A Discussion on Scholarly Ethos in Two Song Dynasties

In China′s history,there was a great change in the Song Dynasty.The economic,political,ideological and cultural formations in the society were different from those in the preceding dynasty,giving rise to great turns in the scholarly and social ethos and demonstrating a brand-new mental outlook.Intellectuals and scholar-bureaucrats in the Song Dynasty shifted from seeking fame and fortune which was popular in the prosperous Tang Dynasty to carrying forward moral spirit with an unprecedentedly strong consciousness to serve the country and consider the transformation of the world as their responsibility.They paid more attention to justice than profit,and advocated to become anchorites and maintain personal integrity during chaotic times.At the same time,there was a change in the thinking of the scholar-bureaucrat stratum,beginning to affirm the social value of industry and commerce.There were popular utilitarian social customs and habits considering that both industry and commerce played a basic role in society,which exerted significant influences on the academic thought at that time.However,in the specific historic period between the two Song Dynasties and between the Song Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty,there were also unique expressions of pressing competition,extravagance,and drifting along among intellectuals and scholar-bureaucrats.