On the Academic Thoughts of the Hunan Talent Group in the Xianfeng and Tongzhi Periods of the Later Qing Dynasty

The School of Idealist Philosophy and the School of Administering Practical Affairs represent the two different academic perspectives of Internal Holiness and External Governance respectively,which had been hard to be intermingled during the historical development of Confucianism.Because of its much discussion about doctrines,the School of Idealist Philosophy of Confucianism had once been denounced,and thus for a long time was regarded as weak and biased.However,during the late Qing Dynasty,it became a hot topic with the propagating and development by a group of Reviving Celebrated Officials. During the Xianfeng and Tongzhi Periods,because of the unprecedented social crisis,the Hunan group of talents with Zeng Guofan as the representative had to value the School of Administering Practical Affairs in spite of the fact that they received the Idealist Philosophy School of Confucianism with Chenghao and Zhuxi as the representatives.The combination of the two schools of Confucianism not only remitted the social crisis at the time,but also promoted another resurgence of the Confucian school of Idealist Philosophy.