TITLE

學學存者古門

書大

My master, the philosopher Chting, says: “ The Great Learning is a book left by Confucius, and forms the gate by which first learners enter into virtue. That we can now perceive the order in which the ancients pursued their learning, is solely owing to the preservation of this work, the Analects and Mencius coming after it. Learners must commence their course with this, and then it may be hoped they will be kept from error."

OF THE WORK.-大學 The Great

Learning' I have pointed out, in the prolego

mena, the great differences which are found among Chinese commentators on this Work, on almost every point connected with the criticism and interpretation of it. We encounter them here on the very threshold. The name itself is simply the adoption of the two commencing characters of the treatise, according to the custom noticed at the beginning of the Analects; but in explaining those two characters, the old and new schools differ widely. Anciently,

was read as, and the oldest commentator whose

He's definition, on the contrary, is一大學者 大人之學也大學

means the Learning of Adults. One of the paraphrasts

-

who follow him says 大是大人與 小子對大 means adults, in opposition

to children. The grounds of Choo He's interpr. are to be found in his very elegant preface to the Book, where he tries to make it out, that we have here the subjects taught in the advanced schools of antiquity. I have contented myself with the title- The Great Learning,' which is a literal translation of the characters, whether

notes on the work are preserved, Ching read as, or t.

Kang-shing, in the last half of the second

century, said that the book was called,

THE INTRODUCTORY NOTE.-I have thought it

well to translate this, and all the other notes and supplements appended by Choo He to the

以其記博學,可以為政, because original text, because they appear in nearly all

it recorded that extensive learning, which was available for the administration of government.'

This view is approved by K'ung Ying-tă

穎達), whose expansion of K'ang-shing's

the editions of the work, which fall into the hands of students, and his view of the classics is what must be regarded as the orthodox one. The translation, which is here given, is also, for the most part, according to his views, though my own differing opinion will be found freely ex

notes, written in the first half of the 7th century, pressed in the notes. Another version, follow

still remains. He says

大學

一大學至道矣, ing the order of the text, before it was trans

posed by him and his masters, the Ch'ing, and means the highest principles.' Choo without reference to his interpretations, will be

后定而善。止親明道大

定后知於民德在學差 靜而有止至在在明之矣。

THE TEXT OF CONFUCIUS.

1. What the Great Learning teaches, is-to illustrate illustrious virtue; to renovate the people; and to rest in the highest excellence. 2. The point where to rest being known, the object of pursuit is then determined; and, that being determined, a calm unperturbedness may be attained. To that calmness there will succeed a tranquil

found in the translation of the Le-ke.

子一

-see note to the Ana. I. i. The Ch'ing here, is the second of the two brothers, to whom

reference is made in the prolegomena. E

'Confucius,' the K'ung, as
is found
continually in the Analects for the Ke, i. e., the
chief of the Ke family. But how can we say
that "The Great Learning' is a work left by
Confucius? Even Choo He ascribes only a

small portion of it to the Master, and makes
the rest to be the production of the disciple
Tsăng, and before his time, the whole work was
attributed generally to the sage's grandson. I
should be glad if I had authority for taking
孔氏as=孔門, the Confucian school.

CHAPTER I. THE TEXT OF CONFUCIUS. Such Choo He, as will be seen from his concluding note, determines this chapter to be, and it has been divided into two sections (E), the first

containing three paragraphs, occupied with the heads of the Great Learning, and the second containing four paragraphs, occupied with the particulars() of those.

Par. 1. The heads of the Great Learning.

-

the way of the Great Learning,'

ous nature, he has to proceed to bring about heaven' there be not an individual, who is not the same result in every other man, till under in the same condition as himself. The highest excellence' is understood of the two previous

matters. It is not a third and different object of pursuit, but indicates a perseverance in the According to these explanations, the objects two others, till they are perfectly accomplished. three, but two. Suppose them realized, and we contemplated in the Great Learning, are not fectly good, every individual what he ought to should have the whole world of mankind perbe!

Against the above interpretation, we have to consider the older and simpler.

is there

not the nature, but simply virtue, or virtuous Learning is the making of one's-self more and conduct, and the first object in the Great nevolence, reverence, filial piety, kindness, and more illustrious in virtue, or the practice of be sincerity. See the ★**

loc.-There is nothing, of course, of the renovating of the people, in this interpretation. The second object of the Great Learning is

'to love the people.-The third

object is said by Ying-tă to be in resting in conduct which is perfectly good (

道 being=修為之方法, the methods 於至善之行), and here also, there would

of cultivating and practising it,'-the Great Learning, that is. E, 'is in.' The first

is

a verb; the second is an adjective, qualifying The illustrious virtue is the virtuous nature which man derives from Heaven. This is perverted as man grows up, through defects of the physical constitution, through inward lusts, and through outward seductions; and the great business of life should be, to bring the nature back to its original purity.-To renovate the people,'-this object of the Great Learning is made out, by changing the character of the old text into The Ching first proposed the alteration, and Choo He approved of it. When a man has entirely illustrated his own illustri

seem to be only two objects, for what essential distinction can we make between the first and third? There will be occasion below to refer to the reasons for changing into, and their unsatisfactoriness. To love the people' is, doubtless, the second thing taught by the Great Learning. Having the heads of the Great Learning now before us, according to both interpretations of it, we feel that the student of it should be an emperor, and not an ordinary

man.

Pur. 2. The mental process by which the point well understand this par., in the relation of its of rest may be attained. I confess that I do not parts in itself, nor in relation to the rest of the chapter. Choo He says:- is the ground where we ought to rest;'--namely, the highest ex

欲 者治明 明近終得后静

其者齊國於

有慮 慮后

身先其欲天古所本慮能 者脩家治 之先 先末而安 先其欲其者欲後事后安 正身齊國先明則有能而

repose. In that repose there may be careful deliberation, and that deliberation will be followed by the attainment of the desired end.

3. Things have their root and their completion. Affairs have their end and their beginning. To know what is first and what is last will lead near to what is taught in the Great Learning.

4. The ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the empire, first ordered well their own States. Wishing to order well their States, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts. Wishing

cellence mentioned above. But if this be known | succeeding ones. They contend that the illusin the outset, where is the necessity for the,tration of virtue and renovation of the people are doings (事), and not things ( 7). Acc. to

or ‘careful deliberation,' which issues in its at

tainment? The paraphrasts make 知止 to
embrace even all that is understood by
致知 below. Ying-tă is perhaps rather

more intelligible. He says: When it is known that the rest is to be in the perfectly good, then the mind has fixedness. So it is free from con

eupiscence, and can be still, not engaging in

disturbing pursuits. That still leads to a repose and harmony of the feelings. That state of the feelings fits for careful thought about

affairs (能思慮於事), and thence it

results that what is right in affairs is attained.' Perhaps, the par. just intimates that the objects of the G. L. being so great, a calm, serious,

thoughtfulness is required in proceeding to seek their attainment.

Par. 3. The order of things and methods in the tro preceding paragraphs. So, acc. to Choo He, does this par. wind up the two preceding. "The

illustration of virtue, he says, "is the root, and

the renovation of the people is the completion (lit., the branches). Knowing where to rest is the beginning, and being able to attain is the end. The root and the beginning are what is first. The completion and end are what is lust.-The adherents of the old commentators say, on the

contrary, that this par. is introductory to the

them, the things are the person, heart, thoughts,

&c., mentioned below, which are ' the root,' and the family, kingdom, and empire, which are 'the branches.' The affairs are the various processes put forth on those things.This, it seems

to me, is the correct interpretation.

Par. 4. The different steps by which the illustration of illustrious virtue throughout the empire may

be brought about. 明明德於天下 is understood by the school of Choo He as embracing the two first objects of the Great Learning, the illustration, namely of virtue, and the renova

tion of the people. We are not aided in deter

mining the meaning by the synthetic arrange ment of the different steps in the next par., for the result arrived at there is simply--天下

, 'the whole empire was made tranquil.'

Ying-tät's comment is 章明已之明德 使徧於天下, to display illustriously

their own illustrious virtue (or, virtues), making them reach through the whole empire.' But the influence must be very much transformative. Of the several steps described, the central one is, the cultivation of the person,' which, indeed, is called 本, the root,' in par.