Great Learning

The Great Learning was originally one chapter in the Records of Rites. It consists of a short main text attributed to Confucius and nine commentary chapters by Zeng Zi, one of Confucius's disciples. Its importance is illustrated by Zeng Zi's foreword that this is the gateway of learning.

It is significant because it expresses many themes of Chinese philosophy and political thinking, and has therefore been extremely influential both in classical and modern Chinese thought. Government, self cultivation and investigation of things are linked. It links together individual action in the form of self-cultivation with higher goals such as ultimate world peace as well as linking together the spiritual and the material. In addition, by defining the path of learning (dao) in governmental and social terms, the Great Learning both links the spiritual with the practical, and creates a vision of dao that is radically different from that presented by Daoism. In particular, the Great Learning sets Confucianism as being this-worldly rather than other-worldly. Finally, the Great Learning also creates a conservative political discourse. Instead of basing its authority on an external deity, the Great Learning bases its authority on the practices of ancient kings.

[Language] Chinese