In the long history of Chinese culture, Confucianism shines like a bright pearl to this day.

The Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period were a critical historical moment, when culture flourished and various ideologies and doctrines sprung up like mushrooms after a rain.

Take Confucianism as an example. Its development process contains many key messages.

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, society was undergoing tremendous changes. At that time, many thinkers began to conduct in-depth discussions on social order, moral ethics and other issues.

The Central Plains region and its surrounding areas are dotted with many countries, such as Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei and Qin.

Figures at that time included famous thinkers such as Confucius and Mencius.

At this stage, many ideas frequently clashed, and many ideological schools showed a prosperous scene of contention among a hundred schools of thought.

Thinkers promoted their own theories one after another, trying to attract the attention of monarchs and the support of the people in various countries, in order to explore new development directions in turbulent times.

During this period, academic exchanges were frequent, and schools of thought competed with and learned from each other.

Various schools of thought were active in the vassal states, and debaters from such schools as Confucianism, Mohism, and Legalism came to frequent exchanges. They expected the monarch to accept their own school's ideas on governing the country. With the widespread dissemination and in-depth exchange of these ideas, a fertile foundation was provided for the growth of later generations' ideas.

The Five Classics have unique connotations and are the basic texts on which Confucianism relies.

It includes five ancient classic books: "Poetry", "Book", "Li", "Yi" and "Spring and Autumn".

These classics were written at different times, and most of the places were related to the cultural centers of the time.

Many chapters in "Poetry" originate from folk life and depict the emotions and attitudes of the people of that era.

The editors collected and organized them over a long period of time.

Since the Western Han Dynasty, historical processes have continuously affected the status of the Five Classics.

During the Western Han Dynasty, Confucianism was transformed into a state religion, and the Five Classics became more important.

By the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Five Classics became the textbook for imperial examinations.

The imperial examination was a key mechanism for selecting talents during the feudal period. It was widely carried out across the country and attracted many candidates. This system made the Five Classics occupy a very high position in the academic education at that time. Students, whether in urban or rural areas, had to study the Five Classics assiduously.

Mencius had an in-depth interpretation, development and promotion of Confucius' theory.

Confucius' teachings first emerged in Lu and other places.

And Mencius brought his teachings to more places, such as Qi State and other places.

He advocated the implementation of benevolent government. The core of this concept lies in moral concepts, which includes concern for the basic living needs of the people.

Mencius believed that human nature is inherently good, and he firmly believed that people's moral concepts are innate. This view complemented Confucius' thoughts and together formed the so-called "Tao of Confucius and Mencius."

This ideological system has influenced the trend of traditional Chinese thought.

Over the course of history, rulers of all dynasties have more or less drawn on the concept of governance by virtue in the thoughts of Confucius and Mencius when governing the country.

This idea is constantly taught whether in official education or folk education.

The Four Books and Five Classics hold an extraordinary position in the Confucian cultural system.

The names used by the Five Classics and the Four Books, the classics we mentioned before, are widely recognized by academic circles at home and abroad.

The determination of these translated names facilitates international cultural exchanges.

When Europe was conducting research on Eastern culture, the Four Books and Five Classics were also within the scope of exploration.

In domestic education, the Four Books and Five Classics are essential learning contents.

From academy to family education and other levels.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, academies were spread all over the country, such as Yuelu Academy. When students first entered the campus, their first task was to study these classics.

Many students are proud of their mastery of the Four Books and Five Classics, and the ideas and concepts in these classics have gradually been integrated into their thinking.

In Confucianism, benevolent government is the concept.

The ideal scenario is that the monarch governs the world with moral character, covering the entire country.

This philosophy stems from a belief in the goodness of human nature.

In the field of local governance, if officials adhere to the idea of ​​benevolent governance, they will take a series of positive actions in disaster relief and promoting local education.

The rule of virtue is also reflected in the establishment of social ethical order.

If people treat each other with morality, neighborly relations will be harmonious and the community will be in order.

In many villages in ancient times, people lived according to Confucian moral norms.

The elders teach the younger generation to respect their ancestors and be friendly to their peers and younger generations.

From ancient times to modern times, the inheritance of Confucianism has never been interrupted.

In the records of classical books, generations of Confucian scholars continued to annotate and pass on the classics.

Since modern times, although society has experienced earth-shaking changes, the essence of Confucianism still has a profound influence in the field of education and social ethics.

In school education, we can still find elements such as benevolence, justice, etiquette, wisdom, and integrity in the moral education part.

In the practice of social enterprise management, we can find that there are many concepts such as harmonious management drawn from Confucianism.

Such as mutual respect among team members.

Confucianism has spread widely at home and abroad, and overseas sinologists have also devoted themselves to its research and promotion, continuing to explore its historical connotation and contemporary value.

So far, we have deeply realized the extremely important role that Confucianism played in the field of ancient Chinese culture.

So what new development paths do you think Confucianism can explore in modern society?