The Debate Surrounding “Dismiss the Hundred Schools of Thought and Revere Only the Confucian Arts” and a Refutation of the Theory of the Autocracy of Han Dynasty Confucian Thought

Abstract

EDITOR’S ABSTRACT The popular Chinese portrayal of the victory of Confucianism, or in Chinese terms “dismiss the hundred schools of thought and revere only the Confucian arts,” has been challenged by some scholars in the past decades. Ding’s essay illustrates not only how it has been challenged but also how the catch phrase influences the scholarly discussion. As he indicates, recent Chinese studies that attempt to subvert the traditional theory share the same “flow.” They fail to note that the expression “dismiss the hundred schools of thought and revere only the Confucian arts” has had very negative connotations since it was invoked by Yi Baisha 易白沙 (1886–1921) to harshly denounce Confucianism for being responsible for the centuries-long Chinese autocracy.