Abstract

This chapter will focus on the content of the main academic schools and discuss their development and changes in the Han Dynasty. The main academic schools in the Han Dynasty were actually the extension and development of the pre-Qin schools, which underwent great changes in the Han Dynasty. First, Confucianism became Neo-Confucianism. This was best demonstrated by Dong Zhongshu’s thoughts, who advocated such ideas as “the induction between Heaven and Human”, “the sovereign being chosen by the Heaven”, the “3-Gang” and the “5-Chang”, as well as the “Grand Unity”. Second, Daoism, which still had important influence in the Han Dynasty, had already turned into Neo-Daoism in the Qin Dynasty, which changed from escaping the world to entering the world, from criticizing Confucianism and Mohism to absorbing both, and creatively applied ideas such as the “ziran” and “wuwei” into politics. Third, the monopoly of Confucianism had great influence upon all schools in the Han Dynasty. The Confucian Classic Study, or the Jingxue, became increasingly booming. While all other schools declined. Daoism was dwarfed to the secondary place; Mohism disappeared completely; and Logicism, Legalism and Political Strategism turned into secret teachings. Fourth, the monopoly of Confucianism also led to most pre-Qin books undergoing revision and reconstruction to different degrees according to the dominant ideology through teaching and book collations in the Han Dynasty.