Confucianism during Han Dynasty and Its Historical Destiny as Seen from Ban Gu's Baihutong

A case study is made on Ban Cu's Baihutong, the proceedings of a symposium on Han rites held at White Tiger Temple during emperor Zhangdi's reign. With the background of respect Confucianism as dominant ideology during Han Dynasty, the author analyses the social alteration since Zhou and Qin Dynasties and the necessity of all rivers flow to sea in political ideology; and points out that Baihutong,aiming at establishing an ideal society to be followed by later ages forever, was unable to evade the serious clash between the ideal of benevolent government and the reality of take the king as essential under dictatorial system. and was unable to alter the historical destiny for Han Dynasty to head toward decline and fall. Owing to the facts that this clash was originated from contradiction in system which had not been settled by successive dictatorial dynasties, perhaps, the answers to the cyclic rise and decline as well as the stagnancy of Chinese traditional society can be seen by analysing pathological section of this case.