Virtue and perfection, as the core concepts of "university", mean the pursuit of aboveboard morality, which is the highest pursuit of Confucian scholars.
University was originally Article 42 of the Book of Rites. In the Song Dynasty, Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi brothers took them out of the Book of Rites and compiled chapters and sentences. Zhu called Daxue, The Doctrine of the Mean, The Analects of Confucius and Mencius as four books, and Daxue became a Confucian classic. As for the author of Da Xue, Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi thought it was "Kong's last words". Zhu rearranged The University, which was divided into one chapter of Jing and ten chapters of Biography. That "the words of Confucius, cover a chapter, Ceng Zi said; The tenth chapter is the meaning of Ceng Zi, and the master remembers it. " In other words, "Jing" is the words of Confucius and recorded by Ceng Zi; "Biography" is the interpretation of "Jing", which is recorded by students.
There are two versions of Da Xue: one is Da Sentence compiled by Zhu; First, the ancient books arranged in the original order, that is, the original "university" in the Book of Rites. Zhu's "University Chapters and Sentences" is the most widely circulated and influential, and this paper adopts "University Chapters and Sentences". "University" is a "primary school", that is to say, it is not a "primary school" that talks about "detailed exegesis and clear sentence reading", but a "university" that talks about running the country and keeping the country safe. The primary school is: "Sweep should advance and retreat, and be happy to shoot books". "University" is an adult's study. The ancients entered school at the age of fifteen, studying ethics, politics and philosophy, and learning how to participate in national politics.
"University" is "the gateway for beginners to enter Germany". After the first chapter, three programs are put forward, namely, to be moral, to be close to the people, and to stop at perfection, and eight items are put forward, namely, to be realistic, sincere, upright, cultivate one's morality, keep the family in order, run the country and level the world. Eight items are the way to realize the three programs. Of the eight items, self-cultivation is fundamental. "From Tian Zi to Shu Ren, it is based on self-cultivation". Chapter 10 makes it clear that morality, democracy, stop at perfection, end, material, knowledge, honesty, honesty, self-cultivation, keeping the family in order, governing the country and leveling the world. Mingmingde refers to advocating aboveboard morality. Xinmin means to make people start over and re-plan. To stop at perfection means to reach the best condition. Putting the cart before the horse means to prioritize things and get to the bottom of it. To understand and know things is to study the principles of things and gain knowledge. Sincerity means "don't deceive yourself", and don't "cover up its shortcomings and concentrate its advantages". Righteousness is to correct one's mentality. Self-cultivation means strengthening self-cultivation and improving self-quality. Putting a family in order is to manage your own family and family. Governing the country and leveling the world is a matter of governing the country. How to govern the country? First of all, we must set an example; Don't give others what you hate; Get a lot of people, be cautious, make money and raise talents. "if you get more people, you will get the country, and if you lose more people, you will lose the country"; "People with virtue, people with soil, and people with soil have money"; If you see a sage, you can raise it, and you can raise it first. "University" has placed the ancient people's ideal of being sage inside and king outside.