Da Xue was originally an article in the Book of Rites, which had never been published separately before the Southern Song Dynasty. It is said that it was written by Zeng Shen, a disciple of Confucius (505-434 BC). From the Tang Dynasty, Han Yu and Li Ao maintained orthodoxy and praised universities (and the golden mean) to the Northern Song Dynasty, Cheng Er praised and publicized them in various ways, and even called them "universities", which was Kong's suicide note. Later, in the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu inherited the thought of Cheng Er, and compared The Great Learning in The Book of Rites with The Analects of Confucius and Mencius.
By the time Zhu wrote The Notes to Four Books, it had become one of the four books. According to Zhu and Cheng Yi, another famous scholar in Song Dynasty, Daxue is a suicide note left by Confucius and his disciples, and a popular reading of Confucianism. Therefore, Zhu listed it as the first of the "four books".
The Doctrine of the Mean was originally one of The Book of Rites, which was never published separately before the Southern Song Dynasty. It is generally believed that it was written by Confucius' grandson Zisi (483 BC-402 BC), and the history book Confucius' Family said that Zisi wrote the Doctrine of the Mean.
From the Tang Dynasty when Han Yu and Li Ao praised the golden mean (and universities), to the Northern Song Dynasty when Cheng Er praised and publicized the golden mean in various ways, and even thought that the golden mean was "a way to teach the mind through Confucius", and then Zhu inherited Cheng Er's thought in the Southern Song Dynasty, so he took it out and compared it with The Analects of Confucius and Mencius. Judging from the basic viewpoints of The Doctrine of the Mean and Mencius, they are basically the same.
However, the existing The Doctrine of the Mean was revised by Confucian scholars in Qin Dynasty, which was written roughly shortly after Qin unified the whole country. So every article is different from "University". It does not take the first two words of justice as the title, but the central content of the article as the title.
The Analects of Confucius is a book that records the words and deeds of Confucius and his students. Confucius (55 1 years ago -479 years ago), whose name was Zhong Ni, was born in (present-day Qufu, Shandong) in the Spring and Autumn Period. The founder of Confucianism, the most famous thinker, politician and educator in ancient China, had a far-reaching influence on the development of China's ideology and culture. The Analects of Confucius was written in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and was recorded by Confucius' students and their retranslators. The Analects of Confucius is a book that records the words and deeds of Confucius and his students.
The Analects of Confucius covers many aspects such as philosophy, politics, economy, education, literature and art, and is the most important classic of Confucianism. In terms of expression, The Analects of Confucius is a model for recording prose, with concise language and vivid images. In terms of arrangement, The Analects has no strict compiling style, each article is a chapter, and each chapter is a chapter. Articles and chapters are not closely related, but are roughly classified and repeated chapters appear.
By the Han Dynasty, there were three editions of The Analects of Confucius (20), The Analects of Confucius (22) and The Analects of Classical Chinese (2 1). At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Zheng Xuan compiled and annotated a new book based on The Analects of Lu with reference to The Analects of Qi and The Analects of Ancient Chinese. After Zheng Xuan's annotations were circulated, The Analects of Confucius and The Analects of China Ancient Literature gradually disappeared.
Mencius is a book that records the words and deeds of Mencius and his students. Mencius (about 372- 289 BC), whose real name was Yu Zi, was born in Zou (now southeast of Zou County, Shandong Province) in the middle of the Warring States Period, not far from Confucius' hometown Qufu. He is a famous thinker, politician, educator and the successor of Confucius' theory. Like Confucius, Mencius once led students to travel to Wei, Qi, Song, Lu, Teng, Xue and other countries, and once served as a guest minister.
Because his political views were not as important as those of Confucius, he returned to his hometown to call his disciples to give lectures, and wrote a book with Zhang Wan and other students, saying, "Preface a poem book, understand Zhong Ni's meaning, and write seven pieces of Mencius." (Historical Records Biography of Mencius and Xun Qing) Zhao Qi compared Mencius with The Analects of Confucius in Mencius' copybook, and thought that Mencius was "imitating a saint".
Therefore, although the History of Literature and Art of Han Dynasty only regards Mencius as a sub-book, in the eyes of Han people, it has actually been regarded as a "biography" book to assist the classics. Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty named The Analects of Confucius, The Book of Filial Piety, Mencius and Er Ya as "Biographers". At the end of the Five Dynasties, Meng Changjun, the master of the post-Shu Dynasty, ordered people to carve stones on eleven classics such as Mencius, which may be the beginning of Mencius' being included in the Classics.
By the time of filial piety in the Southern Song Dynasty, four books compiled by Zhu were included in Mencius, which officially raised Mencius to a very high position. After the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, it became the content of the imperial examination and was a must-read for scholars.