On Annotations of "Zhong" in Different Historical Periods

The concept of zhong firstly appeared in Analects of Confucius.In the works of pre-Qin Dynasty,the explanations of the word zhong varied from each other with different perspective and emphasis.The similarity lies in that they stressed inside sincerity and outside selflessness.From Han and Tang Dynasties to Ming and Qing Dynasties,annotations of zhong were quite different from those before.Specifically speaking,firstly,many scholars explained zhong according to its pronunciation,form and meaning;secondly,some annotated zhong on the basis of the understanding of Analects of Confucius;thirdly,annotations of the scholars reflected features to some extent of their respective times and schools.However,the most prominent characteristic of the annotations by modern and contemporary scholars is to bravely get rid of the feudalism from the concept of zhong and endow it with distinct zeitgeist,which will make the old ethical concept vigorous again.