Practical knowledge of managing state affairs

This idea was put forth by Wang Fuzhi (1619-1692), Huang Zongxi (1610-1695) and Gu Yanwu, all thinkers of the 17th century. They held that scholarly studies should be geared to meeting current needs, and be of practical value to state governance and social management. While interpreting ancient classics, scholars should expound their views on the social and political issues of their day, solve practical problems, strengthen governance, improve people's lives, and promote social reform.

This view emphasizes the political value of knowledge and the social responsibilities of scholars, and reflects the pragmatic character of traditional Chinese intellectuals.

In his speech at the opening of the International Conference Commemorating the 2,565th Anniversary of Confucius' Birth and the Fifth Congress of the International Confucian Association, Xi Jinping said: Confucianism and other schools of thought in ancient China all advocated that study should be of substantive practical value in educating the people, so that edification of individuals and society could be incorporated into state governance to achieve complementary effects.

經(jīng)世致用

“經(jīng)世致用”一詞由明清之際思想家王夫之、黃宗羲、顧炎武等提出，指學(xué)習(xí)、征引古人的文章和行事，應(yīng)以治事、救世為急務(wù)。“經(jīng)世”即治理國家和社會事務(wù)，“致用”即發(fā)揮實(shí)際效用。這一理念倡導(dǎo)學(xué)術(shù)研究要關(guān)注現(xiàn)實(shí)，通過解釋古代典籍來闡發(fā)社會政治見解，解決社會實(shí)際問題，以增進(jìn)國家治理能力，實(shí)現(xiàn)民生安定、社會改良。其強(qiáng)調(diào)知識的政治價(jià)值和知識分子的現(xiàn)實(shí)擔(dān)當(dāng)，體現(xiàn)了中國傳統(tǒng)知識分子講求效用、專注務(wù)實(shí)的思想特點(diǎn)。

2014年9月，習(xí)近平在紀(jì)念孔子誕辰2565周年國際學(xué)術(shù)研討會暨國際儒學(xué)聯(lián)合會第五屆會員大會開幕式上指出，儒家思想和中國歷史上存在的其他學(xué)說都堅(jiān)持經(jīng)世致用原則，注重發(fā)揮文以化人的教化功能，探索把對個(gè)人、社會的教化同對國家的治理結(jié)合起來，達(dá)到相輔相成、相互促進(jìn)的目的。