Abstract
Li Gou was an important thinker during the early Northern Song and an intellectual ally of Fan Zhongyan, one of the most famous politicians of his time. Both Li and Fan shared similar political ideals, and they worked tirelessly to implement their dao in government. One of the cornerstones of their political ideology was the concept of moral transformation or jiaohua 教化. This thesis analyzes Li Gou’s conception of moral transformation, and his view of how it could be implemented by literati and the state, against the background of early Northern Song politics. This study begins with a brief discussion of Li Gou’s life and times found in Chapter Two. This sets the stage for Chapter Three, which focuses on Li’s theory of moral transformation. Li reinterpreted this concept as it was found in Pre-Qin Confucianism in order to meet the needs of his time. He argued that the sages (shengren 聖人) created ritual norms in high antiquity in response to human sentiments and societal conditions. Li moreover expanded the significance of ritual by linking it to seven key moral and political norms: ren 仁, yi 義, zhi 智, xin 信, yue 樂, zheng 政 and xing 刑. Li emphasized that the function of ritual was not only to satisfy human desire but also to control it. He also developed Han Yu’s theory of the human nature, arguing that man’s goodness was not innate, but rather depended on his desire to improve himself through the study and practice of ritual. Li asserted that through hard work and study it was possible for human beings to match the achievements of the ancient sages. In Chapter 4, I turn to the problem of how Li Gou’s concept of moral transformation could be implemented within government and society. Despite the fact that Li never managed to pass the exams and become an official, he cared for the people and thought deeply about how to enlighten and educate them. He maintained that literati could use writing to explicate moral principles and spread the ritual teachings of the sages. Li worried about the corrupting influence of the Xikun style (西崑體) popular during the early Northern Song, which stressed literary refinement over moral principles. In response, he championed Han Yu’s view of guwen (古文), and its emphasis on using writing to illuminate the dao. Li stressed the political and educational function of writing, and argued for its utility in educating the people and ruling the state. In addition, Li contended that the state had an important role to play in implementing the moral transformation of the populace. Li advocated for the government to establish local schools, and modify the examination system to place a greater emphasis on the moral virtue of prospective officials. He also recommended that the emperor comply with ritual norms and institute clear policies for the people to follow. In his writings, Li provided a blueprint based on the political system devised by the ancient sages, arguing that it could guide the emperor and his rule. He believed that if the emperor followed his blueprint for morally transforming the populace, then the people’s needs would be met and the state would attain peace.