BEFORE BECOMING CONFUCIANS: RU IN THE SECOND CENTURY B.C.E.

Abstract

The meaning of ru varied from time to time; it was not fixed once and for all. This thesis examines the exact reference of ru from the beginning of the Han dynasty (206 BCE) to the reign of Emperor Wu before he adopted the Five Classics as the official curriculum for civil examination in 136 BCE.It shows that the meaning of ru was far from precise, and it referred to a fairly broad range of people who might not be exactly well versed in the works that would later be classified as “classics” by the imperial government. By investigating the evolving meanings of ru in the early Han, this thesis aims to enhance our understanding of the development of Confucian thought in Han times.