英文摘要 |
This article explores the formation of“Confucian orthodoxy”in the light of policy-making during the reigns of Emperor Wu, Emperor Zhao, and Emperor Xuan in the Western Han dynasty, and offers an analysis of the argument asserting the“triumph of Confucianism.”According to Emperor Wu’s monarchical line of thought, the purpose of patronizing Confucian scholars was to have them adorn official government decrees using their knowledge of the Five Classics. The political application of the Five Classics and employment of Confucian scholars did not involve actually according with Confucianism. By playing this double game, the Han regime obtained the façade of the Five Classics and reduced the prestige of every school of thought, including Confucianism. However, Emperor Wu remained equivocal about Confucius’status, because his roles as the founder of Confucianism and the writer of the Five Classics could not be separated. This ambiguity in the policy towards Confucianism resulted in a stormy debate between the officials and Confucian scholars in the Discourses on Salt and Iron, held during the reign of Emperor Zhao, and it led to disagreements regarding the policy of appointing Confucians. Emperor Xuan, therefore, held the Pavilion of the Stone Canal Discussions, by which he reiterated the monarch’s intention took precedence over the meaning of the classics. Nevertheless, these discussions also resulted in the further employment of Confucianism and Confucian scholars, turning Confucianism from the official adornment into political orthodoxy. |