New Shun 1730

Once this booklet was released, Dai Zhenbo immediately gained great fame.

Apart from the acceptance of consciousness due to the gradual changes in the economic foundation, the biggest reason is still due to the particularity of the enlightenment movement of civilization in the cultural circle.

The religious atmosphere in the East and the West is completely different.

Therefore, even if the Declaration of North American Independence, which will be signed on North American soil more than 20 years later and is regarded as the standard by Europe and the United States, reaches Dashun, its influence among the scholar-bureaucrats in Dashun may not be as influential as the obsolete declaration brought by missionaries. knowledge of astronomy. .

The opening sentence [We hold these truths to be self-evident] will directly lead to acclimatization.

Why do we think these truths are self-evident?

Why is it not self-evident and self-evident?

The scholar-bureaucrats here cannot accept the self-evidentness of the religious tradition and the feudal tradition of another cultural circle. In other words, the "self-evident" things on both sides are fundamentally different.

Since it cannot be self-evident, it can only be pried from the teachings of the sages of the past.

How to pry?

This requires first smashing and crumbling the existing things, and then piecing together a brand new one based on your own needs and from the words of past sages.

In fact, Dai Zhen himself made it clear. When he became famous in Jiangnan, he made a metaphor.

Talking about astronomy, geography, history, textual criticism, and phonology, these things are like bearers carrying a sedan chair.

The adults sitting in the sedan chair are the most important.

So what is this adult?

In fact, it is philosophy and principles.

So, what should a new theory and a new philosophy built from astronomy, geography, history, and mathematics look like?

This is directly related to who will be the "adult", or in other words, whose thoughts will be the "adult".

Liu Yu created a new school that did not teach "righteousness", or in other words, did not build "superstructure".

It's just a simple "tool", and all I learned was basic knowledge such as astronomy, geography, mathematics and physics.

But these basic knowledge also shape the economic foundation.

Liu Yu knew that his two brushes and what he truly believed in were purely rebellious knowledge in this era; and he expected that this Confucian scholar in a different time and space after Dashun's transformation would come up with a set of superstructures on his own .

Under this situation, some of the new generation in the Confucian system subtly accepted some of the world views of the New Learning, and began to try to build a brand new world that negated Song studies and even Sinology and directly pursued ancient times and interpreted the Six Classics to achieve practical goals. school of thought.

The economic basis of this school of thought was Jiangnan, where the germination of capitalism and the preliminary industrial revolution had officially appeared in Dashun at this time.

As for the superstructure that this school of thought is trying to build, the first step is to overthrow the superstructure of the past through academic research such as textual research, astronomy, and mathematics.

Replace the "adult in the sedan chair" with an adult.

This metaphor made by Dai Zhen caused a great sensation in the Confucian world because of the big problem with his metaphor - is it the bearer who determines the master? The bearer has changed, and the adults have changed?

For example, if the left-handed theory in astronomy is wrong, does that mean that the related Song Confucian ethics are also wrong?

In fact, this is a very important enlightenment point in Dashun.

Not even just Dashun, but also the entire Confucian cultural circle. The criticism and reflection on Zhu Xixue from the Korean side also originated from the tribute envoys from the Korean side who came into contact with the new knowledge of astronomy and geography in the capital.

Because, due to cultural differences and religious atmosphere differences, people here do not attach much importance to things like "self-evident" and "self-evident"; rather, relatively speaking, they actually pay more attention to things like "Tao".

The emergence and improvement of ideological trends naturally do not happen overnight and require predecessors to pave the way.

The special circumstances of Dashun have caused this process of paving the way for the past to last for hundreds of years.

At the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Shun Dynasty, Yan Ruoquan's "Shu Zheng of Ancient Chinese Classics" directly dealt a severe blow to Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism and Lu Wang's Xinxue.

Whether it is Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, or Lu Wang Xinxue, including Yangming Xue, the sixteen characters of Yu Ting in "Dayu Mo" are very important.

The so-called Song Confucians took and extrapolated the sixteen characters of Yu Ting, and they really believed that this was the inheritance of Yao's lineage and Confucianism's lineage. Because the place it is based on is very honorable, and the principles it holds are correct.

Alas! Who would have expected it to be fake?

A group of great scholars took great pleasure in reading a forged "ancient article" from the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and produced a lot of stuff.

Also includes mind science.

Yao, Shun, and Yu taught each other that the human heart is only in danger, the Tao mentality is only subtle, but the essence is only one, and it is allowed to hold on to the center. This is the source of the study of the mind.

In fact, Yan Ruocha's evidence and logic still have many loopholes.

But in the special environment of the late Ming Dynasty and early Shun Dynasty, this matter was not a purely academic issue, but a political issue.

This was a direct attack on the Neo-Confucianism system of the Song and Ming Dynasties.

Yan Ruochu's mentality is more "nerdy".

He felt, "It may be said that the Confucianism of the past is lightly discussed." Yu said: It is a small crime to criticize the early Confucianism, but it is a big crime to follow the ancient Confucianism to make the sages and sages unclear to the world.

Indeed, I am guilty of lightly criticizing and denying Confucianism in the Song and Ming Dynasties, but this is a small crime.

It is a grave sin to distort the knowledge of the sages and make up the meanings of the sages and pass them on to future generations.

I have minor sins, but on larger issues of right and wrong, I think I’ve done the right thing.

The situation at that time, or rather, the political environment, was very strange.

At that time, Dashun established its own system of practical learning to suppress Confucian scholars.

By the way, because he shaved his hair and made it easier to dress up, Duke Yansheng was demoted to the title of Marquis of Sacrifice.

It even deprived Confucius of his status as a teacher and a saint.

The political environment at that time was extremely dangerous in the eyes of true Confucian disciples.

Who knows what Dashun will do next?

After we agreed to protect the world and win the world, this is very different from what we thought.

In the kind of political environment that made Confucian scholars feel that there were many crises, Yan Ruochu's actions only added fuel to the fire.

So much so that the great Confucian scholars in the south of the Yangtze River, such as Mao Qiling, tried their best to attack Yan Ruochu.

To sum it up in one sentence.

【Even if it’s true! You can’t say that either! 】

Why?

Because [I am afraid that due to the mistakes of "Great Learning", the obscenity of "Guofeng", and the falsity of "Guwen Shangshu", future generations will take advantage of the power of the emperor to destroy his books, so I discuss the injustice of ancient texts and combine them]

Because people like Dashun obviously don't trust Confucian scholars, you hand them a knife at this time. Are you planning to let them burn books and humiliate scholars?

What if the other side uses this knife to destroy Confucianism as a whole? You, Yan Ruochu, are the eternal sinners. You are not guilty of a small crime, you are guilty of a heinous crime.

Even if the conclusion of your research is true, you should not say it at this time.

Even the Yan-Li School, which was actually quite opposed to Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, panicked at this time.

Li Kuan also said, "Modern people are arguing that "Shang Shu" is false. Since you have refuted it, the matter is of great concern and can be applied to the world... Today's people refute "Shang Shu" for their own sake, because they refute "Xici". Refuting "Xici" is not self-defeating, because refuting "The Doctrine of the Mean" will not lead to criticism].

What are you afraid of?

I'm afraid that Yan Ruocha will start this trend and eventually become a target.

Once an opening is opened, I'm afraid someone will continue to do it all the way down. Do you think it's over after you finish "Shang Shu"?

I'm afraid someone will stab the Duke of Zhou and Confucius all the way.

Among the Six Classics, the "Yue Jing" has been lost, leaving only the Five Classics. You fire directly at one of the remaining Five Classics.

If you become famous by fighting hard, will others follow suit?

You can rebel against "Shang Shu" and become famous.

What you, Yan Qianqiu, can do, others cannot do?

In order to be more famous, others should not follow Confucius? But not Duke Zhou?

Even if it’s true, you can’t say it! In fact, many people know that this book is fake. Even Zhu Xi himself knew that it was fake, but is it important?

The important thing is that the thinking here is correct. Even if you know it's fake, it doesn't necessarily mean it can't be used.

And the reason why he can use it is because it is the knowledge of the Six Classics, not because it is right.

But as Dashun gradually stabilized and continued to follow the path of a traditional dynasty, without the political atmosphere that Confucian scholars feared, the meaning of this matter became different.

On the one hand, Dashun's attack and humiliation of Confucian scholars ended here. At best, it's like Henkel pissing into a Confucian scholar's hat, or even less.

On the other hand, Dashun used the method of humiliation to make many Confucian scholars spontaneously defend Dashun, trying his best to prove that Dashun was orthodox and that we Confucian scholars were different from the weak Confucian scholars who were humiliated by Dashun.

The follow-up approach of Dashun is also a bit confusing.

On the one hand, Dashun supported Yan Ruochu in order to attack Neo-Confucianism and gain orthodoxy.

On the other hand, after some chapters of the "Guwenshangshu" were politically determined to be forgeries, they continued to be used. They did not say that they should not be used because they were fake Bibles. They were still officially recognized as the contents of the Six Classics.

In this general environment, people on the whole opposed Song Confucianism's empty talk about rationality, which naturally led to the development of textual criticism.

Since even part of the "Book of Documents" is forged, how many things actually go against the sage's original intention? How many of the killed items were mixed with private goods?

In addition, the old learning has been destroyed, and it has been destroyed very thoroughly - astronomy, geography, textual criticism, history, etc. are all constantly bombarding the old Confucianism of the Song Dynasty, which is already riddled with holes.

But the new learning has never been established, and it has never been able to form a complete system. This complete system means that it must not only break away from the logical model of Xingxue Neo-Confucianism, but also conform to the essence of Confucianism, and even guide reality as much as possible. This is very difficult.

Therefore, a movement similar to the "Renaissance" was triggered, which sought to pursue the truth of sages by reaching directly into the pre-Qin culture, rather than looking at things that had been distorted and changed by later generations.

This way of pursuing pre-Qin culture has two branches.

One is seeking form, comprehensively restoring the past, restraining oneself and restoring etiquette.

The other is seeking justice.

Take Ida as an example.

Are you pursuing the Ida system?

Or pursue the meaning behind Ida?

What kind of road is the royal road?

This triggered another kind of thinking about the kingly way.

By removing the interpretations and distortions of later generations, we can reach directly the original documents of the sages. If we get their meaning, the key lies in the royal way.

So what is the royal way?

Some people believe that "the sage governs the world by taking into account the feelings of the people, fulfilling the desires of the people, and preparing the king's way." The knowledge contained in the Six Classics was actually the method of satisfying the desires of the people at that time.

That is to say, understanding the sentiments of the people, exploring what the people want, and achieving their requirements can be regarded as the kingly way.

Eat enough.

Dress warmly.

Can read.

I can have a meal of meat during the Chinese New Year.

There is no threat of chaos.

There is no carnage caused by the invasion of foreign enemies.

In this way, the royal way is ready.

In fact, at this point, if this trend of thought can become the mainstream, or if the conditions for the development of the commodity economy required for the spread of this trend of thought can be created, then the reform of Confucianism will only have the two most difficult steps left.

In fact, this step is not difficult. In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, many people put forward similar ideas.

The difficulty lies mainly in the next two steps.

Which two steps?

How to use logical deduction to deduce the idea of ​​"satisfying emotions and desires is the kingly way" from things like Tao, heavenly principles, Qi, and Tai Chi, and prove that this is indeed what the heavenly way, heavenly principles, and Qi want to express?

This is the first step.

The second step is still the problem of "too much is as bad as too little, and things will turn against themselves when they reach their extremes."

How to prevent normal desires from turning into extreme hedonism and extreme egoism? People's hearts are full of desires?

How to determine what is "reasonable human desire" and what is "unreasonable"? How to solve the problem of the "degree" of this personal demand?

Self-restraint and restoration of rituals.

To what extent should we restrain ourselves?

What are the categories that should be restrained?

What are the normal expressions of needs?

So I want to be an emperor, is that ok? So I want to have 100 million mu of land, is that ok? So I want to buy high and sell low to make a profit, is that ok?

Does this so-called "reasonable fulfillment of desires" still require status and rank?

I have money, so I am willing to build a big house, is that ok?

I have money, so I want to wear bright yellow clothes, is that ok?

I am a businessman, I am not a juren, but I want to have the same power as a juren, is that ok?

I am a woman, I want to read books and write, and even take the exam for a scholar, is that ok?

And so on, in short, in one sentence: Should we stipulate what kind of desires can be had at what level?

The desire of the bottom level can only be to eat sweet potatoes. If it exceeds eating sweet potatoes, it is beyond the normal human desire?

The desire of a scholar can be to eat rice. If it exceeds eating rice, it is beyond the normal human desire?

Or, from the perspective of human desire, the emperor and the peddlers are actually "equal people in the sense of human desire"?

In fact, these two steps are very difficult to take.

The logical construction of the first step is difficult in itself. Because including the Yongjia and Yongkang learning established by Dashun, this step still did not constitute a brand new system and complete a complete set of construction.

Let alone the second step, it will inevitably be stuck and cannot be deduced.

And this time, the article that uses food to describe reality is another attempt of the new generation after the start of the Dashun reform.

This attempt itself is to disintegrate the tangible and intangible shackles that were previously tied to Confucianism.

After completely deconstructing and tearing it apart, try to rebuild it.

Some tangible things can be broken, even smashed to pieces.

But some intangible things cannot be broken.

It seems that many things in Songxue, Neo-Confucianism, and Xinxue were broken in the ideological changes in the late Ming and early Shun period, but in fact they have permeated the entire system and are everywhere. It is difficult to break through the two most difficult steps in the original rut.

Therefore, some new generation Confucian scholars cooperated with Liu Yu's practical learning system, whether for fame or ambition, and finally came up with something that pried a little bit of the old system.

Continuing from this set of things, it is destined that the enlightenment idea that is self-evident [We hold these truths to be self-evident] cannot be implemented in Dashun.

In the end, most of them are different paths to the same destination, but the destination can be the same, and the road must not be taken that way.

The former relies on a strong religious atmosphere to create a natural law of the creator, and then everyone is convinced.

The latter can only smash the old things and smash the old natural law to obtain orthodoxy and everyone is convinced.

The former is because it is right, it is self-evident, so everyone must believe it.

The world should be like this.

The latter is that nothing is sacred and eternal, so some things are wrong.

The world should not be the way it was originally.

Times are changing and developing. What exactly did the ancient sages pursue?

Are the things in the scriptures the most reasonable tools at the time? Or are they sacred in themselves?

If it is just a tool, then this thing has no sacredness and can be changed, as long as the core of the sages is maintained.