Reconstruction of the “Great Unification” Concept by the Northern Confucian Scholars During the Jin-Yuan Transitional Period

Abstract

The Jin-Yuan transitional period was the crucial turning point of the transformation of the Chinese nation community form. With the “reconstruction of Confucian orthodoxy” as their core thought, the northern Confucian scholars had achieved a political philosophical breakthrough in the “great unification” concept from the “mutual learning among civilizations” to the “consensus among civilizations” through the ontological foundation of the “universalization of heavenly principles”, the values cultivation of the “ethicalization of the kingly way”, and the practical innovation of “institutionalization of governance”. During the Jin Dynasty, the northern Confucian scholars promoted the cultural transformation through reforming traditional orthodoxy and integrating the traditional etiquettes and customs of various ethnic groups in the north. During the Jin-Yuan transitional period, under the background of the transformation of the northern, the northern Confucian scholars explored the ontological construction of the “great unification” through the method of mutual learning among civilizations. They had rooted in the concept of “Tao”, and transcended the debate between China and the barbarians. Thus, a new political philosophical interpretation of the “great unification” concept was formed. After the unification of the Yuan Dynasty, the southern Confucianism and the northern Confucianism were integrated together. The northern Confucian scholars exhibited a high level of cultural awareness and engaged in institutional practices from various perspectives.