sˈɛkəndli, ðə mˈɛn sˈɛt ˈaʊt tʊ ˌʌndɚmˈaɪn ˌɛni lˈɪŋks, ɹˈiːəl ɔːɹ ˈʌðɚwˌaɪz, bᵻtwˌiːn fˈoːɹθsˈɛntʃɚɹi kənfjˈuːʃiənˌɪzəm ænd wʌt ðeɪ vjˈuːd æz ɪnfˈɪɹiɚ fˌɪləsˈɑːfɪkəl skˈuːlz ʌv θˈɪŋkɪŋ, nˈeɪmli bˈuːdɪzəm ænd tˈaʊɪzəm.
Secondly, the men set out to undermine any links, real or otherwise, between 4th-century Confucianism and what they viewed as inferior philosophical schools of thinking, namely Buddhism and Taoism.