Problem description:
I came for help again. Please give me some information. Thank you.
Analysis:
On the historical role that can not be ignored in the system of eight-part essay taking scholars
China passed the imperial examination system of eight-part essay in ancient times, which was formally formed in Ming Dynasty and remained in use until the end of Qing Dynasty. At present, the evaluation of this system is almost negative, even completely negative, and has never played a positive role in history. For example, some scholars said, "The rigid examination system ... cruelly fooled and corrupted China's intelligent scholars for five centuries." It is "an autocratic monarch's policy of ignorance to the people" [1]. On this issue, the author has different views and comprehensively discusses it. If we wait another day, this paper only gives our own views on this system function that can not be ignored, as a small gift for the 90th birthday of Mr. He Ziquan.
In my opinion, in addition to paying attention to the legislative intention, the advantages and disadvantages of the system and its direct role, we should not ignore a perspective, that is, to consider this system in connection with the improvement of social civilization in Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Undoubtedly, most people in ancient China were illiterate and semi-illiterate, and the culture was monopolized by a few nobles, bureaucrats, landlords and their children, so the civilization of the whole society was very low. However, in the hundreds of years of Ming and Qing Dynasties, a prominent phenomenon emerged and developed, that is, some people in the general public worked hard to read books, read four books and five classics, and gradually got rid of illiteracy and semi-illiteracy and became scholars. As for this gratifying progress, it is clear to compare the number of Jinshi in Song, Jin and Ming Dynasties.
According to Selected Four, Volume 31 of the General Examination of Selected Works, during the reign of Renzong in the Northern Song Dynasty, the system of "four years and one tribute" was implemented, and the examination was lifted in Fuzhou all over the country, and the number of people who paid tribute to the capital was "67,000"; Yingzong changed to try every three years, and the number of tributes decreased. "Three out of four" is four or five thousand people [2]. The same book contains Ouyang Xiu's Quotations. At that time, he tried to explain that "the army of Southeast State ... chooses one person from one hundred people, and the army of Northwest State ... chooses one person from ten people. Because the southeast culture is developed, the northwest is backward. For example, if the number of people in the country is calculated according to a high proportion, and the average number is one eightieth, then it can be inferred that there should be about 400,000 scholars at that time [3]. The rulers occupied the north, and the number of scholars decreased greatly. According to "History of Jin Dynasty" (Volume 51, Selected Records 1), the lowest-level provincial examination in the middle of Jin Dynasty is equivalent to nothing. The admission ratio of government examinations and provincial (provincial) examinations is mostly 5: 1, and there are 500 or 600 people in each examination. From this, it can be calculated that the number of participants is 2500 to 3000 each time [4]; Then only 6.5438+0.5 million people took part in the government test. Of course, if we consider that some Han scholars lived in seclusion after the long-term war in the north, the actual number of scholars should be more, but it will not change much, which is certain. The situation in the Southern Song Dynasty was different. Because there was no major war, a large number of northerners went south, the culture was relatively developed, and the number of scholars increased significantly. According to "Literature General Examination" volume 32 "Selected Five" records, the Southern Song Dynasty provincial examination 17 was selected 1. According to scholars' research, the average admission quota is 474 [5], and about 8000 people take the provincial examination. If calculated according to the proportion of 100 people in the "Southeast Prefecture County Army" in the Northern Song Dynasty, there should be 800,000 Jinshi in Fuzhou [6]. In other words, the number of Jinshi in the Southern Song Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty was slightly twice that in the Northern Song Dynasty.
The number of literati in Yuan Dynasty declined. Wang Qi's "General Examination of Continuing Literature" (Volume 44), Jushi II: From the imperial examination to Yuan's death for more than 50 years, a total of 16 subjects were offered, with more than 100 candidates in each subject and less than 35 students; "As usual ... you get one point for three points", then you get 100 people, and only 300 people take the exam. Even if the proportion of provincial examinations (equivalent to state examinations in the Song Dynasty) is calculated as 100, the total number of Jinshi taking the examinations in China is only 30,000. Look at the school again. Ibid., 60 volumes, school examination, Party history of counties, villages and townships: In the last year of Yuan Shizu, the Ministry of Agriculture reported more than 2 1300 schools nationwide. This can be used as a proof that Yuan attached importance to Confucianism. Actually, this is not the case. First, the vast majority of schools should be located in rural areas, belonging to the enlightening "social studies", far from the state and county schools that trained improved scholars to participate in the imperial examination since the Song and Jin Dynasties, so they were reported by Zhang Nongsang and others, including "establishing a society" to persuade them to do so, rather than the Ministry of Rites [7]. Second, even in a few prefectures and counties, including academies, the actual number is very small. For example, according to historical records, during the Dade period in Yuan Chengzong, there were 64 students in Jiankang Road, with developed culture, including Ming Dow Academy, Nanxuan Academy, Shangyuan County School and Jiangning County School. Among them, there are at least 7 students in 14, and only 40 students in 4 schools1* * [8]. Moreover, Zheng said at the same time that "today's capital is in Beijing and the county is outside, and it is not without learning." This school exists in name only. The reason for this is that the whole Mongolian ruling group values officials over Confucianism [10]. Therefore, although Yuan Renzong once attached great importance to Confucianism, the social atmosphere at the end of the Yuan Dynasty was still "being an official when people are lonely" [11]; "Nowadays, scholars can only write a few books, and their fathers and brothers have been ordered to be officials." Su Tianjue thinks this is a "universal problem in the world" [12]. Under this historical background, it is difficult to achieve much effect whether it is the imperial examination or the establishment of schools and academies, and the general trend of the decline in the number of scholars in the Yuan Dynasty cannot be changed. It can be inferred that its total amount should be far less than the sum of the Southern Song Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty-800,000, which is not a big mistake.
However, the situation in Ming and Qing Dynasties was quite different.
Gu Zeng estimated that at the end of the Ming Dynasty, "the number of students (scholars) cooperating in the world was 300, not less than 500,000" [13].
Scholars in the Qing Dynasty, according to the research of people close to them, generally had more than 520,000 in any period before the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom [14].
There are several times more scholars than scholars, and there are children who failed in children's exams.
According to the research of neighbors, the number of children before the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Uprising in Qing Dynasty was between 1 0,000 and 1 0,500 in a county, and the national total "may reach nearly two million" [15].
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Kang Youwei estimated that there were 3 million children, "enough for the people of the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland" [16]. Liang Qichao also estimated that "there are hundreds of children in one city ... and millions of children in twenty provinces" [17].
The total number of young students in the late Ming dynasty was not tested, which was earlier than that in the Qing dynasty, but it is inferred that the number of young students is roughly the same as that in the Qing dynasty, even if it is slightly less, it will not be far apart [18].
In this way, the total number of scholars in any period of Ming and Qing dynasties, that is, ordinary scholars, is conservatively estimated to be two or three million [19].
What number is this?
As we know, the local imperial examinations in the Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasties are actually only one level, which is equivalent to the provincial examinations in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. After admission, it is a recommendation. Therefore, the total number of candidates should be roughly the same as those who obtained the provincial examinations in Ming and Qing Dynasties and those who had strived for the qualification of Jinshi, or the latter is slightly higher [20]. However, according to the above test, the total number of taxi drivers in the Yuan Dynasty was far less than 800,000, but now the total number of taxi drivers in the Ming and Qing Dynasties is actually two or three million, and the latter has increased three or four times or five or six times.
What is the reason? I think it is mainly to explore from the imperial examination system of eight-part essay.
As we all know, compared with the Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, the most prominent feature of the imperial examination system in Ming and Qing Dynasties is that the children's examination was added before the local provincial examination to select scholars who entered Fuzhou and county official schools. Together with the provincial examination and the unified examination, the examination content is eight-part essay, which is another major feature. These two characteristics, * * * together constitute the system of selecting scholars for eight-part essay, which has great influence:
First, since the Song Dynasty, most official schools in Fuzhou and County were admitted without examination [2 1]. Until the early Ming dynasty, the literati were still "listening to the people to choose supplements" [22]. In fact, officials decided to choose and supplement the children of bureaucrats and gentlemen, and the children of civilians did not have much hope. Generally speaking, from Ming Yingzong, the system of "examination and selection" was gradually implemented [23], and then it developed into children's examination. Pass the eight-part essay examination and implement equal competition. After this basic system is combined with the following measures, it is very attractive for the children of ordinary people to look forward to learning and exams. First of all, the number of admission places has increased greatly. Song, Jin and Yuan's first-level examination, as mentioned above, is the voter. The total number of national admissions, such as the Southern Song Dynasty, was only 8,000; In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the children's examination, the total number of Jinshi admitted every time in the country generally reached more than 20 thousand [24]. Moreover, in the Song, Jin and Yuan dynasties, it was once every three years, and in the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was twice every three years, namely, the annual examination and the scientific examination [25]. In this way, as a scholar who also passed the first-class examination, the possibility of admission increased several times in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Of course, a scholar is not qualified to be a juror, especially he can't take the exam directly, but he still enjoys some privileges: first, a scholar needs to study in the official schools of Fuzhou and county for three years, and the official will teach Confucian classics and stereotyped writing. Generally speaking, only scholars can take a higher-level exam and choose a juren after obtaining the provincial exam. In other words, the juren who is qualified to take the exam is likely to be a scholar, and the apprentice must generally be selected from scholars. This will definitely improve the scholar's social status. Second, the state subsidizes the life of scholars. In the Ming dynasty, "... on the moon, people eat rice for six fights, and some companies give fish"; Later, "stone is stone" was added [26]. In addition, the "home of health workers" ... except itself, the servants in the room are exempt from second jobs [27]. Scholars in the Qing dynasty "avoid their food and eat it thick." ..... variegated colors are poor, and the lattice should be excellent and free "[28]. The scholar also enjoys the privilege of being free of staff, and he does not kneel when he sees the county magistrate. In Gu's words, learning is "free from the war of self-protection, from being violated, from being disheveled, so that you can greet officials with courtesy without humiliating them" [29]. All these are bound to help scholars develop into local gentlemen [30].
In this way, on the one hand, compared with the previous first-level exams, such as taking the Ming and Qing children's exams, the possibility of admission has soared several times; On the other hand, if you are a scholar in the examination, you can enjoy some privileges that people admire very much, and even further develop into a local gentleman. How can some children of ordinary people who are slightly qualified not be tempted to study and take exams?
Second, the above is only in terms of "hardware". Without good "software" cooperation, this system still can't play its role. The so-called "software" is a metaphor for the content of the exam. If the new system is only attractive as mentioned above, the examination content, especially the examination content of children, is very difficult and daunting, and it is still impossible for them to really join the trend of reading and taking exams. However, in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, in fact, this "software" appeared, that is, the content was changed into an eight-part essay, thus forming a system of selecting scholars from eight-part essays. What does this change mean for civilians? It means that the exam is less difficult, not unattainable. Here's a brief explanation.
Eight-part essay exam, its answer requirements include three aspects: Jing Yi, Dai Sheng Xian Yan and Eight-part essay confrontation [3 1]. Among the three, Confucian classics is the essence, sages are the angle to explain Confucian classics, and stereotyped writing is the style to explain Confucian classics. Therefore, its core is still the Confucian classics tested in the imperial examination since the Song Dynasty. However, there was no small development in Ming and Qing dynasties, that is, in addition to the five classics, four books were added along the yuan system; Moreover, after groping, it gradually evolved into the so-called "taking four books specially" [32]. The Summary of Volume 36, Four Classics Books and Four Classics Books in the General Catalogue of Sikuquanshu said: The Sikuquanshu was compiled in the Ming Dynasty, and the system of respecting scholars ... was originally awarded together with the Complete Works of the Five Classics. However, the program at that time was mainly based on the meaning of the four books, so the pass rate of the Five Classics was very low. Researchers are only four books, researchers are only four books. Later, the Four Books talked about several chapters, all of which were compiled from scratch. " Kangxi in Qing Dynasty still attached great importance to the art of "Four Books" [33]. During the Qianlong period, "what scholars recite and learn, appraised by masters, is nothing more than the text of four books" [34]. In particular, the children's examination was clearly defined as "four books and two examinations, four books and two examinations and primary schools" as early as the middle period of Qianlong, without taking the five classics [35]. Qianlong himself said, "The most important thing for the state to set up a department to recruit scholars is the four books." [36] In close coordination with the above measures, the Ming and Qing Dynasties clearly stipulated that the interpretation of the four books must be based on Zhu's four books, otherwise it will not be accepted [37]. These are also major changes in the Confucian classics examination. Judging from the guiding ideology of the ruling group in Ming and Qing Dynasties, it is mainly to further publicize Zhu Cheng Neo-Confucianism, cultivate qualified ruling talents and better safeguard the interests of the dynasty under the new situation [38]. But for ordinary people, it has produced unexpected consequences, that is, the difficulty of the exam has been greatly reduced. In the past, the five classics were mainly tested, but the content was difficult and the text was obscure. In addition, the exegetical annotation of Confucianism in Han and Tang dynasties is more troublesome [39], and the children of ordinary people have a weak foundation and have to be discouraged. Now it is changed to four books, with less weight and simpler content [40]; In particular, Zhu's Notes on Four Books, which abandons the old notes and pays attention to "slightly understanding the meaning of the text, so that (that is, guiding) scholars to ask for it themselves" [4 1], was rated as "very particular about arts and sciences" and "seeking fluency in arts and sciences" [42], just like other Song Classics. Therefore, it is not difficult for children of ordinary people to understand its content and its meaning. In addition, from the perspective of expounding Confucian classics, it is required to speak on behalf of sages, without involving future generations [43], which objectively lightens the burden of civilian children's exams [44]. As for the stereotyped writing in style, although it is a bit troublesome, it is only a matter of form after all. Generally, it can be mastered after a certain period of deliberation and practice [45]. In this way, generally speaking, the eight-part essay exam will be an exam for the children of civilians, first of all, the children's exam, which opens the door to convenience. They not only envy scholars, but also dare to participate in children's trials and strive for a championship. Therefore, Yang Ning in the early Qing Dynasty said, "When you become an official, many people will be blessed. With a good reputation for studying, there will be more students in this world." [46]
On the one hand, if only children are tested, and the content of the test is difficult and not eight-part essay, the children of ordinary people will not dare to take the test, nor will they care about reading Confucian classics to improve their cultural quality; On the other hand, stereotyped writing is relatively simple, but if you don't choose scholars from it, the children of ordinary people are unlikely to have the enthusiasm to read classics and improve their cultural quality. During the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty, "there were those who proposed to change the law and abolish righteousness (that is, eight-part essay). Asked Zhang Wenhe (Yu Ting), he said:' If justice is abolished, I am afraid that no one will read the four books, and there will be no one who speaks justice and makes sense.' Then stop talking. "[47] and only by combining the two and implementing the system of eight-part essay taking scholars can the children of ordinary people really take action to eliminate illiteracy and semi-illiteracy.
Give two examples:
Wu's Scholars: The second time: In the Ming Dynasty, there were hundreds of "farmers" in Xuejiaji, Wenshang County, Shandong Province. The reason why they want to "run a school" is that they invited old boys Week to teach those children who are "like stupid cows" to learn. Isn't it because the old gentleman he taught in the ancient small society was "academically successful" and hoped that his children could also "enter school"? And "going to school", in their minds, the omen will be "dreaming of a bright red sun" on the first day of the first month, which shows how heavy the weight is [48].
Yu Yue's Essays on Tang Chun (Volume 6): In the Qing Dynasty, "Assistant Minister Peng Xueqin (Yulin) was originally a farmer, poor and landless, and was a tenant farmer. First, De Gaohe gave a gift to the public, and when he was young, he was too weak, and the counties tried many times and failed to enter school [49]. His uncles and Zhu Kundi complained:' My family, I have to hire someone to help me every time I am busy with farming. It is meaningless for this son to learn to abandon agriculture, but he can't get the honor of the clan. ""This proves once again that farmers are willing to work for the whole family, barely providing one person with schooling. The purpose is to make him "green", that is, to be a scholar in the exam and "to despise his relatives."
It is obvious that the stereotyped writing system can promote the children of ordinary people to take exams, improve their cultural quality and turn them into scholars.
Of course, it is undeniable that there are many sharp criticisms of the stereotyped writing system in Ming and Qing Dynasties, and they even think that it is the chief culprit of the demise of the Ming Dynasty, and it is the ignorance and incompetence of the Qing officials [50] (some people close to this system have completely denied it, and there are many quotations), but that is because they all measure all young students, scholars and juren with relatively high standards from the perspective of cultivating and selecting qualified ruling talents-officials. The discussion on this issue will be left for the future.
This paper demonstrates it from different angles. As mentioned in the previous examination, mainly due to the implementation of the stereotyped writing system, the number of scholars in the Ming and Qing Dynasties increased several times, and millions of young students and hundreds of thousands of scholars emerged. If it is completely or basically measured by the standards of qualified ruling talents-officials, most of them are really difficult to meet the standards [52]. But from another angle, from the reality of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, compared with hundreds of millions of illiterate and semi-illiterate people before the stereotyped writing system, their achievements are very obvious, because after all, they are all intellectuals who have read the four books and the five classics to varying degrees, can write at least eight essays, and their cultural quality has been greatly improved. Liang Qichao praised Millions of Children as "the show of all" [53]. Their existence constitutes an indispensable intermediate link in the ladder chain from as many as 800 thousand scholars in the Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasties to millions of intellectuals serving the old society. Except for a few young scholars who later became officials, the vast majority of these young scholars, with their uneven knowledge, silently played a role that hundreds of millions of illiterate and semi-illiterate people could not play in politics, economy, culture and military affairs [55], thus greatly improving the civilization of the whole Ming and Qing society and promoting historical progress. Tracing back to the source, this achievement of the eight-part essay system is clear and should not be erased.
Finally, according to previous scholars' research, the eight-part essay is logical. Mr. Qian Jibo said: "As far as the eyes and ears can see, the work of language articles is logical, nothing more than eight-part essays!" It is also believed that the modern articles of "vertical and horizontal ups and downs" and "near examination of arts and sciences" are mostly based on the eight-part essay. He said: "Zhang et al. wrote that Yan Fu's qi is greater than the system [56]; Hu Shi's comments on Liang Qichao's articles are also called separation from stereotyped writing. I deserve to know what to say! " [57] If this view is not biased, then the eight-part essay system has merit in promoting the Ming and Qing scholars to attach importance to logical thinking [58].
Correctly understand Gu's theory of "rotten talent" in eight-part essay.
Over the years, when it comes to eight-part essay, almost all related works are negative, completely negative; As an important evidence of total negation, almost all of them quoted a passage from Gu, which can be found in Article 16 "Proposed topic" in the Collection and Interpretation of Japanese Records:
Stupidly speaking, stereotyped writing is equivalent to burning books, which corrupts talents more than Xianyang suburbs, but has trapped more than 460 people.
However, did Gu really completely deny the eight-part essay scholar system? Don't!
1. Gu's words are aimed at the same article, "The disease in today's examination room is nothing more than a hypothetical question". The so-called "quasi-topic" refers to the following shortcomings: Confucian classics (commonly known as eight-part essay because of the stylistic requirements of later generations) and four books since the early Ming Dynasty are full texts, but there are not many words; There are many contents in the Five Classics, but only one was tested, and later some chapters were deleted. Because there are only one or two hundred meaningful test questions [1], some "rich children" invite celebrities in advance, and each of these questions can be written into an eight-part essay for children to "learn by heart". Because "the admission proposition is ten to eight and nine", copying the recorded text can use the Chinese style, which leads to "the world can follow the trend without reading this book" [2]. Gu called it the wind of "those who are wiped out get empty money" and said, "I don't know why I wrote this book when I died." It is in this sense that he went on to attack "corrupting talents" and so on. There is a similar remark in the first volume of Lin Ting's Complete Works, On Health Workers: "The reason why the state takes health workers is based on righteousness, reason, policy, speech and judgment, and it is also a matter of the world to understand the purpose of the Six Classics. The meaning carved by the bookstore today is called Jinwen [3]. Instead of reading the classics of sages, reading the annotations of former Confucianism, reading the history of the previous generation, and reading its so-called modern text. A five-foot boy can recite dozens of articles with one change in each subject, and a small change in his articles can make him famous. ..... Therefore, it corrupts the talents of the world ... Then thieves take advantage of it and the enemy wins. " Obviously, the so-called "talent corruption" only demonstrates the disadvantages of "today" (Fang carved a text about "prosperous times" [4], which is also within the scope of "today"). So in another place, Gu said, "If you want to save today's evils, don't give first aid to those who plagiarize." If successful, "clear the examination room from now on" [5]. Since the imperial examination system can be "bright" after eliminating the "disadvantages of today", it means that the imperial examination system was "bright" in the early and middle Ming Dynasty before this disadvantage appeared. This is a logical necessity. And have a certificate.
2. "Lin Ting Collection" Volume 3 "He Yan's Nephew's Book" said: "The eight-part essay before Wanli can be circulated in the world, with two or three hundred ears, but there is no word." I hope his nephews will "annotate one or twenty original texts ... in addition to the four books, they will annotate the five classics, Confucius, history and ancient Chinese syntax one by one, such as Li's Notes on Selected Works, which will be a combination. This can save the shortcomings of recent novels. " Annotating these "eight-part essays" actually requires Li to annotate the Selected Works, and this family thinks that its content is substantial and the source of allusions is self-evident. Gu's similar views on stereotyped writing are as follows: "The previous generation had no words and no source" [6]; "My husband's so-called three games in the past, if I hadn't studied in thousands of books for ten years, I wouldn't have had these three games" [7]. These views have also been echoed by Gu, a scholar at the same time. For example, Huang Zongxi said: "The disadvantages of the imperial examination are not worse than today. I have been a great scholar (ancestor), including Five Classics, Zi Zhi Tong Jian, Zuo Zhuan, Mandarin, Warring States Policy, Zhuangzi and Eight Masters. Those who haven't read these books are all for my career. Since then, it has been shelved ... "[8]. It is also to set the abuse at" today ",compared with the extensive reading of Gao and Zeng at that time.
3. Regarding the abuse of Today, Gu's words did not involve stereotyped writing. On the contrary, it asserts that this format "began after the formation of Xianzong", and then introduces in detail the formation process of eight-part essay antithesis before Jiajing of Shizong of Ming Dynasty, as well as the methods of solving and answering questions. For this style, Gu not only did not show disdain and opposition, but also quoted Mencius' words as "governance". He also criticized "the style of writing changed day by day after Jiajing" and said, "Ask Confucian scholars, I don't know what stereotyped writing is"; Gu even thinks that "being a writer of the times" means "breaking the rules". When introducing the last link of the style "big knot", he said: "The big knot at the end of the text is based on what the sage said and saw, or a few crosses or more than a hundred words. The system in the early Ming Dynasty can be related to the current affairs of the current dynasty, and it will be more secretive in the future (referring to the imperial examination and other laws), fearing that someone will show off, but it is not as good as the current dynasty. Wanli, big knot three or four sentences. " Then he sent out a sigh with emotion: "So everything in the country is in vain, and the ministers in power are timid, and their image has been seen in the articles that should be raised" [9]. It can be seen from his tone that Gu is only dissatisfied with the style after Wanli. This is consistent with his different comments on the content of eight-part essay before and after the abuse.
There are two letters "with Li Linzhan (book)" in Gu's "Servant's Remnant Draft", one of which reads: "The son came from ..., but they are also very sincere. The book "Shi Mao" has been finished. I still have to read the Five Classics and recite hundreds of eight-part essays of my ancestors. I don't intend to quote them. " [10] As we all know, the ancients righteously refused to be an official in the Qing Dynasty. This letter also reflects that he does not allow his son to "hitchhike". In this case, why should we read hundreds of eight-part essays and read his most admired Five Classics at the same time? There can only be one explanation, which is to appreciate and respect the eight-part essay of these "ancestors". This also echoes his sentence quoted above that "the previous generation had no words and no sources". Some people may ask: Could this be Gu's early view? Certainly not, the evidence is in these two letters: the second letter said that the derivative was Gu's "Youzi" and later "Lizi"; The first letter said, "I got two grandchildren from my disciple Yan Jin, who will turn 60, and now I hold one of them as the heir of his deceased son" [1 1]. This shows: first, because my brother is nearly sixty years old, Gu Ben is over sixty years old. The letter also claims that "an old man is in good health" and "the last scene of Sang Yu", which proves that these two letters were written in his later years. Secondly, Guben had a son who died, and it was not until his later years that the son of Judah was derived as his son; Later, my brother's grandson was regarded as "the heir of his dead son", so it was deduced that he was young [12], which is understandable just by looking at it, which is not contradictory to the fact that the two letters are works of caring for his old age. The above situation shows that praising the "ancestor" eight-part essay is undoubtedly the fixed trend of Gu's later years.
To sum up the four certificates, we can be sure that Gu's so-called "corrupting talents" is only aimed at the abuses of the imperial examination in the late Ming Dynasty, and there is no intention to completely deny the eight-part essay system.
If this view is good, people often quote Gu's other criticism of stereotyped writing and the current writing language, then it is not difficult to correctly understand:
1. Article 16 of the Collection of Records of Japan, On the Strategy of Confucian Classics and Righteousness: "If this law remains unchanged, it will be a waste of time to learn from Japan, and the world since the Five Emperors and Three Kings will not know its end." This passage is a continuation of the above, and it is also the original note of the Song Dynasty, that is, "taking Confucian classics as an external preparation", or "stealing people's words without seeking enlightenment, half in the same position" (equivalent to "copying" articles carved by workshops or written by celebrities in the Ming Dynasty), which led to the failure of Confucian classics reading. Since the middle and early Ming Dynasty, it has nothing to do with the system that literati can "read thousands of books" and write eight-part essays without a word or place. Therefore, Volume 8 of Zhi Hua quoted Hu Xiezhai to explain Gu's psychological statement of "criticizing this essay bitterly": "Pi changed the season to learn from the words of sages, gained favor for the ladder, turned to imitation, and became more and more fierce, pretending this extreme statement."
2. Same as above: "Zhao: (Wang) An Shi set up nihilistic learning and corrupted talents. ..... If today's so-called current essays are neither classics nor sub-histories, they are all rootless fabrications. " . This refers to another drawback, that is, although some eight-part essays in the imperial examination are not "plagiarism", they have no foundation of learning because they have not read the classics, and the words made by their sages [13] can only be fabricated at will, which has no basis in history. This is the so-called "rootless fabricated language". However, this kind of abuse is also time-limited, because an "original note" in Wengu said: "The previous generation had no words and no source." According to this, it is obvious that this "rootless language of invention" does not refer to the stereotyped writing at present or in the middle and early Ming Dynasty.
3. Article 16 "Eighteen Rooms" in the Collection of Records of the Day: "Eight-part essay is prosperous but six classics are weak, eighteen rooms are prosperous and twenty-one histories are abolished". The "stereotyped writing" here must not be misunderstood as referring to the stereotyped writing of the Ming Dynasty. According to the context, it mainly refers to the eight-part essay model selected and burned by the examiner in eighteen rooms (such as the fifth room of the Book of Changes and the fourth room of the Book of Changes). From the end of the Ming Dynasty to the Wanli period, that is, Wencheng. Some of these papers were "written by examiners" and some were "written by (China) scholars" [14]. It is popular with the above-mentioned essays, aiming at guiding scholars to learn and write high-level eight-part essays [15]. But the result is the opposite, because "everyone only knows that this thing (Wencheng) can have a surname and enjoy wealth; It's called learning ... he doesn't look at anything. ..... study for the 18th room (Wencheng) in the world ",leading to Confucian classics and history," the way of civil and military affairs, abandon it like running "[16]. It is for this kind of malady that Guggenheim sent out two words of emotion. Its "stereotyped writing" and "eighteen rooms" have complementary meanings This means that the eighteen-room block-printed stereotyped writing "Eight Essays (Wencheng)" is popular, which leads people to read only this, while the study of the classics and history of governing the country and keeping the country safe is ignored. Obviously, this feeling or attack is also time-limited, and it is impossible to point to the system before and during the Ming Dynasty.
In a word, how to evaluate the eight-part essay system in Ming Dynasty and whether it should be totally negated can be discussed. However, it seems that Gu's theory of "corrupting talents" is not in line with Gu's original intention according to the above-mentioned small textual research.