Page:The Mythology of All Races Vol 8 (Chinese and Japanese).djvu/35

Rh of the Emperor Ching Ti, who was appointed by his father to be King of the Principality of Lu (modern Shantung). This text was written in the so-called "tadpole" characters, k'o-tou wên, and is known as the "ancient text," ku wên. The other text came from the neighbouring principality of Ch'i and, being written in the characters which were used in the last years of the Chow dynasty, is known as the "modern text," chin wên. The compilation of K'ung An-kuo, with some emendations, has remained the standard of the Conservative School for all succeeding generations, and as it includes the Ch'un Ch'iu or "Spring and Autumn Annals," it carries back the account of China's ancient civilization to a great antiquity.

It is thus evident that there have been from ancient times two lines of development in Chinese thought, one conservative and the other liberal. These have not been mutually exclusive, but have flourished side by side and not infrequently have been found together in the writings of one person. From the western point of view there is a lack of precision in the differences between these two schools, but to the Chinese the contrast lies in their general ideas rather than in details.