On the Competition of Confucian Orthodoxy and the Dilemma of Suxue in the Southern Song Dynasty——An Observation Centered on the Discussion of the Ritual of Confucius Temple in 1177
Su Shi had strong confidence and consciousness on inheriting the Confucian Orthodoxy,and Suxue(苏学;teaching of Su)was once regarded as the orthodox Confucianism by some scholars.Though it had been severely hit in the late Northern Song Dynasty,Suxue has recovered strongly in the Southern Song Dynasty and reached its peak in the Xiaozong period.In the discussion of the ritual(li;礼)of Confucius Temple in 1177,Su Shi was just one step away from becoming one of the saints who could enjoy offerings in the Confucius Temple.This was an institutional attempt to confirm the orthodoxy of Suxue in its heyday,as well as the most favorable historical opportunity for Su Shi to enter the Confucius Temple.But the result turned to be inconclusive.This failure was neither due to the obstruction of imperial power nor the opposition of the Neo-Confucianism,but because Su Shi's thought was inconsistent with the overall ideological atmosphere at that time.The failure could be seen as a microcosm of Suxue's struggle for the Confucian orthodoxy in the Song Dynasty.
Su ShiSuxueConfucius TempleConfucian Orthodoxythe Southern Song Dynasty
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