The Doctrine of the Mean is one of the classics of Chinese Confucianism. It was originally the 31st chapter of the Book of Rites and was said to be written by Kong Ji (Zisi) during the Warring States Period. Its content affirms that the Doctrine of the Mean is the highest standard of moral behavior, regards “sincerity” as the ontology of the world, and believes that “utmost sincerity” reaches the highest realm of life. It also proposes the learning process and cognitive method of “learning extensively, questioning carefully, thinking carefully, distinguishing clearly, and practicing diligently”. In the Song Dynasty, it was extracted from the Book of Rites and combined with The Great Learning, The Analects of Confucius, and Mencius to form the “Four Books”. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, it became an official textbook for schools and a must-read for the imperial examinations, which had a great influence on ancient Chinese education.
《中庸》是中国儒家经典之一，原是《礼记》第三十一篇，相传为战国时期孔伋（子思）所作。其内容肯定“中庸”是道德行为的最高标准，把“诚”看成是世界的本体，认为“至诚”则达到人生的最高境界，并提出“博学之，审问之，慎思之，明辨之，笃行之”的学习过程和认识方法。宋代从《礼记》中抽出，与《大学》《论语》《孟子》合为“四书”。宋元以后，成为学校官定的教科书和科举考试的必读书，对中国古代教育产生了极大的影响。
中庸·二十七
大哉！圣人之道！洋洋乎，发育万物，峻极于天。优优大哉！礼仪三百，威仪三千，待其人而后行。故曰：“苟不至德，至道不凝焉。”故君子尊德性而道问学，致广大而尽精微，极高明而道中庸。温故而知新，敦厚以崇礼。是故，居上不骄，为下不倍。国有道，其言足以兴；国无道，其默足以容。诗曰：“既明且哲，以保其身”，其此之谓与！
XXVII
Oh! How great is the divine moral law in man. Vast and illimitable, it gives birth and life to all created things. It towers high up to the very heavens. How wonderful and great it is! All the institutions of human society and civilization—laws, customs and usages—have their origin there. All these institutions wait for the man before they can be put into practice. Hence it is said: Unless there be highest moral power, the highest moral law cannot be realised.
Wherefore the moral man, while honouring the greatness and power of his moral nature, yet does not neglect inquiry and pursuit of knowledge. While widening the extent of his knowledge, he yet seeks to attain utmost accuracy in the minutest details. While seeking to understand the highest things, he yet lives a plain, ordinary life in accordance with the moral order. Going over what he has already acquired, he keeps adding to it new knowledge. Earnest and simple, he respects and obeys the laws and usages of social life.
Therefore, when in a position of authority, he is not proud; in a subordinate position, he is not insubordinate. When there is moral social order in the country, what he speaks will be of benefit to the nation; and when there is no moral social order in the country, his silence will ensure forbearance for himself. In the Book of Songs it is said:
“With wisdom and good sense,
He guards his life from harm.”
That is the description of the moral man.
