Chapter 23 Section 4 The Rise and Development of the Academy

Academy is an important form of educational organization since the end of Tang Dynasty.The academy sprouted in the late Tang Dynasty, formed in the Five Dynasties, and flourished in the Song Dynasty. The name of the academy began in the Tang Dynasty, and it was originally a place for collecting and repairing books.In the sixth year of Emperor Xuanzong's Kaiyuan (718 A.D.), Li Zhengxiu Academy was established. In the thirteenth year of Kaiyuan (725 A.D.), it was renamed Jixiandian Academy. teaching institution.The academies that emerged among the people are places for individuals to study and study, and the titles of poems in "Quan Tang Poems" have appeared.

For example, in Volume 245 of "Quan Tang Shu", there is Han Yi's "Ti Yu Zhen Guan Li Secretary's Academy", and in Volume 278 there is Lu Lun's "Tong Geng Suyi Chun Zhong Ti Si Lang Xinxiu Academy", Volume 27 There is Lu Lun's "Banquet for Zhao's Kunji Academy for Participating in the Conference and Contributed by You", Volume 299 has Wang Jian's "Du Zhongcheng Academy's Newly Moved Small Bamboo", and Volume 333 has Yang Juyuan's "Inscription under the Five Old Peaks" Fei Jun Academy", etc.In the academies set up by private individuals, there are also activities of teaching apprentices and giving lectures.

In the early Song Dynasty, the academy developed to a greater extent with its unique and strong vitality, and became an important educational organization.The famous academies that appeared at that time included Bailudong Academy (Lushan Mountain, Jiangxi), Yuelu Academy (Yuelu Mountain, Changsha, Hunan), Shigu Academy (Shigu Mountain, Hengyang, Hunan), Yingtianfu Academy (Shangqiu, Henan), Songyang Academy (Dengfeng Taiyuan, Henan) Shishan), Maoshan Academy (Sanmao Mountain, Jiangning, Jiangsu), etc. According to Mr. Cao Songye’s “Overview of Academies in Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties”, there were 203 academies in Song Dynasty, of which the Northern Song Dynasty accounted for more than 24% and the Southern Song Dynasty accounted for more than 75%.In terms of river basins, the Yangtze River basin accounts for 74.76%, the Pearl River basin accounts for 21.53%, and the Yellow River basin accounts for 3.52%.In terms of provinces, Jiangxi Province has the most, with 80; followed by Zhejiang Province, with 34; and Hunan Province, with 24.Calculated in terms of private and government-run, the private sector accounts for more than 50%, and the private sector is more than the government sector.Private academies are most prosperous in Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Hunan.

It can be seen from the above that the academies flourished in the Southern Song Dynasty, especially after the ban on Confucianism was lifted during the Lizong period of the Southern Song Dynasty, there was a climax of large-scale academies.The development of academies in the Yangtze River Basin is inseparable from the economic and cultural development of this area in the Song Dynasty; as for the many academies in Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Hunan, it is because of the influence of Bailudong Academy in Jiangxi, and because of Zhu Xi (AD 1130-1200). Famous scholars such as Lu Jiuyuan (1139-1193) gave lectures here; Zhejiang is the seat of Lin'an, the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty; Hunan has the influence of Yuelu Academy.These political, economic and cultural factors played an important role in the development of Song Dynasty academies.

The hosts of the academy in the Song Dynasty were generally called cave masters, mountain chiefs, hall chiefs, deans, professors, etc.In larger academies, there are also deputy headmasters, assistant lecturers, teaching assistants, etc. to assist the headmaster in his work.The organizational structure of the college is relatively simple, with few managers and strict management, and students also participate in the management. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi formulated the "Bailudong Academy Academic Regulations", and proposed that the educational policy of the Academy is to implement the "Five Teachings": "Father and son have relatives, monarchs and ministers have righteousness, husband and wife are different, seniors and children are orderly, and friends have trust." To achieve this policy, Zhu Xi also put forward the important principles of learning, self-cultivation, dealing with affairs, and being in touch with things.

The preface of learning: "Learn eruditely, interrogate, think carefully, discern clearly, and practice earnestly." The essentials of self-cultivation: "Words are faithful, deeds are respectful, punish anger and suffocate desires, make good and correct mistakes." The key to dealing with things: "Justify one's friendship (righteousness) without seeking profit, and understand one's way without counting merit." The essentials of receiving things: "Don't do to others what you don't want yourself to do; if you can't do what you want, ask yourself instead."

"Bailudong Academy Academic Regulations" summarizes the basic principles of Confucian moral cultivation and embodies the main spirit of education in ancient feudal society. Generally used by official schools. The academy allows different schools of thought to hold lectures and conduct debates.The Southern Song Dynasty produced the academy lecture system.In the second year of Chunxi (1175 A.D.), Lu Zuqian (1137-1181 A.D.) presided over a famous lecture in Xinzhou, Jiangxi Province - the meeting of Goose Lake.At the meeting, the two schools of thought Zhu Xi and Lu Jiuyuan had a heated debate on academic issues.In the eighth year of Chunxi (AD 1181), Zhu Xi specially invited Lu Jiuyuan to give lectures at Bailudong Academy, and engraved his lecture notes on stones and stood them in the courtyard.This set an example for two different schools of thought to give lectures together and argue with each other, and it was the first of its kind in the academy lecture system.Since then, scholars of various schools have participated in lectures organized by academies around the world to preach their views.Judging from the organization, ceremonies, scale and regulations of the lecture system, the lecture system has gone beyond the scope of academy teaching and has become a regional academic seminar and academic exchange meeting.This not only expands the influence of the academy, improves the social status of the academy, but also enriches the teaching content of the academy, and improves the teaching level and academic research level of the academy.

Many famous academies in the Song Dynasty were not only the centers of teaching activities, but also the resorts of academic research.For example, Zhu Xi studied "Confucianism", and taught "Confucianism" in the academy; Lu Jiuyuan studied "Xinology", and taught "Xinology" in the academy.Most of the hosts of academies in the Song Dynasty were well-known scholars. They used academic research to promote teaching, and teaching promoted academic research.Academic research is the foundation of academy teaching, and academy teaching is an important condition for the widespread dissemination and further development of academic research results.The combination of academic research and teaching is a prominent feature of the academy's teaching.

The academy allows different schools of thought to give lectures together.Many schools of thought in the Song Dynasty developed gradually through debates of different viewpoints.When the academy invites famous teachers to give lectures, people from all walks of life are welcome to come and listen freely.For example, when Zhu Xi and Lu Jiuyuan gave lectures in various academies, there were often hundreds of students from all over the world who came to listen to the lectures.When Huang Gan, Zhu Xi's student and son-in-law, lectured on the "Two Hexagrams of Heaven and Kun" in Bailudong Academy, "people from all over the world came to gather."The Academy advocates free lectures, free listening to lectures, no rejection of visitors, warm reception, learning from each other, and learning from each other's strengths to complement each other's strengths, which can organically combine the teaching work inside the Academy with academic activities outside the Academy.These practices and experiences are conducive to broadening the horizons of students, helping to eliminate sectarianism among various schools of thought, and are also very beneficial to improving the quality of teaching and academic level.To a certain extent, this also reflects the spirit of "contending among a hundred schools of thought". Although the scope of this "contending" is limited, it is much more free than the general government education where only teachers are allowed to lecture and students are listened to.

The teaching of the academy emphasizes that students should focus on self-study and research, while teachers focus on using their own academic experience to guide students' learning.The academy provides sufficient book conditions, and teachers pay great attention to guiding students in the methods of reading and researching knowledge.The academy emphasizes that students should be good at asking questions, and teachers mainly adopt the method of answering questions.The popular "quotations" at that time were mostly records of questions or answers between teachers and students of the academy.Teachers encourage students to ask questions and argue, and urge students to read with questions.Zhu Xi emphasized that one must have doubts in reading, "one who doubts is enough to study the subtleties", and the doubts are gradually resolved, so that they can be mastered, and only then can learning begin.When Lv Zuqian gave lectures at Lize Academy, he once suggested that creativity is the most important thing in studying, requiring students to think independently, research independently, open up different ways, and create new inventions beyond conventional insights.When the masters of the academy give lectures, they often prepare "handouts" in advance, that is, the outline of the lectures.Under the teacher's guidance, students can deepen their learning by questioning and asking questions; if they don't seek a deep understanding of the book and swallow it whole, there will be no progress.

The relationship between teachers and students in the academy is very harmonious, and the relationship between teachers and students is deep, which was rare in government schools at that time.In government schools, the relationship between teachers and students is relatively indifferent, while in academies, most teachers can lead by example, teach others tirelessly, and are full of affection for students.Teachers and students get along day and night, have frequent contacts, and have strong feelings.Teachers are enthusiastic in teaching and care for students; students ask for advice with an open mind and respect teachers.Teachers with noble morality also actively recommend teachers who are better than themselves to students. In his lectures at Bailudong Academy, Zhu Xi was persuasive and persuasive. Day after day, he felt uneasy if he did not give lectures, and even insisted on lecturing on scriptures and Taoism when he was ill.He has strict requirements on students, but he does not take passive precautions or blunt restraints, but actively induces them. He does not emphasize the mandatory constraints of "school rules" but emphasizes conscious compliance during inspiration, so students respect him very much. In the process of educating students, Lu Jiuyuan can prescribe the right medicine according to the students' personalities, make the best use of the situation, understand them with reason and empathize with them, and receive very good educational effects. Academy education focuses on cultivating people's character, and opposes official education and social atmosphere that directly aim at chasing imperial examinations, emphasizing that the primary task of education is to cultivate people's moral character.The masters of the academy often discipline themselves as "people and teachers", and the students also strictly demand themselves with the "confucianism" of "righteous friendship (righteousness) and no profit" and "knowing the way but not merit".Students insist on respecting their teachers. They learn not only to learn knowledge, but also to learn how to behave.They have a deep affection for teachers, and there are very moving examples from academics to life, from birth to burial, such as "Cheng Men Lixue" is a story of respecting teachers that is praised by people.Some famous teachers were deeply loved and respected by students during their lifetime, and the scene of their burial after death is also touching.For example, when Zhu Xi and Lu Jiuyuan died, thousands of students came to the funeral.After the death of the famous teachers in the academy, their disciples established academies in various places in order to inherit the teacher's career, recruited more disciples, and continued to spread and study the theories created by the teachers. Some disciples told the teachers that they still developed and made new achievements. The academies attach great importance to the guidance of students' reading. The masters of the academies once summarized the reading methods. For example, "Zhu Xi's Reading Method" summed up six reading experiences: step by step (follow the objective order of the textbooks and the subjective ability of the students, stipulate the courses of study or progress), familiarity with reading and thinking (read the book well, and repeatedly search for the meaning of the text, in order to understand the content of the book), open-mindedness (understand the spirit of the book with an objective attitude, not high Obsession, prejudice), self-examination (combine the principles in the book, your own experience with real life, and use the principles in the book to guide your own practice), focus on hard work (that is, to be brave, to persist to the end, Do not slacken the spirit of reading and research), stay respectful and determined (serious and dedicated attitude, set a specific goal and go to study and research).This is a summary of people's reading experience for thousands of years, which contains many reasonable factors. "Step-by-step" includes the principle of "capability" in reading, "familiar reading and thinking" includes the principle of "consolidation" in reading, "humbly and inclusive" includes the principle of "objectivity" in reading, and "observation" includes The principle of "integrating with reality" in reading, "focus on" includes the principle of "enthusiasm" in reading, and "respect and perseverance" includes the principle of "purposiveness" in reading.Zhu Xi also wrote a small poem "Feeling from reading books": "A half-acre square pond is opened, and the sky, clouds and shadows linger together. Ask how the canal is so clear, because there is a source of flowing water." Describes a transparent as The pond of the mirror, the reason why it is so clear and bright is because the source of running water is constantly flowing and replenishing.Zhu Xi used this as a metaphor that reading and learning should be "through but not blocked". Only by supplementing with a steady stream of new knowledge and new insights can people be well-informed and have a clear mind. This metaphor is very vivid and thought-provoking . The Yuan Dynasty adopted a policy of protecting, advocating and strengthening control over the academies.In the eighth year of Emperor Taizong of the Yuan Dynasty (1236 A.D.), Yuan Yuan founded Taiji Academy in Yanjing (now Beijing).In the 28th year of Zhiyuan (AD 1291), the Yuan Dynasty clearly promoted academies, which greatly promoted the development of academies in the Yuan Dynasty.According to the statistics of Mr. Wang Ting's "A Brief Study of Yuan Dynasty Academies", there were 408 academies in Yuan Dynasty, of which 134 were newly built and 59 were rebuilt.Among the 408 academies, except for nine whose locations are still unknown, the remaining 399 are distributed in seven of the 13 provinces in the country: 167 in Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces, 80 in Jiangxi Province, and 80 in Jiangxi Province. 55, 42 in Huguang Province, 37 in Henan Province, nine in Shaanxi Province, and nine in Sichuan Province.It can be seen from this that some people say that "the establishment of an academy should not be more prosperous than Yuan Dynasty", which has a certain basis. The contents taught by the academy in the Yuan Dynasty were mainly Confucian classics and Neo-Confucian works.In the early Yuan Dynasty, Cheng Duanli's "Cheng's Family School Reading Schedule" was adopted by the academies of all dynasties. It is the comprehensive "teaching plan" of the academies.Cheng Duanli pointed out that the order of reading is: first read Zhu Xi's "Primary School", then read "Book of Rites Daxue", "Mencius", "Book of Rites The Doctrine of the Mean", and then read "Book of Filial Piety", "Book of Songs", , "Rituals", "Book of Rites", "Zhou Li" and "Spring and Autumn" classics and three biographies, etc., then read "Four Books Collection Notes", then copy the Five Classics, read the history book "Tong Jian" on the basis of reading scriptures, and Read Han Yu's articles and "Chu Ci", and finally practice composition. It is worth noting that some academies in the Yuan Dynasty also taught other subjects.For example, Lishan Academy in Puzhou has medicine, Boshan Academy in Nanyang Prefecture has mathematics and calligraphy, and Pojiang Academy in Poyang County has Mongolian calligraphy.This is quite characteristic in Yuan Dynasty academies. On the one hand, the number of academies in the Yuan Dynasty has been greatly developed and spread to many parts of the country; To academies, the tendency of academies to be official-studied is becoming more and more serious. Many academies have even been incorporated into the local government-study system. Ask about the original intention of self-cultivation.Even so, the academies in the Yuan Dynasty still played a certain role in the popularization of cultural education, the dissemination of Neo Confucianism and the cultivation of talents at that time.