Abstract:
Past studies of Confucian maxim of “independence at the age of thirty” offered three different explanations: independence with learning, independence with propriety and independence with Tao. All the three explanations neglected the revolutionary importance of Confucian ideology to the early development and evolution of Chinese culture, particularly his corresponding psychological experience. This resulted from an unconscious succession of the interpretative tradition shaped in the Han Dynasty, which regarded Confucius as “the last” of the ancient sages. This interpretative tradition failed to integrate Confucian revolutionary contributions to Chinese culture in times of his dominance with the development of his personal life and transcending psychological experience. Therefore, a more proper interpretation of “independence at the age of thirty” should be “established with a benevolent mind”.
