Basic Trends in the Historical Evolution of the Chinese Culture of Benevolence and Virtue
Chinese culture is a culture of benevolence and virtue,which is to prescribe interpersonal relation and the relation between heaven and man by the duty of giving and repaying favors.The Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods were the early stages of the post-patriarchal imperial gentry society,in which culture of benevolence and virtue emerged and developed.At this stage,the patriarchal feudal aristocratic society was transformed into the post-patriarchal imperial gentry society with a state of dynamic equilibrium among the monarch,the gentry class and the family.The dominance of the monarch was not yet prominent,the gentry class had relative independence,and the family was relatively independent,while the monarch had to rely on the gentry class and the state had to rely on the family.Therefore,the construction of the culture of benevolence and virtue emphasized the balance between giving and repaying favors,love and controlling,and personal favors and public justice.The Han,Wei,Jin,Northern and Southern Dynasties,Sui,Tang,and Five Dynasties were the middle stages of traditional society,during which the culture of benevolence and virtue was further established and solidified.The dynamic balance between the monarch,the family,and the gentry at this stage tended to be more stable,reflecting a more defined culture of benevolence and virtue formed on this basis.While the control of the giver to the receiver was strengthened,it was still limited;meanwhile,the tension between personal favors and public justice had already been revealed,but did not lead to obvious confrontation.The Song,Yuan,Ming,and Qing dynasties were the late post-patriarchal imperial gentry societies.During this period,the balance in the culture of benevolence and virtue was broke,the relationship between giving and repaying stressed the responsibility of repaying,and the control was strengthened.The culture of benevolence and virtue in this period also witnessed a conflict between personal favors and public justice,where personal favors was restricted and public justice overpowered personal favors.The relationship between public and private,justice and benevolence,rationality and desire,and the family and the state increasingly emphasized public,justice,rationality and the state.
Chinese culturebenevolence and virtuehistorical trends
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