Abstract:
The theories either in Jinwen or in classic Chinese have respective advantages and disadvantages. Owing to the distinction of “restatement producing novel understanding” of Chinese culture, in a certain sense, the Gongyang school’s theory in Jinwen emphasized creativity in developing argumentation, which should not be ridiculed but be highly valued. Gongyang’s “deep thinking in plain words” found its origin in The Classics in Springautumn Times. With a deep understanding of its critical style in stating Confucian political views, Mencius gave a profound elaboration of The Classics in Springautumn Times, and The Biography of Gongyang was closely associated with Mencius in academic presentation. Being a distinctive Confucian classic, the work sang praise of Confucius, saying Confucius “established standards for society” and “introduced law and discipline rites to the world”. The theoretical system of the work was political, changeable and creative in argumentation, which presented itself in its precious advantage of providing convenient means and legitimate form for holding new idea in the name of explaining Confucius’s The Spring and Autumn “in plain words with deep meaning”.
