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A History of Confucianism

Pre-Qin Confucianism
-Ancient Sources: Historical Records and Legends of Ancient Sage Rulers
-Confucius (6th Century BC):
the Conduit of Culture;
the interpreter of classical culture
-The Disciples of Confucius
three thousand students and seventy two worthies
-The Divergence of the Confucian School in the Warring States Period
Mencius v. Xunzi
The Formation of the Qin Empire (221-206 BC)
-The Rise of Legalism
-the Bibliocaust : Suppression of Confucian Tradition
Imperial Confucianism in the Han Empire (206 BC-220 AD)
-Recovery of the Lost Classics
-The Rise of Classical Learning:
The New Text School vs. the Old Text School
-The Formation of the Five Classics
-Dong Zhongshu (179-104 BC): Cosmic Resonance Theory
-The Rise of Confucianism to State Orthodoxy
-Discourses on Salt and Iron:
Confucian Debates on Good Government after Han Wudi (r. 141-87)
-Wang Mang (45 BC-23 AD) and the Xin Dynasty (9-23 AD)
-The Development of Later Han Classical Learning
Zheng Xuan (127-200)
Imperial Confucianism in the Tang Empire (618-906)
-The Correct Meanings of the Five Classics (643):
An state-sponsored orthodox collection of commentaries and subcommentaries on the Five Confucian Classics.
Northern Song (960-1127) Discourses on Good Government
Wang Anshi (1021-86) v. Sima Guang (1021-86)
The Rise of the Neo-Confucian Movement:
The Five Masters of the Northern Song

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Southern Song Re-definition of Learning
Zhu Xi (1130-1200): The Great Neo-Confucian Philosopher
-Critique of Buddhism and Daoism
-Critique of the New Policies led by Wang Anshi
-Learning For Oneself: How to Become a Sage!
-Moral Self-Cultivation
--Investigation of Things
-The Philosophy of the Mind-and-Heart
-Heavenly Principle vs. Selfish Desire
-Returning to the Original Nature
(as opposed to the Temperamental Nature)
-Educational Reform: Zhu Xis Commentaries on the Four Books
-Social and Political Agenda
-Private Academy
-Community Compact
-Community Granary
The Rise of Neo-Confucianism in the Mongol Yuan Empire (1271-1368)
-The Adoption of Zhu Xis scholarship as standard texts
for the civil service examinations (1313)
The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644): Wang Yangming (1472-1529)
Wangs Challenge to Zhu Xis Neo-Confucianism
The Primacy of the Mind
The Unity of the Mind with Heaven and Earth
Mind is Principle (as opposed to the Nature is Principle)
Cultivating an Upright Mind (Rectification of the Mind)
Affairs are Things
Intuitive Faculty (Primordial Awareness or Innate Knowledge)
The Unity of Knowledge and Practice (Knowledge implies Practice)