The Triumph of Confucianism in Han China,

1
The Triumph of Confucianism in Han China, The
Promotion of Confucianism by Emperor Wu, r.140-87
B.C.

• IAS 2540 / UGD 2270 History of Traditional
  Chinese Thought

2

• The triumph of Confucianism was a slow process,
  continuing over the whole Han period, and the
  Confucianism that won out was a peculiar
  synthesis of ancient philosophy and current
  superstition omens, ( definitely not the pure,
  ethical teachings of Confucius).

3

• According to Hsiao Kung-Chuan (in A History of
  Chinese Political Thought), Han Confucianism was
  an eclectic school mixed with Legalist tradition
  and certain ancient philosophy, such as the
  Naturalist School of yin-yang wu-hsing (yin-yang
  five elements).
• But for all the eclecticism of Han thought,
  scholars seemed to have identified themselves
  with the Confucian tradition. This may have been
  because Confucianism was specifically a
  philosophy for bureaucrats and educated men.

4

• It was not so much that Confucian philosophy won
  over Han thinkers but rather, that Han scholars
  gradually adopted Confucianism as their ideal
  prototype.
• Two so-call Confucian scholars who rose to
  considerable influence under Emperor Wu were
  Kung-sun Hung and Tung Chung-shu. Both men were
  famous for their ability to interpret omens and
  for their analysis of the Spring and Autumn
  Annals.

5

• Tung Chung-shus Chun Chiu fan lu (Luxuriant
  Dew of the Spring Autumn Annals) is full of
  pseudo-scientific reasoning about the
  relationship between the Five elements and
  historic occurrences.
• The Han Confucians stressed that land, though won
  by horseback, could only be governed by the
  writing bush, i.e., with the assistance of
  educated scholars. The Han emperors needed the
  efficient civil administrators. Thus, the Han
  Confucians became the scholar-officials
  supporting (rather than opposing) the Han State.

6

• Thus, the Han Confucianism that seemed to have
  appealed to Emperor Wu, in addition to its
  Legalist complexion, was also a complicated sort
  of cosmology and omen.
• In 135 B.C., Emperor Wu set up Erudites (po-shih)
  of the Five Classics which were considered as
  works of the Confucian tradition. Indeed, it was
  under Emperor Wu of Han that the court scholars
  became definitely identified with Confucianism.

7

• In 124 B.C., Emperor Wu (at the suggestion of
  both Tung and Kung-sun) established the Imperial
  University, which was destined to advance Han
  Confucianism. The setting up of a government
  university for training officials was used for
  the first time by the central administration.
  From Emperor Wus time on, a large portion of the
  Han bureaucracy was produced through a Han
  Confucian education at government expense.

8

• Although Han Confucianism was a mixture of ideas,
  the ethical concepts of Classical Confucianism
  gradually reasserted themselves over the
  syncretic beliefs. Soon, Han Confucians stressed
  also moral virtue, such as loyalty to the ruler
  and paternal benevolence toward the subjects (in
  addition to omens and cosmology).

9

• Indeed, the reign of Emperor Wu of Han marked
  both the entrenchment of Han Confucianism and
  also the actual reintroduction of Legalist
  practices into the imperial government (together
  with yin-yang wu-hsing, and other omens
  cosmology, etc.).

10

• To conclude, Emperor Wus promotion of
  Confucianism and his related reforms help
  consolidate the Han Dynasty and greatly enhance
  the prestige of the Han Empire.