The Great Learning

Overview

The Great Learning (大学, Dàxué) is one of the Four Books of Confucianism and has been a foundational text in Chinese education and philosophy for over two millennia. Originally the 42nd chapter of the Book of Rites (《礼记》), it was elevated to its prominent status during the Song Dynasty when the Neo-Confucian scholar Zhu Xi incorporated it into his Four Books and Five Classics collection. The text presents a systematic approach to self-cultivation and the achievement of social harmony through moral development, outlining a path from personal perfection to universal peace.

History

Origins and Compilation

The Great Learning originated as one of the 49 chapters of the Book of Rites (《礼记》), originally known as the Xiaodai Liji (《小戴礼记`). This compilation was assembled by Dai Sheng during the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty from various anonymous Confucian texts. According to the historian Ban Gu, the Book of Rites consisted of records "by later disciples of the seventy disciples" of Confucius, suggesting the texts were compiled between the early Warring States period and the early Western Han Dynasty.

Cui Shu of the Qing Dynasty argued that the style and structure of The Great Learning, with its elaborate and repetitive language, indicated it was likely composed during the Warring States period. Modern scholarship generally places its composition in the early Warring States period (around the 5th century BCE), attributing it to the school of Zengzi (曾子), or disciples of Zeng Can.

Historical Reception

Before the Song Dynasty

Prior to the Song Dynasty, The Great Learning remained part of the Book of Rites without independent status. Nevertheless, several important scholars contributed to its transmission and interpretation:

• Dong Zhongshu: Elevated Confucian thought from a philosophical school to state ideology, establishing Confucianism as the official teaching of the empire.
• Zheng Xuan: Collated various manuscripts of the Book of Rites, provided commentaries, and ensured its widespread transmission. His San Li Zhu (《三礼注`) contains the earliest known commentary on The Great Learning.
• Kong Yingda: Emphasized the importance of "sincerity" (诚意) in understanding the text, dividing it into two sections that later influenced Zhu Xi's structure.
• Han Yu: Elevated The Great Learning by treating it as equally important as the Mencius and I Ching in establishing the Confucian tradition. He emphasized the path from "rectifying the mind" to "bringing peace to the world."

Song Dynasty and After

• Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi: Referred to The Great Learning as one of the "Small Classics" and considered it "the Confucian legacy and the entrance to virtue for beginners."
• Zhu Xi: Extracted The Great Learning from the Book of Rites, compiled it with the Doctrine of the Mean, Analects, and Mencius as the "Four Books," establishing The Great Learning as the first of these texts. This elevated status was cemented when it became a mandatory subject in the imperial examinations.
• Yuan Dynasty: In 1313, Emperor Renzong officially designated Zhu Xi's Four Books as the basis for the civil service examinations.
• Ming Dynasty: During the peak of the imperial examination system, The Great Learning became central to education as the source material for the eight-legged essays required in examinations.
• Modern Era: Today, The Great Learning continues to be studied in various educational contexts, including as required reading in some high schools and university courses in Chinese philosophy and literature.

Historical Editions

Several important editions of The Great Learning have survived:
- The earliest commentaries in the Book of Rites
- The Han Xiping Stone Classics edition
- The Wei Zhengshi Stone Classics edition
- Zhu Xi's Daxue Zhangju (《大学章句》), the most widely circulated version
- Ge Yinliang's revised edition

Key Information

Cultural Significance

The Great Learning has profoundly influenced Chinese education and thought for centuries. Its systematic approach to moral development and social harmony has made it a cornerstone of Confucian pedagogy. The text's emphasis on the connection between personal virtue and social order reflects the Confucian belief that "the rectification of names" and proper conduct begin with self-cultivation.

The famous eight-step path from "investigating things" (格物) to "bringing peace to the world" (平天下) provides a comprehensive framework for personal and social development. This progression has been memorized and recited by generations of Chinese scholars, forming the basis of their educational and philosophical formation.

The text's elevation during the Song Dynasty marked a shift in Confucian thought toward metaphysical and ethical speculation, influencing later Neo-Confucian developments. Its integration into the imperial examination system ensured that its principles shaped the thinking of China's bureaucratic elite for nearly a millennium.

Modern Status

In contemporary times, The Great Learning continues to be studied and valued in several contexts:

1. Education: It remains part of the curriculum in some Chinese high schools and universities, particularly in departments of philosophy, literature, and Chinese studies.
2. Cultural Heritage: As one of the Four Books, it is recognized as an essential component of traditional Chinese cultural heritage.
3. Global Philosophy: The Great Learning has been translated into numerous languages and is studied worldwide as a key text in Confucian philosophy and Chinese intellectual history.
4. Personal Development: Its principles of self-cultivation and moral development continue to influence modern approaches to personal growth and ethical living.

The text's enduring relevance lies in its comprehensive approach to human development and its articulation of the Confucian ideal of the unity of personal and social ethics.

References

1. Legge, James. The Chinese Classics: Volume 1, Confucian Analects, The Great Learning, and The Doctrine of the Mean. Oxford University Press, 1893.
2. Tu Wei-ming. Centrality and Commonality: An Essay on Confucian Religiousness. State University of New York Press, 1989.
3. Nivison, David S. "The Self and Self-Cultivation in the Great Learning and Mencius." In Chinese Texts and Philosophical Contexts, edited by Henry Rosemont Jr., Open Court, 1991.
4. Zhu, Xi. The Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean. Translated by Daniel K. Gardner, Hackett Publishing Company, 2008.
5. Ames, Roger T. and Rosemont, Henry Jr. The Analects of Confucius: A Philosophical Translation. Ballantine Books, 1998.