ArticleOpen Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jacs.2025.12.003
Cultural Co-construction: The Differences between Dong Zhongshu’s Confucianism and the Teachings of Confucius and Mencius
Yiquan Zhou1, Nan Zhu2, Shaoqing Ma1,*
1Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou 730030, Gansu, China.
2School of Journalism and Communication, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China.
*Corresponding author: Shaoqing Ma
Published: December 18, 2025
Abstract
Confucius advocated benevolence as the core and put forward a unique view of righteousness and interests, constructing the main structure of Confucianism. Mencius advocated the theory of goodness of nature and put forward the thought of benevolent government, which developed Confucianism on the thought of Confucius. After dong Zhongshu’s innovation, Confucianism adapted to the development of a unified society, but compared with Confucius and Mencius, there are certain differences. After emperor Wudi, Confucianism became the main cultural subject and mainstream ideology in traditional Chinese society. By comparing the differences between the two theories, this paper will help us enhance our cultural confidence, and provide a relatively new perspective for understanding Confucian culture.
Keyword
Confucius; Dong Zhongshu theory; Benevolence
References
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Copyright
© 2025 by the author(s).
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How to cite this paper
Cultural Co-construction: The Differences between Dong Zhongshu’s Confucianism and the Teachings of Confucius and Mencius
How to cite this paper: Shaoqing Ma. (2025). Cultural Co-construction: The Differences between Dong Zhongshu’s Confucianism and the Teachings of Confucius and Mencius. Journal of Anthropology and Cultural Studies, 1(1), 11-14.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jacs.2025.12.003