Attitudes towards Tradition in Ancient China: Part I

This paper explores writings of key Ancient Chinese thinkers till the end of Warring States Period (221 BC) in a historical order to bring out the conflict between traditionalist and modernist tendencies of those times. The focal point of this exploration is the way(s) an idealized past is responded to by major schools of thought in ancient China. Here, we chart out, analyze and interpret various Ancient Chinese points of view regarding the relative evaluation of the old and new values, ideas and techniques. In this first part, starting with an investigation and interpretation of vocabulary involved, we deal with few Pre-Confucian classics, Confucius himself and two of his great followers, Meng Zi and Xun Zi. The paper concludes that in spite of a predominantly conservative temperament, the Confucian texts and thinkers in question present a highly nuanced view of and open-ended way of applying the tradition. A pattern is discovered in their treatment of tradition-following and some principles are inferred from the writings of Xunzi, the most philosophical of all three thinkers we discuss.