Summary of PhD thesis: Le Phuong Duy

HANOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIESVEAT

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Le Phuong Duy

 

 

 

SPRING AND AUTUMN MANAGEMENT:TEXT PROBLEM

AND THE CONFUCIANISM OF NGO THI NHAM

 

Specialized:Han Nom

Code:62 22 01 04

 

 

 

 SUMMARYDOCTORAL THESIS ON CHINESE AND NOM CHARACTER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hanoi- 2020

 

 

INTRODUCTION

1. Reason for choosing the topic

Spring and Autumn GovernorunmarketablenCompiled by Ngo Thi Nham during the 5 years of hiding from the Tam Phu Kieu Binh (1782 - 1786). This can be considered a work of commentary on the entire scale of the Kinh.Spring and AutumnThe first and only of Vietnam. Compared with the works of commenting on the Buddhist scriptures of the same period,Spring and Autumn Governorunmarketablenhas a larger capacity than all. And not only is it large in capacity, this work also contains many academic and ideological values ​​that need to be exploited and clarified.Spring and Autumn GovernorunmarketablenPerhaps it was not only a place for Ngo Thi Nham to confide his thoughts and speak his mind about current events, especially his personal involvement in the Canh Ty case (1780), but also demonstrated his intellectual stature, education, as well as his ambitions and aspirations when he wanted to rely on the interpretation of scriptures.Spring and Autumnto find a way out for themselves and contemporary society. Therefore, the researchSpring and Autumn Managementhas important significance and contribution to the research on the person, academics, and thoughts of Ngo Thi Nham. At the same time, the researchSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablencan also contribute to clarifying some issues of Confucianism and Vietnamese Classics in this period.

Although introduced quite early, up to now, we have very few research works, specialized and in-depth approaches toSpring and Autumn Managementboth in terms of text and content and ideology. Based on understanding the research situation, current status of documents, determining the objectives and feasibility of the topic, as well as the needs and research capabilities of individuals, we decided to choose the work.Spring and Autumn Managementis the research object for the thesis:Spring and Autumn Management:ProblemDyesvaConfucianism and ideology of Ngo Thi Nham.

2. Scientific objectives

First of all, the thesis through textual research to clarify the textual situation ofSpring and autumn management,determine the quality of the text and select a reliable version for translation and research. Second, on the basis of directly exploiting the original textSpring and autumn management,The thesis focuses on studying some of Ngo Thi Nham's economic activities inSpring and autumn management,From there, proceed to clarify some Confucian thoughts of Ngo Thi Nham expressed in the work and give comments and assessments.

3. Research object - Scope of documents

3.1.Dresearch object

The subject of the thesis is the workSpring and Autumn Managementby Ngo Thi Nham, which focuses on the issues of text, Kinh learning activities and Confucianism of Ngo Thi Nham.

3.2. Scope of documents

The scope of the thesis is text.Spring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen(including 3 versions A.117; VHv.806; VHv.807 currently kept at the Institute of Han Nom Studies). Besides, Ngo Thi Nham's remaining documents such asGolden Horse Passing, Leisurely Bay on Water Clouds, Flowers of the Cold Pavilion…can provide supplementary information for the study of Ngo Thi Nham's Confucianism inSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablenare also documents that the topic is interested in.

4. Research methods

The thesis used the following research methods:

+ Linguistic and translation methods to explain the content of the workSpring and Autumn Management.

+ Textual and taboo methods to solve textual problems (survey, select base version, compare different versions, determine the date, publish reliable version...) ofSpring and Autumn Management.

+ Research methods of classics and hermeneutics to exploit and decode the ideological and meaningful content in the work

+ Methods of description, analysis, statistics, classification, comparison, contrast (synchronic, diachronic)... will be used throughout the research process.

+ In addition, the topic also combines the use of interdisciplinary approaches of history, history of ideas, culture,...

5. Contribution of the thesis

- The thesis summarizes the research and translation situation related to the topic from the 60s of the 20th century to the present. On that basis, it evaluates the achievements and shortcomings of previous works.

- Survey, compare, and make a table of some parts in the 3 versions.Spring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen,make judgments about the quality, guess the date and select the VHv.807 text as a reliable version for translation and research.

- Point out Ngo Thi Nham's point of view on the birth, meaning and value of economics.Spring and Autumn,purpose of compilationSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen.

- Summarize and present the four main methods used by Ngo Thi Nham to interpret the scriptures.Spring and Autumn.

- Research and clarify some issues aboutstyleandDyesoha Spring and Autumndiscussed in the work.

- Research and clarify Ngo Thi Nham's thoughts in aspects such as human-natural induction, ethics - cultivation, politics, and military. Initially, there is a comparison between Ngo Thi Nham's thoughts inSpring and Autumn GovernorunmarketablenWith some of his other works, it points out some factors from the historical context that influenced Ngo Thi Nham's classic interpretation and ideology.

- Provide a translation of the annotation (selected)Spring and Autumn Governorunmarketablengood quality for research purposes.

6. Structure of the thesis

In addition to the Introduction, Conclusion, References, and Appendix, the thesis is divided into 4 chapters.

Chapter 1: Overview of research status related to the topic and research direction.

Chapter 2: Textual problems of the Spring and Autumn Annals

Chapter 3: Ngo Thi Nham's economic activities in the Spring and Autumn Annals

Chapter 4: Confucianism of Ngo Thi Nham in Spring and Autumn Annals

 

Chapter 1. OVERVIEW OF RELATED RESEARCH

DUNMARKETABLENDYeahTALENT ANDDRESEARCH ORIENTATION

1.1. Overview of the scripturesSpring and Autumn

Coingrace periodThe Annals is one of the Confucian classics and also the earliest extant chronological history of China. According to legend,Spring and AutumnConfucius compiled it based on the historical books of Lu.Spring and AutumnThere are three series.The Story of Zuo Shi, The Story of Gong YangandThe Legend of Coc Luong,collectively known asThe Three Tales of Spring and AutumnThe company.During the Song Dynasty, a set ofThe Legend of the Hu ClanThe Book of Changes was compiled by Hu An Guo. This book has had a great influence on later generations.Three storiestogether withStorytellingReputable, Lake storyThe word "tranquility" is also calledSpring and Autumnustory.

1.2. Concept explanation

+) Spring and Autumn Studies

Spring and Autumn Studiesis a part of Kinh, specializing in the study ofSpring and Autumnalong with the Confucian commentaries and commentaries on this sutra throughout the ages and related issues.

+) Rules

"Rules"Spring and Autumnalso known as “rules” 例, “brushwork” 筆法, “calligraphy” 書法, “meaningful rules” 義例. “Rules” are the basis, the means to seek “great meaning in words”Spring and Autumnin writing. The ancients believed that when Confucius compiledSpring and Autumn "whatDwhat is it?D"If you want to leave, then leave"(筆則筆，削則削). There are principles in Confucius's "writing". That is the format or principle of recording and editing Confucius's History of Lu.

+)Dyesoha:

Great meaningSpring and Autumnrecognized by scholars throughout history as the political thought of Confucius contained inSpring and Autumn.Great meaningSpring and AutumnMainly including correcting the names, defining the status, denoting the titles, respecting the king and encroaching the barbarians, and great unification.

+) Micro-language

“Vi ngon” are deep, hidden words that cannot be expressed in words. Tuong Ba Tiem explains “vi ngon” as follows:“Outside "Dyesoha", Spring and Autumn Annals also has "wei yan". "wei yan" is the reform of the law.unmarketable, toDlike the worldDpeace came. Confucius through "helping people to understand"oha”Dto entrust his political ideals to Spring and Autumn.The "great meaning" can be sought in the text, but the "micro-words" cannot be discussed in words.

+) Management

“Spring and Autumn Contemplation” means a narrow understanding of the scriptures.Spring and Autumn,is the self-deprecating title of Ngo Thi Nham. However, although it is a "general view", the purpose of the narrative, the level of interest and the content of the commentary of Ngo Thi Nham shown in the work are not limited.

1.3. Related research and translation situationDunmarketablenDyestalent

With existing documents, we can summarize the research and translation situation related to the topic in 3 aspects:

1.3.1. Author's research situation, van Spring and Autumn Annalsunmarketablen and research work, effectivenessDpoint

1.3.1.1. ProblemDyesauthor

Based on information in two translationsCalendaryeshiunmarketablen chapter type(version of History Publishing House, 1961 and version of Translation Committee, Ministry of Culture, Education and Youth, Saigon, 1974) said the author ofSpring and Autumn GovernorunmarketablenNgo Thi Sy and Mai Ngoc Hong have researched documents and reaffirmed the author.Spring and Autumn GovernorunmarketablenIt is Ngo Thi Nham and cannot be Ngo Thi Sy.

1.3.1.2. ProblemDyesvan version and research work, editingDpoint

In this aspect, we can mention projects such as:Explore the Han Nom book collection - Source of documentsan Vietnamese history studies -Volume 2 of Tran Van Giap,Vietnam's Han Nom Heritage - DirectoryDyesyunmarketableu, Poetry Collection van Ngo Thi Nham-Introduction- episode 2;Ngo Thi Nham works -Volume 4 (Mai Quoc Lien editor-in-chief);Ngo Thi Nham Complete Works -Volume 4 (Editor-in-Chief Lam Giang); PartEffectDwater pointunmarketableI amaboutSpring and Autumn GovernorunmarketableninConfucianism - The Essence of the Borderby Dinh Thanh Hieu. It can be said that the introduction to the textSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablenin the above works (except the original)Grapevine) has only stopped at the level of generalization and outline.

1.3.2. Research status of Spring and Autumn Annalsunmarketablen and the thoughts of Ngo Thi Nham

1.3.2.1 Research worksyesHistory of Thought, Vietnamese Confucianism

There are not many research works in this group. First of all, we can mention the workHistory of Vietnamese Thought -Episode 1,Nguyen Tai Thu, editor-in-chief, Social Sciences Publishing House, Hanoi, 1997. In chapter XXIII, the authors quoted a few passages ofSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablento present the political and social thoughts, philosophical thoughts, and human ethics of Ngo Thi Nham, but the arguments and assessments are still quite sketchy.

PhD ThesisTrends of Vietnamese Confucianism in the second half of the 18th centuryDearly 19th century and the impactDits movement to van studyby Nguyen Kim Son (University of Social Sciences and Humanities, 1996), is the first work to devote a section to presenting aboutSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablenfrom the perspective of Kinh Hoc. The comments and assessments contained therein are very useful for future researchers.

InSome issuesDyesvyesVietnamese Confucianismedited by Phan Dai Doan, National Political Publishing House, 1998,The group of authors also introduced the works and classic approaches of Ngo Thi Nham.

1.3.2.2. Research worksyesNgo Thi Nham

First of all, the bookNgo Thi Nham - man and careeredited by Van Tan, published by Ha Tay Department of Culture and Information in 1974, quoted some passages ofSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablenas evidence to present some political thoughts, concepts of life and ethics of Ngo Thi Nham.

ProjectNgo Thi Nham in vaTay Son schoolby Mai Quoc Lien published by Nghia Binh Department of Culture and Information in 1985 also introduced the context of its creation and some of its contents.Spring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen,as well as initially giving their own assessments.

Two thesesThoughts of Ngo Thi Nham (1746 - 1803)by Tran Ngoc Anh (defended at the Southern Institute of Social Sciences, 2006) andNgo Thi Nham's social and political thoughtsby Tran Thi Thuy Ngoc (defended at University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU, 2019), also usedSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablento present some of Ngo Thi Nham's thoughts. But in general, both authors have not exploited much information fromSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen.

1.3.2.3. Specialized research projectsyesSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen

In addition to the above thesis, Tran Thi Thuy Ngoc also has works directly related toSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablenlike the article 吳時任的春秋管見的管見 (Managing ants inSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablenby Ngo Thi Nham) in the international conference "Confucianism in Vietnam and East Asia in Modern Times" held at Tzu Chi University, Taiwan, 2012 and the articleBall transferunmarketableNgo Thi Nham's thoughts from Spring and Autumn Annalsunmarketablen to Truc Lam sect main point original,Philosophy Magazine, No. 7, 2015.However, the author's analysis and comments are brief. And most of the data used is based on existing translations, not exploited from the original text.

1.3.3. Translation situation of Spring and Autumn Annalsunmarketablen

Can be considered a bookVietnamese ideologyunmarketable18th century (selected documents),2 volumes, Institute of Philosophy, Vietnam Social Sciences Committee, 1972 is the first selected translation document.Spring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen.This book introduces Ngo Thi Nham and his political and philosophical thoughts, and also selects and translates 5 sections of his work.Spring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen.

Next isPoetry collectionan Ngo Thi Nham(Volume 2), Social Sciences Publishing House, Hanoi, 1978 introduced the issue of text and content.Spring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen,At the same time, 7 sections of this book were translated. In the first 5 sections, the translated text is largely similar to the 5 sections in the collection.Vietnamese ideologyunmarketable18th century (selected documents),perhaps there was a legacy.

Total episodeaVietnamese Studies - Episode 7,Nguyen Loc, editor-in-chief, Social Sciences Publishing House, Hanoi, 2000 andNgo family collectionan sect -Episode 1, co-hosted by Tran Thi Bang Thanh and Lai Van Hung, introduces the preface.Spring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen,This translation is the translation inPoetry Collectionan Ngo Thi Nham.

In the two sets introducing Ngo Thi Nham's poetry and literature, which are quite large in scale, are:Ngo Thi Nham's work,4 volumes, edited by Mai Quoc Lien (Literature Publishing House and National Studies Center, 2002) andComplete works of Ngo Thi Nham,5 volumes, edited by Lam Giang (Social Sciences Publishing House, Hanoi, 2005),has dedicated separate volumes to introductions and translations.Spring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen.

1.3.4. Some comments

In general, up to this point, we have had very few specialized, in-depth studies onSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen. The existing works of Vietnamese academia are mostly at the level of introduction, case studies, preliminary studies, narrow perspectives and scope of approach, and research methods and orientations have not been clearly established. Therefore, the research results achieved are not many.

1.4.Dorienting the issuesDyesmain researchunmarketableu ofthesis

Based on the summary of the research situation, the thesis outlines three research directions to be implemented: 1. On the issue of text. 2. On the issue of Spring and Autumn Studies. 3. On the issue of Confucianism of Ngo Thi Nham.

Subunmarketablechapter 1

The introductory, research and translation works that Chapter 1 has summarized have only exploited this topic in a very limited way.Spring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen,Most of them are just a small part of a large research project on the history of ideology, the history of Vietnamese Confucianism or the ideology of Ngo Thi Nham. From the above research situation, to overcome the limitations of previous research projects, the thesis has outlined the research direction and tasks including three main contents: Textual issues, Spring and Autumn Studies issues (mainly including the problem of methodological analysis, content of "rules" and "great meaning" of Spring and Autumn) and the problem of Confucian ideology of Ngo Thi Nham.

 

Chapter 2. TEXT ISSUES OFSPRING AND AUTUMN GUAN KIUNMARKETABLEN

2.1.Spring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen -author, work

2.1.1. Biography of Ngo Thi Nham

Ngo Thi Nham 吳時任 (1746 － 1803) was the eldest son of Ngo Thi Sy. As a child, his name was Pho 付, later changed to Nham 任, courtesy name Hy Doan 希尹, alias Dat Hien 達軒, when studying Zen, he took the name Hai Luong Zen master. In the year At Mui, Canh Hung 36 (1775), he passed the Third Class Doctorate exam, then became an official for the Le - Trinh dynasty. In the year Mau Than (1788), Nguyen Hue went to the North for the second time, Ngo Thi Nham became an official for the Tay Son dynasty. When the Tay Son dynasty fell (1802), King Gia Long ordered Dang Tran Thuong to have him and Phan Huy Ich beaten at the Temple of Literature. He died after that beating, on February 16, Quy Hoi year (March 9, 1803), at the age of 58. It can be said that Ngo Thi Nham was an outstanding thinker, politician, writer, and military man in Vietnamese history in the late 18th century.

2.1.1. The work Spring and Autumn Annalsunmarketablen

Spring and Autumn GovernorunmarketablenCompiled by Ngo Thi Nham during his time in hiding from the Tam Phu Kieu Binh (1782). This work is based on the Kim Van text.Spring and Autumnpresents and comments on historical events of the Spring and Autumn period from Lu Yin Gong 1 (722 BC) to Lu Ai Gong 14 (481 BC), including 12 Gongs (242 years) based on references and comparisons withThree storiesand the explanation ofStorytelling, Storytelling(ieThe Legend of the Hu Clanof Ho An Quoc of the Song Dynasty), along with a number of Confucian scholars of all periods. All events occurred during the 12 reigns of the Duke ofSpring and Autumnfully quoted by Ngo Thi Nham. Compared with the works of commentary on Buddhist scriptures of the same period,Spring and Autumn Governorunmarketablenhas quite a large capacity.

2.2. Text description

2.2.1. Van version A.117

Document A.117 consists of 7 volumes, kept at the Institute of Han Nom Studies. This is a handwritten copy, written in plain script, consistent throughout the entire document. In general, the writing is clear, easy to read, with few variations. The document has a bullet point and a point. Document A.117 is the most complete copy of the content ofSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen.

2.2.2. Van version VHv. 806

Document VHv.806, kept at the Institute of Han Nom Studies, consists of 1005 pages. This is a handwritten document, consisting of 4 volumes, with a note and a note. The style of writing in the document is not consistent between volumes. In general, document VHv.806 is relatively difficult to process, because in many places the letters are small, scribbled, there are many vulgar and different words, and in addition, the erasures and editing are not clean. Document VHv.806 lacks the partDuke Xiang.

2.2.3. Van version VHv. 807

Document VHv.807, kept at the Institute of Han Nom Studies, consists of 1520 pages. This is a handwritten copy, consisting of 7 volumes, written in cursive style, with a consistent writing style from beginning to end. Although written in cursive style, the characters are clear, open, and easier to read than document VHv.806. The document has a bullet point and a bullet point. At the end of the document, a section of about 103 words is missing..The text may have been torn off this page.

2.3. Compare and contrast different versions

2.3.1. Select versionyesn

Based on the actual situation of the textSpring and Autumn GovernorunmarketablenAs presented above, we choose text A.117 as the base text to conduct research and comparison. Although this is the latest text, the contentSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablenfully preserved, clear text, clear structure, simple handwriting, with passing points.

2.3.2. Analysis of variants

In this section, we base on the theory of textual studies to divide the differences and imports between the different versions into two main types: unconscious differences (including errors in copying words, errors in copying missing words/sentences/paragraphs, errors in copying extra words, errors in copying wrongly, errors in sentence structure) and conscious differences (using different words, using different sentences), along with other phenomena such as importing and exporting text, using equivalent pairs of words. From the statistics, it can be seen that unconscious differences account for the majority. In terms of quality, we see that version VHv.807 has the fewest errors and is of the best quality, followed by version A.117 and finally version VHv.806 has the lowest quality.

2.4. Text generation

To determine the text generation, we rely on two criteria:

+) About the date of the text:

Based on the characteristics of the letter, the taboo word is as in the sectionText descriptionAs presented, we see that document A.117 was copied by the French Institute of the Far East, so it is the latest in date (around the beginning of the 20th century). The two documents VHv.806 and VHv.807 are older, copied around the end of the 19th century - the beginning of the 20th century. However, we do not have enough data to prove which document came first.

+) About text similarity:

Based on the survey results, we believe that text A.117 is most likely copied from text VHv.806, but may refer to other text sources (possibly including VHv.807), so some errors of VHv.806 have been corrected. However, due to lack of information, the establishment of a transmission diagram ofSpring and Autumn Managementnot possible

2.5. Select the publication version

After surveying, based on the criteria for publishing Text Studies, we decided to choose text VHv.807 as the most reliable version to publish and use in research and translation.

Chapter 2 Summary

In this chapter, we have used the methods of textual research, taboo studies... to conduct a survey and describe in detail the appearance of 03 texts.Spring and Autumn Managementincluding A.117, VHv.806, VHv.807, making conjectures about the text's age, choosing A.117 as the base text to compare, analyze the different versions, and classify the differences between the texts. We have created tables, provided research data and information about the integrity, similarities, advantages and disadvantages of each text. The research results show that all 03 texts have errors and omissions. However, VHv.807 is the best text to serve research and translation work.

 

Chapter 3. NGO THI NHAM'S ECONOMICAL ACTIVITIES

INSPRING AND AUTUMN GUAN KIEN

3.1. Ngo Thi Nham's views on the birth, nature and value of economicsSpring and Autumn

3.1.1. Viewpoints on the birth of the Spring and Autumn Annals

Ngo Thi Nham inherited the traditional Confucian view to continue to affirm that Confucius was the author.Spring and Autumnthrough his quoting of Mencius' words in the bookThe Descendant of Duke Wen of Teng - Menciusand no other comments. And at the end of the work, Ngo Thi Nham raised the causeSpring and Autumnborn to a higher level, that is because"heaven and earth, human affairs and things are composed"At the same time, he praised Confucius's "eight rebellions and anti-government" achievements in this classic..

3.1.2. Viewpoints on the nature and value of the Spring and Autumn Annals

Ngo Thi Nham paid special attention to the "hinh thu" nature and the value of "vi van the giam" (to serve as a mirror for all generations) and "kinh the chi dien" (the standard for governing the world) ofSpring and Autumn,as well as the merits of "eight rebellions against the government", "thuy tuyen", "thuy giao" (leaving teachings) for future generations of Confucius. Through that, Ngo Thi Nham's ideology of worshiping the Saints and classics is expressed continuously, systematically and clearly.

3.2. Purpose of compilationSpring and Autumn Management

As can be seen,Spring and Autumn Managementwas born with the first purpose of serving Ngo Thi Nham himself as a subject. Secondly, he wanted to promote the Dharma throughSpring and AutumnIn this book series, to help scholars cure the disease of only knowing how to parrot, not fully understanding the meaning of the classics, so that from there"when dealing with life"maybe"establish oneself, conduct oneself", "decide national affairs, establish governance".It can be said that the spirit of "understanding the scriptures and using them wisely" is the main reason to promoteSpring and Autumn Managementalong with other works of biblical commentary that followed one another during this period.

3.3. Method of analysis

3.3.1.Using the Three Stories and Interpretations of the Confucianists

InSpring and autumn management,There are about 1020 events that Ngo Thi Nham quoted in his stories.Three stories(Descriptionhas the highest citation rate), 15 citation eventsStorytelling,3 events citedLake storyand 41 events quoting the comments of other Confucian scholars. The rest are events that only quote the scriptures, without any narratives. The level of quoting the narratives is not uniform, depending on the nature of the event and the author's interest. The quoting of narratives in the work is closely related to the partManagerlater. In which, the author can: 1. Agree with the information in the story and continue to discuss and explain the meaning. 2. Refute the information in the story, give his/her own opinion to prove and correct it. 3. Discuss other issues based on the information in the story.

3.3.2.“Interpreting the Classics with the Classics” - using other Confucian classics to interpret the Spring and Autumn Annals

Citing other Confucian classics to explainSpring and Autumnis a tradition of the scriptures. While quoting, Ngo Thi Nham sometimes cited each scripture individually, or sometimes cited 2, 3 or even 4 scriptures at the same time. Generally speaking, inSpring and autumn management,Ngo Thi Nham ledTerrible(I Ching, Book of Songs, Book of Documents, Book of Rites, Zhou Rites) more than leadStory(Four Books)In citing the scriptures,I ChingandBook of Poetryis more than that.

3.3.3.“Memorizing facts” and the problem of stringing together information to narrate and comment on events

"Belonging to historical facts" is a characteristic of writing style.Spring and Autumnstated in theCommentary - Rites.InSpring and autumn management,In many events mentioned in the scriptures, Ngo Thi Nham has strung together and connected information from before to after to narrate or explain in a relatively detailed and coherent way the causes, beginning and end, developments, and results of an event or a story. This method can help readers easily grasp the beginning and end of the event and see the author's intention in commenting.

3.3.4."Using history as a mirror" - using Spring and Autumn to illuminate history

In the work, Ngo Thi Nham not only comments on the events and meanings ofSpring and Autumn,but also brings the events and meanings in this sutra to illuminate historical issues. From the sutras, connect and prove historical lessons, at the same time use historical lessons to explain and supplement the meanings of the sutras (“using history to prove the sutras” 以史證經), in order to assist in self-cultivation and political work.

3.4. Views on the style (writing style) of Spring and Autumn Annals

In the thesis, we have based on the division of rules.Spring and Autumnin the bookSpring and Autumn Annals Three Tales: The Righteousness and Rituals of Researchof Trieu Nhac Boi to present aboutThe Record of the State of Lu(King Lu ascends the throne; King Lu meets and returns to his country; Lady and Princess of Lu; Official of Lu; Disasters and Disasters of Lu; Construction of the city of Lu);Word usage(use words for war, use words for diplomacy);Title(Title of the feudal lord, title of the official). In each case, we give examples and analyze, pointing out the inheritance and development of the rules.Spring and Autumnby Ngo Thi Nham.

3.5. View of the great causeSpring and Autumn

InSpring and autumn management,Great meaningSpring and AutumnNgo Thi Nham often mentioned and discussed in each specific case with different levels. Due to the limitation of the thesis, we focus on understanding the interpretation of Dai Nghia.Spring and AutumnNgo Thi Nham's three issues: 1. "Defining the status" 定名分 (clearly defining the order of superiors and inferiors, not allowing chaos), 3. "Respecting the King and suppressing the barbarians" 尊王攘夷 (respecting the King of Zhou, suppressing the barbarians), 5. Great unification 大一統.

SubunmarketabletChapter 3

In Chapter 3, we focused on presenting five main issues, including: Ngo Thi Nham's views on the birth, meaning and value of economics.Spring and Autumn,purpose of compilationSpring and autumn management,method of analysis,view of form and view of meaningSpring and Autumnof Ngo Thi Nham. With the method of interpretation, we have pointed out four main methods that Ngo Thi Nham used to approachSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen.We have also devoted a lot of space to presenting Ngo Thi Nham's views on some typical cases of formality and great meaning. Through this, we initially point out Ngo Thi Nham's reception and inheritance of formality and great meaning from the Spring and Autumn Studies tradition..But at the same time, it also points out the establishment of rules and the promotion of the spirit of great justice through the interpretations bearing the personal mark and profound knowledge of Ngo Thi Nham. The careful study of the method of interpretation, rules, and great justiceSpring and Autumnis the foundation for us to learn about Ngo Thi Nham's Confucianism inSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablenin the next section.

 

Chapter 4. CONFUCIANISM OF NGO THI NHAM

INSPRING AND AUTUMN GUAN KIUNMARKETABLEN

4.1. The idea of ​​divine and human induction

InSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen,Ngo Thi Nham especially focused on discussing the issue of "human-heavenly induction". He believed thatSpring and AutumnHe recorded the events of calamity and disaster, thoroughly understood the events before and after, and saw that they all had their fulfillment. He was not indifferent or had no connection. He believed that human affairs could change the course of nature, provided that people knew how to fear the course of nature, cultivate virtue, and reform the government.

4.2. Moral ideology - self-cultivation

4.2.1. Cultivating loyalty and filial piety - the root of the Spring and Autumn teachings

Ngo Thi Nham considered loyalty and filial piety to be the key issue, the root of the teachings of theSpring and Autumn.Purpose of compilation by Ngo Thi NhamSpring and Autumn ManagementFirst of all, it is to serve oneself, to personally receive and understand, thereby seeking a method to learn to be loyal and filial..The spirit of promoting loyalty and filial piety and criticizing disloyalty and unfilial piety was discussed and promoted by Ngo Thi Nham throughout.Spring and Autumn Managementthrough many events and characters.

4.2.2. Distinguish between meaning and benefit

InSpring and autumn management,Distinguishing between righteousness and profit is a topic that Ngo Thi Nham is interested in. He often puts righteousness and profit in the public-private framework to comment on specific cases. In which, Ngo Thi Nham does not focus on explaining what righteousness and profit are, but mainly promotes the idea of ​​valuing righteousness over profit, criticizing the preference for profit over righteousness, the desire for fame, and abandoning work for private gain.

4.2.3. Methods, goals of personal cultivation and the relationship between will and spirit

Loyalty and filial piety are the most important requirements of subjects. So how can we build loyalty and filial piety? According to Ngo Thi Nham, the method is to cultivate Hao Nhien Qi. This is the Confucian method of cultivation to achieve loyalty and filial piety. He also reminded scholars that the purpose of the above mentioned cultivation is not only to help"self-discipline",but more broadly to the point"to rule the country, to establish the law", "to overthrow the government"when dealing with life of Confucian scholars. In the last part ofSelf,Ngo Thi Nham also discussed the relationship between will and spirit in self-cultivation to build loyalty and filial piety, control actions to be standard, and avoid mistakes.

4.2.4. Promoting women's virtue

“Phu duc” means “the virtue of women”. Ngo Thi Nham discussed “Phu duc” around issues such as the three obediences, four virtues, chastity, obedience, loyalty... He praised virtuous women like Thuc Co of Lu and strongly criticized promiscuous women who did not keep their chastity like Van Khuong of Lu, Tuyen Khuong of Ve...

4.3. Political ideology

4.3.1. Legitimacy andDyes unanimity

          Spring and Autumnis a book about status and legitimacy, great unity is the spirit that pervades the entire content of this Sutra. InSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen,Ngo Thi Nham continued to affirm and deepen, promote the significance of legitimacy and great unity for politics and society. According to him, there is a close relationship between legitimacy and great unity. Great unity is built on the basis of legitimacy.

4.3.2. The King and the Earl

"The King is superior to the Hegemon" means to exalt the King's way and despise the Hegemon's way. InSpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablen,Ngo Thi Nham has discussed many times the relationship between the King's way and the Hegemonic way, analyzed the uses of the King's way, the harms of the Hegemonic way, as well as the reasons why the King's way is revered and the Hegemonic way is degraded, thereby affirming and promoting the spirit of "respecting the King and despising the Hegemonic way" and expressing his political views.

4.3.3. Solemnity

Along with the spirit of promoting the King's way of governing with humanity and virtue, Ngo Thi Nham also promoted rituals and the role of rituals in politics. Ngo Thi Nham stated that, for the monarch, rituals are a tool to govern the country, a way to prevent the seeds of usurpation and chaos. For the subjects, Ngo Thi Nham believed that rituals are a good way to lead the king to follow the path.

4.3.4. ArmyDTao and water management methods

4.3.4.1 Cultivating virtue and encouraging discipline

By analyzing and criticizing a series of wrongdoings of monarchs inSpring and Autumnsuch as passion for material things, luxury, delay in government affairs, excessive travel, usurpation of authority, partial love, contempt for the people... Ngo Thi Nham gave lessons and punishments to the monarch, to deeply warn future kings to know how to reflect on them to learn lessons, to help cultivate virtue, discipline the body and mind, and adjust their behavior.

4.3.4.2. Repair of public property

Ngo Thi Nham's thoughts on the correction of the royal family focused on three issues: 1. Respecting the succession and the eldest son. 2. Respecting the husband-wife relationship, distinguishing between the eldest and the youngest. 3. Respecting other relationships (brothers, elders, youngers...) in the clan.

4.3.4.3. Governance

+)Dway of governing the country

Can saySpring and Autumn Governorunmarketablenis a book containing rich thoughts of Ngo Thi Nham on the way and method of governing the country for the monarchs that he entrusted in it. Issues such as promoting the King's way, governing the country with virtue, loyalty, humanity, ensuring legitimacy, obeying the rituals, fearing the mandate of heaven, preserving the people, choosing and using talented people, staying away from evil, being cautious in war and punishment... were always mentioned by him through analysis and commentary. In addition, we can talk about some other views on the way and method of governing the country of Ngo Thi Nham such as: Governing the country with humanity and promoting self-reliance; holding power; maintaining the right religion, the rules; using talented people, staying away from petty people.

+) The relationship between king and subject and the way of rulingyesI

Regarding the relationship between king and subject, also according to the traditional concept of Confucianism, Ngo Thi Nham believed that the king and subject were one entity. The two sides were like form and shadow, inseparable and had mutual influence. In the way of treating subjects, Ngo Thi Nham also emphasized the issue of power and favor. Both of these issues must be maintained and used in the monarch's way of governing the country and treating subjects.

+) Consider people as the root

In the work, the idea of ​​"considering the people as the root" is expressed in aspects such as respecting the people, being close to the people, protecting the people, loving the people, and being lenient with the people... Ngo Thi Nham believes that "considering the people as the root" is the mind of the Saint, the principle of the people.Spring and Autumn.Therefore, Ngo Thi Nham's thought of "considering people as the root" inSpring and Autumn ManagementIt is also an inheritance and development of Confucius's thought in particular and Confucianism in general from the classics.

4.3.5. Divine principles and the principle of servanthood  

4.3.5.1. Maintain proper position, do not be arbitrary or rebellious.

Ngo Thi Nham gave examples to admonish disrespectful people, warning future subjects to be loyal to the king, to keep their positions, and to fulfill their duties. At the same time, he also reminded the monarch to know how to control his subjects from the beginning, to hold power in his hands to prevent disasters.

4.3.5.2. Cultivate virtue, fulfill one's duties

Ngo Thi Nham believed that a subject must know how to maintain a steadfast heart, cultivate integrity, and be loyal to the public. A subject must also know how to use loyalty to overcome difficulties, have intelligence and strategy to preserve the country, and treat neighboring countries in harmony.

4.3.5.3. How to keep yourself

Many places inSpring and Autumn Management, Ngo Thi Nham gave ways for subjects to protect themselves such as: A subject serving the king must be humble, if not humble, it is easy to be destroyed. A subject must consider purity, integrity, and gentleness as precious, but if facing adversity in the officialdom, he must act appropriately, if he intentionally shows it in an excessive way, he will not be able to protect himself.

4.4. Military ideology

4.4.1. Criticism of unjust war

From Confucius, Mencius to the Confucian scholars of all dynasties, they all stood on the foundation of upholding the royal way, opposing the unjust wars of the Spring and Autumn period, which caused social chaos and people's suffering. Ngo Thi Nham also expressed that spirit when discussing the events of war during theSpring and autumn management.

4.4.2. Military strategy

Regarding the way of using troops, Ngo Thi Nham believed that a country does not need to be large, if it is self-reliant then no one will overwhelm it. Soldiers do not need to be numerous, if they are clever in planning then no one can defeat them. The way of using troops must be cautious, careful, disciplined, not hasty, not reckless, and must be moderate, considering suitability. In the army, Ngo Thi Nham affirmed that generals and soldiers are both important and closely linked together. However, because ofSpring and AutumnBecause he considered the lives of the people of the country as the most important, Ngo Thi Nham always emphasized the need to choose a commander, because if the choice was not careful, disaster could come to the entire country.

CONCLUDE

1. The period from the late 18th century to the early 19th century has always been considered a period of strong development of Vietnamese Classics, marking the birth of a series of Classics works in fields such as interpretation of meaning, summary, summary, Nom interpretation... with large scale and magnitude, attracting many authors with different approaches and levels of interest. The achievements of Classics in this period far surpassed those of the previous and subsequent periods. In particular, the field of interpretation of the meaning of classics can be considered to have achieved the most outstanding and special achievements. The authors of Classics in this period clearly demonstrated their academic interest, their efforts to penetrate and realize the meaning of classics, overcoming the barriers of learning from chapters and examinations, escaping the constraints of the massive and authoritative system of legends and commentaries to proactively discuss, criticize and give their own opinions. AndSpring and Autumn Management- commentarySpring and AutumnNgo Thi Nham's is a typical achievement of this trend. This work has the largest volume and is also a work of commentary.Spring and Autumnunique among the extant Vietnamese works of commentary on Buddhist scriptures. Not only is it extensive in volume,Spring and Autumn Managementstill rich in academic value. The birth of the work is a testament to the remarkable development of Vietnamese Classics at that time.

2.Spring and Autumn ManagementThere are currently 03 documents and all are kept at the Institute of Han Nom Studies with the symbols A.117, VHv.806, VHv.807. Although the number of versions is not much, the capacity is large and the content is relatively complex. To solve this problem, in this thesis, we use methods and operations of textual research to describe in detail the appearance and characteristics of each text, select the base version, compare, contrast, and analyze the versions, thereby making conjectures about the age and quality of each version and finally proceed to choose the text VHv.807 as a reliable version to serve the research and translation work.

3.Spring and Autumn Managementwas born in the turbulent context of Vietnam in the second half of the 18th century. The reason for composing and the purpose of this work came from the failure and stumble in the Le - Trinh political arena of Ngo Thi Nham, combined with the context of political, social, and academic decline, the failure in managing the country and society of Confucianism, ... that the author himself had to witness and experience. This period marked special events in the history of the country as well as the life of Ngo Thi Nham. It has similarities with the circumstances and purposes of Confucius's composition.Spring and Autumn.Perhaps that's why Ngo Thi Nham choseSpring and Autumnto interpret and deposit ideas, not another set of scriptures. This is also a characteristic of the history of the Confucian feudal regime in general and the history of Confucian Classics in particular. Whenever people want to start building a peaceful and unified world, they need toSpring and Autumn.And when life declines and religion fades, rituals and music decay, people also need it.Spring and Autumnwith the hope of restoring order and reputation. Motivation for writingSpring and Autumn ManagementNgo Thi Nham's work is not out of this problem. The spirit of worshiping Confucius and the value and meaning ofSpring and Autumnis the factor that governs the entire author's viewpoint and the content and ideas of the work. Ngo Thi Nham's original intention was to use the narrative activity to re-interpret the work.Spring and Autumnto realize and affirm the eternal truths contained in the scriptures of the Saints, in order to comprehend and cultivate oneself. At the same time, he also hoped that this work could contribute to helping scholars cure the disease of "mentalism", have the right way to establish themselves, conduct themselves, and pursue politics. The purpose of "eight rebellions and counter-government", to revive Daoism, restore Confucianism, and hope for a peaceful and unified world was conveyed by him in the content of the work. This is compatible with the purpose of the birth of other works of commentary on the Classics of the same period such asAnalects, Classic of Poetry...

4. The use of the word "quan kien" in the title of the work implies humility in terms of education and personal perceptions ofSpring and Autumn. The form of "management" is similar toManagement, Annunciation, Shallow Commentary, Defeat, Brief Treatise, Phu Thuyet...in the history of Chinese and Vietnamese Classics, although the form and level of approach are different. However, the scope, content of research and discussion of Ngo Thi Nham in the work is not limited, it can even be said to be very profound. From the foundation of the meaning ofSpring and Autumnin particular and traditional Confucianism in general,Ngo Thi Nham expanded the connection to other issues such as characters, events, ceremonies, diplomacy, military wealth, orders of the times, disasters... of himself.Spring and Autumnas well as placing them in relation to the past. All of them were seriously and thoroughly researched and interpreted by him. Ngo Thi Nham's evaluation and expression of views are not beyond the scope of the "fine words and great meanings" of the saints contained in the classics.

5. InSpring and Autumn Management, Ngo Thi Nham has closely followed and kept the structure ofSpring and Autumn.In which, more than 1800 events of this sutra are fully cited. Considering the forms of adaptation in the history of adaptationSpring and Autumn, Spring and Autumn Managerincluding all forms such as commentary on the meaning of classics, commentary on calligraphy, examination of meaning, compilation of annotations... However, commentary on the meaning of classics is still the main tendency in the work. Ngo Thi Nham does not stick to the text, does not make annotations.Spring and Autumnin the style of chapters and verses, without division, restructuring, or classifying the content of the scriptures asIgnorance of the Analects,also does not summarize, discuss the essential points such asBook of scriptures.He completely obeyed the order ofSpring and Autumn,useThree storiesand the explanation of the Confucianists as the basis for tracing and seeking the meaning of the Saint's ideology.Three stories,he usesDescriptionthe most. His repeated criticismDescriptionmainly from the perspective of commentary on meaning, but on the issue of historical events, he mostly adheres to the content of theDescription. Lake story.Although rarely quoted, it is not that Ngo Thi Nham was not influenced byLake story.In the sectionManager,We can see scattered inheritance of Ngo Thi Nham to Ho Truyen such as some rules, time order (以夏時冠周月 “using the season of the Xia Dynasty to put before the month of the Zhou Dynasty”), concept of Hoa – Di… However, this issue still needs more time to research so we will present it on another occasion. In addition to usingThree storiesand based on the explanation of Tien Nho, Ngo Thi Nham also used other methods such as applying other Confucian classics to explain.Spring and Autumn,string together information to narrate and comment on events, usingSpring and Autumnhistorical reflection was also used by him to interpretSpring and Autumn.In the history of the interpretation of Confucian classics, these are traditional methods. However, under the precise and skillful application of Ngo Thi Nham, these methods have maximized their effectiveness and helped the subject of interpretation express his purpose and thoughts, as well as making the content of the work rich, lively, and rich in academic value.

6. Sources of materials used inSpring and Autumn Managementmainly scriptures and history. Regarding scriptures, first of all, there are those collections directly related toSpring and AutumnlikeZuo Zhuan, Gongyang Zhuan, Guliang Zhuan, Spring and Autumn Annals Zuo Zhuan's Justice(Du Yu's note, Kong Yingda's note),Spring and Autumn Complete(includeStorytelling, Storytellingand the commentary of Tien Nho), and then other Confucian classics. We do not see the appearance of any works of Classical Studies onSpring and Autumnof the Qing Dynasty, although the Spring and Autumn Annals of the Qing Dynasty were quite developed. Regarding history, we can mention books such asHistorical Records, Han Dynasty, Song Dynasty History, Ming Dynasty History...Besides,Spring and autumn are prosperousDong Zhongshu's is also often mentioned. It can be said that the amount of materials used in such a massive workSpring and Autumn ManagementSo that's not too much. However, in our opinion, the author's choice is selective and reflects his own intention. BecauseSpring and Autumnboth scripture and history, so when approachingSpring and Autumn,Ngo Thi Nham had to deal with both the classics and history. Using the meaning of the classics to reflect on history and using history to prove the meaning of the classics was a major trend inSpring and autumn management.And in fact, Ngo Thi Nham has skillfully resolved the relationship between classics and history by continuously connecting many facts ofSpring and Autumnwith characters, events, dynasties... throughout Chinese history to comment and draw lessons on ethics, politics, and society. Therefore, he mainly chose to use classic and historical documents. At the same time, perhaps Ngo Thi Nham also wanted to use ancient documents, which according to him are truly reliable sources to trace, research information and ideological meanings. Reading the work, it can be seen that he has tried his best to exploit, compare, and search for connections between information and evidence in classics and history to make his judgments carefully.

7.Spring and Autumn Managementcontains many issues of Spring and Autumn Studies. As mentioned above, these issues are very broad and complex, so our thesis only focuses on the two most essential parts of Spring and Autumn Studies, which are "forms" and "great meaning". Other issues such as characters, events, diplomacy, rituals, disasters... are presented around those two parts. Regarding the issue of form, through analyzing some cases of formSpring and Autumninterpreted, we can see that Ngo Thi Nham both inherited and transformed, and developed the issue of "formality".Spring and Autumn,especially the system of "rules" ofThree stories.Characteristics of the formal approachSpring and AutumnNgo Thi Nham's approach has similarities with the tendency to approach formalism of scholars in the late Qing Dynasty. Regarding the issue of great meaning, we have also presented the issue of great meaning.Spring and AutumnNgo Thi Nham explained it through aspects such as defining status, respecting the King and ceding the Barbarians, and great unification. Basically, the spirit of great righteousnessSpring and Autumnwas fully inherited by Ngo Thi Nham. He did not offer a new understanding of this issue. However, Ngo Thi Nham had his own ways of interpreting the path to the common goal of great righteousness. That is, in some cases, he relied on his own interpretation of the rules or re-examined historical information in classics, in history books... to string together, praise and criticize, and re-evaluate events and characters, thereby expressing his ideological stance without deviating from the orbit of great righteousness.Spring and Autumn.That is the unique feature of Ngo Thi Nham. Approaching the issues of Spring and Autumn Studies with such a deep and wide scale, before and after Ngo Thi Nham, no one in Vietnamese Confucianism has done it. This shows that at this stage, Vietnamese Classics had developed to the academic level and created a strong academic trend.

8. From studying the Kinh Hoc activities of Ngo Thi Nham inSpring and Autumn Managementsuch as viewpoint, purpose of the narrative, method of interpretation, view on form, general meaningSpring and Autumn, the thesis moves towards studying the Confucian thought of Ngo Thi Nham in the following aspects: Thought of human-heavenly induction, thought of morality-cultivation, political thought, military thought. This represents a whole of Confucian thought, from the interaction, induction between heaven and man affecting morality-cultivation, from morality-cultivation manifesting politics, military. Of course, the Confucian thought of Ngo Thi Nham is not only that, but here we only mention the issues present inSpring and autumn management.BySpring and Autumnclosely related to Confucian political scienceSpring and Autumn Managementdiscussed much about this aspect. Basically, it can be seen that Ngo Thi Nham's Confucianism inSpring and Autumn Managementshows the tendency to delve into the understanding and development of the Saint's thoughts, continuing to affirm the values ​​of "natural and natural justice" in the classics, completely without criticism, denial, or intention to establish different, contradictory thoughts. Ngo Thi's Confucian thoughts inSpring and Autumn Managemententirely based on the foundation of traditional Confucian principles. This is the basic element for Ngo Thi Nham to express his views, interpretations and explanations. Among them, issues such as loyalty, filial piety, humanity, legitimacy, unity, respect for the king, primogeniture, considering the people as the root... are discussed a lot by Ngo Thi Nham. These are probably the "subtle words" that contain Ngo Thi Nham's self-clarification and his desire for humanism and worldly morality. At the same time, they also show the need of the times that are thirsting for stability and order.

9. While taking refuge from the Tam Phu Kieu Binh, Ngo Thi Nham's mood was very complicated. Sometimes he appeared depressed and desperate, but sometimes he appeared optimistic, waiting for a new opportunity to demonstrate his talent. He still considered following the wise, making achievements, and bringing honor to his parents as"the career of our Confucian scholars"(Recording of Hoc Ton Thi - Part 3 - Thuy Van Nhan Vinh). And finally, the matter of "seeing the opportunity wisely" (being wise enough to see the opportunity) and "following the times" is still placed above all by Ngo Thi Nham. According to him, the right way to act is not something that a true gentleman should pay attention to. When the opportunity comes, he should help the world and fulfill his duty as a Confucian scholar. Standing at the crossroads of life, the academic and ideological issues discussed by Ngo Thi Nham are expressed inSpring and autumn management,It seemed to be to seek a direction for the future and prepare for a new opportunity to perform that he was waiting for. The spirit of "leaving the government" never cooled down in him. And this became a reality when he determined to abandon the traditional framework of loyalty to follow the Tay Son dynasty, following the spirit of responsibility of the "Saintly person".

10. Selection and researchSpring and Autumn Managementof the thesis is a continuation and supplement to the trend of exploiting and researching the works of Vietnamese Confucian scholars. This is a trend of Confucian studies that has achieved many successes in recent years in Vietnam. It has directly contributed to the research of Classics, Vietnamese Confucianism and the thoughts of Ngo Thi Nham. At the same time, it also aims to serve the teaching and learning of Confucian classics at all levels of training in the Han Nom major at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU. However, because Xuan Thu Studies is a difficult and quite new academic field for Vietnamese scholars, in addition to the limitations of time and capacity, the thesis has not been able to thoroughly research the contents ofSpring and autumn management.Hopefully there will be future works that continue to delve deeper into this work.

 

LIST OF AUTHOR'S SCIENTIFIC WORKS

RELATED TO THE THESIS

1. Le Phuong Duy (2017), “DetoxificationSpring and Autumn Palace Templeby Ngo Thi Nham",Han Nom Research 2017(Proceedings of the national scientific conference with peer review), The Gioi Publishing House, Hanoi, pp. 357-369.

2. Le Phuong Duy (2018), “The hermeneutical method of scriptureSpring and Autumnby Ngo Thi Nham inSpring and Autumn Management”, Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (special issue of Scientific Conference for young cadres and postgraduate students)Vol. IV (3b), pp. 432-446.