Ming integrates classics of pre-Qin Confucianism such as the Book of Changes,Mencius,and the Doctrine of the Mean,with"serving heaven"as the main theme,proposing the"serving heaven"principle of"treating the people as my brothers and sisters",the"serving heaven"effort of"respecting and revering"and"rigorous self-discipline",and the"serving heaven"realm of"accepting heaven's arrangement,being content with one's own destiny,and facing death with a calm and peaceful mentality",thus demonstrating Zhang Zai's interpretation and innovation of tradi-tional Confucianism,especially his new thinking on the relationship between heaven and man and indi-vidual ethical responsibilities and obligations.
Zhang ZaiEssay of Xi Mingmeaning structureServing heaven
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维普
