Moral Education and the Practical Significance of Xu Heng of the Yuan Dynasty

Cui Yong

(School of Management Science Chengdu University of Technology，Chengdu Sichuan 610051)

Ⅰ．Brief introduction to the moral education proposed by Xu Heng

Xu Heng has great achievements in politics，education，philosophy，astronomy and calendar in his lifetime，who leaves many works of ideology in his career，such as Yin Yang Xiao Zhang Lun，Shou Shi Li，Bian Nian Ge Kuo，Du Yi Si Yan，Da Xue Zhi Jie，Da Xue Yao Lve，Zhong Yong Zhi Jie，Xu Wen Zheng Gong Yi Shu and Xu Lu Zhai Xian Sheng Xun Zi Shi．Xu Heng makes great contribution to the spread and development of Confucianism，Neo－Confucianism and educational ideology，thus being referred to as the“orthodox scholar of the Yuan Dynasty”．

1．Theoretical source

Xu Heng’s educational thought makes great contribution to the restoration of Han school of classical philology in the Yuan Dynasty and the development of education．Xu Heng thinks that it is because of the“human nature”that people should be educated．However，human nature，bothered by mun-dane matters，is contaminated，thus should be purified by certain educational methods．That is“humanity dualism”proposed by Xu Heng．His theory of moral ideology directly comes from the inheritance of Neo－Confucianism and educational ideology of Cheng Hao，Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi．On the other hand，Xu Heng maintains that investigation and research of things should be together with moral cultivation，which can be mutually promoted．The major content of Xu Heng’s moral education comes from Cheng － Zhu school，but is not limited within it．He also teaches other skills，such as math，and advocates comprehensive cultivation on the basis of moral education，which enriches teaching content and improves the moral level of teaching and the overall development of technical training．

2．Development

Xu Heng learns the teaching of classics since childhood，and his virtue of self－discipline can be manifested in some records．The most typical story is“not eating pears owned by someone unknown”．When Xu Heng is 16，he has to learn divination to support his life．As the age of 24，he leaves home to avoid war and encounters Dou Mo，a famous scholar of that time．Hu Heng learns from him and broadens his horizon to a large extent．

Due to the constant warfare of that time，there is no exchange between the academic thought of south and north．Xu Heng meets Yao Shu in Sumen in 1242，when he gets into touch with the ideological work of Cheng Hao，Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi．After ten years，Xu Heng becomes an official in the Yuan Dynasty，during which time he constantly illustrates the significance of education and talents cultivation to Kublai Khan．He puts his educational ideology into practice by sending 12 students and disciples to launch academy of classical learning all around the country，establishing systemic moral education system and spreading moral education ideology．

Ⅱ．Realization approach and significance of the moral education proposed by Xu Heng

1．Purpose and essence

Xu Heng thinks that moral education is of great importance to rulers，nobles and common people．Frist，moral education is related to the foundation of a country．He points out that learning the Confucius thought is the major method of promoting Confucianism and uniting Han people．Xu Heng illustrates that moral integrity is the basis of being an emperor b taking the example of wise kings，Yao and Shun in ancient times．Emperor should learn morality and self－ discipline and be responsible and careful for his words．Besides emperor，nobles，officials and common people should also accept moral education by setting up schools to ensure the large scale of education．In this way，people of all levels can be improved to a higher level of moral integrity，thus creating a more stable and harmonious society，which will lay a solid foundation for the ruling class．Second，moral education is the basis of prac-tice．Xu Heng thinks that moral education is closely linked to daily life，which is of groundbreaking importance．He maintains that the top priority of learning is to adopt what one has learnt into the practice of one’s daily life．For scholars，researches cannot be limited to empty theories，but be put into use to boost the progress of their life．Moral standard and practical activity supplement each other．Only by understanding our daily life can we better improve our moral cultivation．At the same time，we can exert positive influence over our daily life and activities and make morally correct choices by improving our moral level．

The nature of Xu Heng’s moral education is“clarifying human relations and heavenly principles”on the basis of humanity dualism．Clarifying human relations is the top requirement of safeguarding feudal society．Therefore，“clarifying human relations”claims that people should abide by the three cardinal guides and the five constant virtues as specified in the feudal ethical code，which is deemed as top priority in the mind of Xu Heng．He holds that the five constant virtues as specified in the feudal ethical code is the basic difference between human and animal，and that it is his responsibility to safeguard ethic laws．

2．Significance of methodology

(1)Moral cultivation principle of Xu Heng’s moral education

One of Xu Heng’s principles of moral education is insisting cultivating one’s moral character．He thinks that human are basically good，but the good nature can be hidden due to the contamination of physical endowment and material desire．Only by constantly cultivating one’s moral character can one not be bothered by worldly temptation and keep moral integrity．Xu Heng pays great attention to the status of the Great Learning in moral education，and he thinks that the realization of educational objectives is also the requirement of three cardinal guides and eight items of the Great Learning．Therefore，it is said that“the most important thing of teaching is moral cultivation”．As for the method of moral cultivation，Xu Heng puts forward two phases in Xiao Xue Da Yi．The first phase is teenager period when both noble families and common people need to be well educated．The teaching content includes both the basic nurture of moral ethics and life skills and etiquette．Students can nurture their moral character by receiving lectures of daily skills and etiquette and lay solid foundation for the future career．After the education of primary school，noble families and excellent common people should receive moral cultivation of a higher level，namely the great learning so that they can achieve the result of getting refined internally and externally and realize the dream of three cardinal guides and eight items as expected by Cheng Hao，Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi．

(2)Methodology of respect，prudence and inspection in moral education

Based on the idea of cultivating one’s moral character proposed by Zhu Xi，plus the theory of temperament change according to Neo －Confucianism，Xu Heng puts forward the method of respect，prudence and inspection in moral education to realize the aim of education．Xu Heng thinks that the first step of moral education is being respectful，maintaining pure goodwill without being bothered by other distracting thoughts and desires．The“mind of sage”can be achieved by combining inner moral cultivation with external decent appearance and pondering over material desires in a correct way．Keep prudent in the face of various external problems that may disturb one’s mind．Since one’s action tends to change dramatically in a flash，one should keep prudent in thinking．One should take overall consideration of every aspect of one’s life，and upgrade problems from perceptual level to rational level，which is in line with pure ideological value．Only in this way can one acquire correct guidance．Thoughts that go against one’s moral principle should be nipped in the bud．At last，despite that one has experienced the pondering phase in the process of practice，one should have one’s won evaluation system for the behaviors so as to reflect on whether one’s behavior conforms to inner moral codes and the three cardinal guides and the five constant virtues，which is the method of inspection．The process of inspection is，by nature，the process of introspection，inspecting one’s behavior by one’s own moral code and standard without being influenced by pleasure，anger，sorrow or joy．

Ⅲ．Practical significance of the moral education proposed by Xu Heng

1．The system of the moral education in China

At present，the system of moral education in China mainly consists of school education and society education．Against the background of diversified cultural and revolution in thought，traditional mode of moral education has failed to meet the demand．As for school education，the spread and training of moral education mainly depend on political courses，leading to the confusion between moral education and ideological and political education and a lack of independent moral education．Against the background of examination －oriented education，moral education of primary school and high school has been severely overwhelmed by other courses．Students accept moral education in order to attend exams and get scores instead of meeting their inner demand，which has twisted the value orientation of moral education．Standard systemic education has barely formed in social education，especially among adults who receive much more practical skill education than moral training．It can be found that the system of moral education in China is far from perfect．Therefore，we need to dig out the essence from classics and traditional virtues so as to spread the fine moral codes of China and improve national moral standard to a higher level．

2．Practical significance

The Xu Heng’s moral education thought，which makes contribution to inheriting Confucius culture and moral codes，is of great significance in China’s history of ideology and deserves our thinking．First，we should carry forward the spirit of moral education．The superficial form is paid attention to in the present moral education in China．We tend to focus on the results of moral education while ignore the subject of human in moral education．The moral education of Xu Heng is based on human，especially the analysis of human nature．His humanity dualism is actually the judgement of humanity．He maintains that persevering goodwill is human nature，which is born to everyone．The dominant role of accepting moral education must be recognized in China’s moral education，and we should respect the demand and difference of the subject and nurture moral behavior with the subject sense．Second，the self－discipline spirit should be nurtured．Xu Heng’s moral thought pays attention to the subject of human，believing that people can transform their ideological understanding and nurture their self－discipline spirit if they go with heavenly principles．Xu Heng thinks that inner eagerness for moral instruction can be transformed into the practice of moral thought．In China，moral education depends on the lectures given by teachers and students just sit there and listen．There is no inner demand in the subject of the educated．Therefore，in the process of moral education，especially in different phases，we should nurture the self－discipline of morality for different people and unconsciously influence them by the power of moral ideology by means of emotional guide and education．Thus，people can realize the function of morality in their actions and nurture the good habit of self－ discipline，self－ retrospection and self－ improvement．In this way we can form a perfect system of moral education in China．Third，the unification of ideology and practice should be advocated so as to realize moral education for real life．Despite that Xu Heng’s recognition of ideology and practice focuses on that of feudal ethics and virtues，it can still inspire us a lot till today．Xu Heng thinks that knowing and doing are not conflicting but supplementing each other．If we insist on practice after mastering knowledge，we may lose the opportunity of practice．Therefore，in moral education，we must teach people how to recognize and fulfill morality in their life，which is the starting point and theoretical ending point of moral work in China．

Notes:

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