Great Learning: Bilingual Edition, English and Chinese 大學: A Confucian Classic of Ancient Chinese Literature 四書

This edition of Great Learning features both English and Chinese side by side for easy reference and bilingual support. The paragraphs are organized for easy reading.

Great Learning is a classic of Confucianism and one of the Four Books of Confucian philosophy. The Great Learning is significant because it expresses many themes of Chinese philosophy and political thinking, and has therefore been extremely influential both in classical and modern Chinese thought. The Great Learning represented a key aspect of the Chinese curriculum for nearly 1500 years and can be found in virtually all aspects of Chinese culture. The Great Learning within the Chinese curriculum acted as a "springboard" for further learning, "self cultivation and investigation of things." Through self-cultivation one can bring order and harmony to one's mind, personal life, family, state and the world as a whole. By defining the path of learning (Dao) in governmental and social terms, the Great Learning links the spiritual realm with daily life, thus creating a vision of the Way (Dao) that is radically different from that of non-action as presented by Daoism. The Great Learning,on the other hand, requires action on the part of the individual towards the ultimate goal of self-cultivation through the "expansion of knowledge and the investigation of things." The Great Learning presents Confucianism as being this-worldly rather than other-worldly. As opposed to basing its authority on an external deity, the Great Learning bases its authority on the practices of ancient kings.

《大学》是儒家经典《四书》之一，《大學》原是《禮記》第四十二篇，內文的撰成約在戰國末期至西漢之間，作者是誰尚未定論。一說是曾子所作[1]；一說是孔門七十子後學者所作。在南宋前从未单独刊印过。自唐代韩愈、李翱维护道统，开始推崇《大学》与《中庸》。北宋時司馬光編撰《大學廣義》，是為大學獨立成書之始。程顥、程頤又編撰《大學》原文章節成《大學定本》。南宋時朱熹編撰《大學章句》，並與《论语》、《孟子》、《中庸》合編為《四書》。按照朱熹的看法，《大学》是孔子及其门徒留下来的遗书，是儒学的入门读物。因此，朱熹把它列为「四书」之首。

《大学》原不分章节。后来朱熹按其内容，朱熹《大學章句》，將《大學》分为经一章，传十章。並說：「經一章，蓋孔子之言，而曾子述之；其傳十章，則曾子之意，而門人記之也。」朱熹《中庸章句序》也寫到《中庸》是「子思子憂道學之失其傳而作也。」但这种说法并不可靠。清代學者戴震小時问老師說：「此何以知其為『孔子之言而曾子述之』？又何以知其為『曾子之意而門人記之』？」师应之曰：「此朱文公所说」。但戴震接著指出周代離宋代有兩千年之遙，為什麼朱子能知道這些事呢？問得老師無言以對。