On the Adoption of the Daoist Term Neisheng Waiwang 內聖外王 in Confucian Studies
Vol. 41 No. 4 06/2011
Title |
On the Adoption of the Daoist Term Neisheng Waiwang 內聖外王 in Confucian Studies |
Author |
Mei, Kuang |
Genre |
Article |
Pages |
621-667 |
Download |
|
Language |
Chinese |
Key words |
neisheng waiwang 內聖外王, Zhu Xi朱熹, lixue理學, ruxue儒學, daotong道統, daoxue道學, Yu Ying-shih余英時 |
Abstract |
The phrase neisheng waiwang 內聖外王 (a sage in the inner sphere, a king in the outer sphere) appears in the pre-Qin Daoist classic Zhuangzi. The term emerged as a panegyric in the Northern Song Dynasty, beginning with the Confucian philosopher Cheng Hao 程顥, who used it to comment on the accomplishments of his fellow philosopher Shao Yong 邵雍 during their first meeting. This anecdote captured the attention of the literati, and soon the phrase became an exaggerated form of flattery in their circles. With the help of Confucian scholar-officials in the early Qing Dynasty, it became a term used exclusively for the emperor, especially the Manchu rulers Kangxi 康熙 and Qianlong 乾隆, who strove to live up to the image of the sage-king without losing their tyrannical grip on their governance. This moralization of absolute power was a great political triumph for Confucian philosophers; ironically, it was to their detriment, for why would a world with a sage ruler need moral idealists, whose traditional role in the political arena had always been to counteract power with morality? Consequently, philosophy in the mid-Qing period lost its vitality and yielded its place to such studies as evidential research. |