I. Introduction
Around 1000 BC, all the major ancient civilizations in the world experienced the so-called "philosophical breakthrough" development class. The so-called "philosophical breakthrough" is a term put forward by German philosopher karl jaspers at the end of 19 and the beginning of the 20th century. It mainly means that in the first Millennium BC, all the major civilizations in the world experienced a leap in the spiritual world. The human mind was no longer controlled by unknown, mysterious and supernatural forces, and people began to wake up that he was an existence in the universe. Ancient civilizations such as Indian civilization, China civilization, Jewish Christian civilization and Greek civilization all experienced similar phenomena, and some typical figures appeared, such as Confucius to China civilization, Sakyamuni to Indian civilization, Socrates and Plato to Greek civilization.
From the perspective of comparative cultural history, the development of "philosophical breakthrough" in ancient civilizations is different, such as Jewish Christian civilization, Greek and Roman civilization and Chinese civilization. The biggest difference is that in the philosophical breakthrough of the first two, the dawn of humanism is based on the confrontation between man and god. The concept of depravity of human nature derived from the Christian concept of "original sin" has created an eternal tension between man as a creator and God as an all-knowing and all-powerful creator. In the context of western civilization, the so-called humanism developed in the context of the confrontation between man and god. There is a tense relationship between man and God, and man should constantly express his submission and repentance.
Let's look at Greek civilization again. In the marathon in 594 BC, the Greeks led by Athens plunged into Persia. After the Battle of Marathon, the urban and rural areas of Greece gained unprecedented self-confidence with the military victory, and transformed this self-confidence into cultural self-confidence, thus creating the splendid ancient Greek civilization in the sixth and fifth centuries BC. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and the three great Greek tragic writers (Sophocles, euripides and Aeschylus) all appeared in this period, which is a highly developed era of Greek humanism. In ancient Greek culture, the spirit of humanism was developed by resisting the fate set by God. In the west, whether it is Jewish Christian tradition or Greek and Roman tradition, humanistic spirit is produced in the confrontation, tension and struggle between man and God.
Relatively speaking, China ancient civilization is a continuous civilization. The "philosophical breakthrough" of Chinese civilization relies on a few people with political power, mobilizing a lot of resources and creating a splendid bronze culture. China's "philosophical breakthrough" is more moderate, unlike the confrontation between man and god in the west. China culture has a long history, and has created a rich ideological heritage of Deze in the continuous development of thousands of years. Among them, "connected thinking mode" is the most characteristic of China, which is the most enlightening to modern times. This way of thinking constructs the relationship of mutual communication or infiltration between multipoles. Ancient Confucianism and Taoism are the source of this way of thinking, and the two can complement each other. This way of thinking runs through China's ancient cosmology and theory of mind, forming a complete system.
The so-called "contact thinking mode" is to build a closely connected thinking mode among individuals, the world and many parts of the universe. This way of thinking basically holds that there are organic rather than mechanical relationships between parts of the universe and between parts and the whole, which affect the whole. So all parts of the universe penetrate each other and cause and effect each other. This "thinking mode of connection" is evident in the Confucian and Taoist traditions in ancient China.
Traditional China's "connection thinking mode" is based on three propositions: First, traditional China thinkers believe that many things in the universe have some kind of "isomorphism", which is common in traditional classics. "Zhouyi? It is said that under the difference of appearances, everything in the universe has the same quality or operating logic (so-called "virtue" or "emotion"), which needs human beings to interpret and express. Because everything in the universe has this isomorphism or operational logic, many existence or phenomena have their simulations. Where's Yi? From the natural phenomena such as "the wind doesn't thaw", "the insects don't freeze" and "the fish don't get on the ice", it is inferred that the phenomena such as "No Order", "Rebellion to the Yang" and "Armor Hiding" appear in humanities. Dong Zhongshu (about BC 179- BC 104), The Story of the Spring and Autumn Period? The Four Seasons holds that "reward and punishment behavior corresponds to spring, summer, autumn and winter", which shows that ancient China people believed that all things and phenomena in the universe had the same configuration, so they were simulated.
Second, because ancient China people thought that everything in the universe had its "same configuration", they also thought that the universe was an organism that affected the whole body. In this organism, there is an interpenetrating relationship between parts. The Book of Changes points out, for example, that the changes of various phenomena in the universe are all influenced by each other because of "rigidity and softness rub against each other, and gossip swings against each other", just like the collapse of the copper mountain in the East and the fall of watches and clocks in the West.
Third, China thinkers believe that not only all parts of the universe interact with each other, but also all parts have similar relations with the whole. "Mencius? Dedicated? 1 "said:" Everything is prepared for me ". The meaning of this sentence is, of course, in people's moral cultivation. However, this sentence can also be interpreted from another angle: the essence of "I" as a part of the universe and "everything" as a whole is the same. Therefore, on the one hand, on the other hand, the characteristics of "everything" (whole) also appear in "I" (part). Therefore, the part and the whole constitute an interactive relationship. Therefore, between parts of the universe and the whole, it is a circular process of mutual interpretation. In short, this "connected thinking mode" understands the universe as a large system, and all parts of the system interact with each other to form an inseparable whole.
The distant origin of the above-mentioned "linked mode of thinking" may be related to the "holistic world view" of China's ancient civilization, and the repeated presentation of this mode of thinking in ancient Confucianism and Taoism is a kind of "holistic thinking". China's "thinking mode of connection" regards the universe as an organism whose parts and parts are interrelated with the whole, which is an inseparable whole. The "holism" thought in China's ideological tradition is actually rooted in this "connected way of thinking".
The traditional "connection mode of thinking" of China's thought runs through all levels of the ideological system. From cosmology to the theory of mind and then to the theory of social politics, it can show the tendency of "connection mode of thinking". In cosmology or cosmology, "Tao gives birth to one, two, three and everything." Everything is negative and positive, and I rashly think it is peace. "(The Tao Te Ching? Chapter 42) clearly shows the "connected way of thinking". Among Confucian thinkers, Mencius' theory of mind and nature and his theory of kung fu attribute all the sources of value and achievement to the expansion of mind, emphasizing the organic interaction between mind and body, individual and society, and man and nature, which is a manifestation of "the same way of thinking".
In addition to cosmology and the theory of mind, China's social and political theory of ancient people is also based on the "linked thinking mode", and the most representative exposition is The Book of Rites? The derivation procedure of the famous "Eight Eyes" in universities, including eight procedures of discipline, honesty, correctness, cultivation, equality, governance and equality, is regarded as an inseparable and orderly process, and this holistic procedure can be attributed to the problem of personal cultivation.
Second, the relationship between "man" and "nature" in Confucianism (1): continuity
Under the above-mentioned "linked thinking mode", traditional thinkers in China believe that there is a close relationship between natural order and human order. I ching? Cohesion Biography says: "Sages view astronomy to change with time, and humanity to change with time", and think that the change of natural order and many hidden principles and principles have the same configuration with the internal structure of humanistic phenomena, so it can be referenced. Tao Te Ching? Chapter 23: "The wind doesn't stop in the morning, and the rain doesn't stop all day. Why? " Heaven and earth. Heaven and earth can't last long, what about people? Ancient Taoism believed that many changes in nature, such as wind and showers, were highly enlightening to the thinking of human phenomena. This kind of simulated thinking implies a hypothesis that there is a connection between human nature and nature. Karl G Jung (1875- 196 1), an Austrian psychoanalyst, once used the word * * * synchronization principle to describe the interaction and infiltration between human nature and nature seen in China's ancient ideological world. Because of this "connected way of thinking", people in China often read humanistic meanings in natural phenomena.
The Confucian view of heaven and man has two outstanding characteristics. The first is to emphasize the continuity between "humanity" and "nature". Traditional Confucianism does not regard nature as an external "objective nature" that has nothing to do with self; On the contrary, traditional Confucianism often reads the meaning of human nature in nature. For example, Confucius' so-called "benevolent Leshan, wise people enjoy water" is to read the moral meaning of benevolence and wisdom in the natural situation of mountains and rivers. Starting from the natural phenomenon of "backward and bright future", Mencius explained the humanistic significance of "a gentleman can't reach without breaking the chapter"
The continuous relationship between "humanity" and "nature" in Confucianism is mainly manifested in the following two aspects:
(1) Harmony between man and nature: In ancient Confucianism, there was a continuous relationship between man and nature. People swim in nature, get in touch with nature, and are full of feelings for nature. A dialogue between Confucius and his students is worth pondering:
, Zeng, and Gong Xihua sat down. Confucius said, "If you grow up one day, you can't." . Juze said, "I don't know!" If you know, why? Lutz led the way and said: "A thousand times the country is taken between big countries, and you are hungry when you travel with your teacher." Just do it, compared with three years, you can go forward and know one side. " Master Yi. "ah! What about you? " Right: "Fang Liuqi, such as 50 or 60, is also for it. Compared with three years, it can satisfy the people, and if they are polite and happy, they can be gentlemen. " "Red! What about you? " Yes: "If you can, you are willing to learn. If the ancestral hall is agreed, it will be a small matter. " Point! What about you? "The drums are written in the west, pits and social colors, saying," Sanzi's writing style is extraordinary. Confucius said, "Why not? And speak your mind. Holmium: Holmium, the spring dress has been completed, the champion is five or six, and the boy is six or seven. Bathing is almost a deduction, the wind is dancing and singing. The master sighed: "I brought some!" " Three sons, one is xi. Zeng said, "What did the third son say? Confucius said, "Every man has his own ambition. Holmium: What's the reason, Master? 个个: 个?泼泼泼泼泼泼泼泼泼泼泼, this "If you only want it, you are not a country. """Angola is sixty or seventy, such as fifty or sixty, not the state?" "Only red is not a state?" "Too temple fair harmony, not governors? Although red is small, who can be big? " Analects of Confucius Advanced .26 inches
In the above-mentioned dialogue between teachers and students, Confucius did not praise those students who were interested in politics. However, when Ceng Dian said that he was addicted to bathing, singing, dancing and going home with friends and children in Yishui in late spring, Confucius praised him and said, "I am to the point! What Ceng Dian yearns for here is a "natural state" of life. People blend in with nature and appreciate its beauty.
The Confucian idea of "harmony between man and nature" shows the Confucian tradition that the universe and nature are regarded as an organic whole. Confucianism believes that "man" is a part of nature, and man and nature constitute an organic and inseparable whole. It is precisely because everything and man are part of this organic whole that man and nature are one.
However, in daily life, why can't people be completely integrated with nature sometimes? Traditional Confucianism (especially Neo-Confucianism in Song and Ming Dynasties) believes that the main reason why people can't be integrated with nature is that they are blocked by people's selfish desires. Southern Song Dynasty scholar Zhu (Hui 'an, 1 130- 1200) explained:
Covering everything you want to see your wife do, heaven is full of people's hearts, and there is no shortage. Therefore, when it is moving, it is calm. However, his ambition is nothing more than his position. He enjoys his daily life. At first, he had no intention of sacrificing himself for others. And its chest is carefree, straight up and down with the world, each with its own wonderful, hidden in words. Those who regard Sanzi's rules and regulations as the last thing are not good. The master sighed and promised them deeply. The master's plan is meticulous, and Guy has the ability to know it.
"Righteousness" and "human desire" used by Zhu are commonly used terms in Song Mingru. Through the interpretation of Zhu's meaning, we can generally know that Zhu believes that as long as people can get rid of their personal desires, they can return to nature and reach the so-called realm of "natural law wins people's hearts" and "mind is calm and straight to the world", which is the realm of the integration of man and nature.
(2) Man conforms to nature and promotes moral connotation: the continuity between man and nature in Confucianism, and the second way of expression is that man conforms to natural endowment and promotes moral connotation. We can start with Mencius' theory of "noble spirit". On the realm of "unmoved", Mencius and Gong Sunchou had the following dialogue:
[Gong Sunchou] said, "Dare you ask if your master is indifferent and the defendant is indifferent? 」
[Mencius]: "Tell Confucius:" Don't say, don't ask; Don't worry, don't ask for trouble. "Don't worry about it, don't ask it, but; Stop it, stop asking, stop. The ambition of the husband is also handsome; Gas, the body is full. The husband is ambitious. He sometimes gets angry, so he said, "Seize his ambition, there is no violence to counter his anger. 』」
ととととととととととととと
[Mencius said] "ambition is qi, and qi is ambition." . Today's husband is ready to move, but he is angry and reflects it in his heart. 」
Sun Chou said, "Dare you ask Master if he is a bad person?" ? 」
Mencius said, "I know what I say, and I am good at nurturing my noble spirit." 」
"Dare to ask what is the gas of integrity? 」
"It's hard to say. It is qi, as strong as it is, and it is harmless to raise it directly, so it is stuffed between heaven and earth. It is also qi, which is consistent with righteousness and Tao; It's okay. I'm sorry, too. It is also born from the collection of righteousness. Think of it as an unfair attack. ..... "("Mencius. Gong Sunchou. 2 ")
In this dialogue, Mencius said that nature has a quality that all things have-Qi. As a member of nature, as long as people strive to cultivate this kind of "Qi" existing in nature, instead of "cutting it at the last minute" and become "Niu Shan", they can reach the realm of "Niu Shan Qi". Mencius told us, "When talking about adults, be reserved." If you go to see monarchs and princes, don't see palaces and temples as big as they are, because they are magnificent. For Mencius, what the monarch and the minister have is what he despises. Mencius' "noble spirit" made his vitality extremely vigorous.
However, what are the characteristics of Mencius' "noble spirit"? In recent years, the concept of "Qi" has been a hot issue in the study of China culture in international academic circles. "Qi" is a concept with a long history in China. The formation of this concept can be pushed to the Neolithic culture without written records, or even beyond. But it appeared in a large number of documentary evidence, but it was after the Spring and Autumn Period. If we combine all kinds of records about "Qi" in the literature since the Spring and Autumn Period with archaeological achievements in recent years, such as medical books and the "Five Elements" unearthed in Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan Province, I can roughly sum up four different views on "Qi" in ancient China before Mencius:
The first viewpoint can be called "two-gas induction theory". There is a clear performance in Yi Zhuan. Basically, the universe is formed by the interaction of yin and yang. The color of the world view is higher than the ethics view.
The second view holds that "Wang Qi Theory" is closely related to the later theory of Yin-Yang and Five Elements. According to the records in Zuo Zhuan, people in the Spring and Autumn Period have coordinated the six qi with the four seasons and five elements. Therefore, the natural qi can be "occupied" to understand the changes of things. This is an important feature of ancient astronomy in China, and it is also an important feature to discover the quality of personnel by using clouds and gas. In the historical records, Sima Qian, the Taishi Duke, has such a record.
The third viewpoint is the theory of "moving qi" or "eating qi". This view has influenced the immortals of later generations, which is the technique of immortality described in Zhuangzi Deliberately. This view is incomplete in the newly unearthed documents in modern times, such as the ancient medical books unearthed in Mawangdui No.3 Han Tomb, but it has a very delicate explanation for eating gas for health preservation.
The fourth point of view is the theory of "excitation", "benefit" and "delay" developed from military strategists. The dispute between Cao Gui recorded in Zuo Zhuan and the recently unearthed bamboo slips of Sun Tzu's Seven Articles on the Art of War in Sun Bin all have such records.
From these four statements about "Qi", we can know that before Mencius, China people's "Qi" basically refers to the natural meaning of "Qi", that is, as a natural thing in the universe. It was only when Mencius arrived that it was transformed and endowed with ethical significance, and "Qi" gained the connotation of value judgment. From the ancient theory of "Qi" to Mencius' theory of "Noble Qi" is a great change in the history of China's theory of Qi. It can be seen from this change that Mencius' reflection on life has profound historical significance.
Mencius even told us that human life can be divided into several levels: heart, qi and form. Mencius believes that "heart" and "qi" are circularly related, but "heart" is more important. "Heart" is universal, and everyone has "unbearable heart". When you see a child fall into a well, you should hurry to save him. This is heartfelt compassion, which is universal and everyone has it. The reason why man is different from animals lies in his "heart". If there is no "nourishing qi", the innate "conscience" and "good ability" will slowly shrink, and eventually they will only think of doing bad things.
Because "heart" is omnipotent, "heart" takes precedence over "Yu" qi. As long as you constantly "nourish your heart", you can transform your whole body through "qi" and your external appearance will also be transformed, which Mencius called "body-building". An educated person's words and deeds will change because of the infiltration of "noble spirit" Mencius once said that we should observe people, not our eyes. As long as you look at your eyes, you can see the quality of your personality. Mencius deeply analyzed the connotation of life and put forward a complete view. Mencius emphasized that "heart" acts on human body through the transformation of "noble spirit". This is his so-called "shape-training" theory, which has a deep relationship with the "continuous thinking mode" of China culture.
Mencius advocated the unity of heaven and man. Mencius believes that nature and human beings are not separated and opposed to each other. Many meanings, beliefs and values hidden in "nature" are actually in people's hearts. The more people can reflect on their own hearts, the more they can understand heaven and the hidden meaning of the universe or nature. Mencius said, "He who tries his best knows his nature; If you know its nature, you will know its sky. " He established a continuous relationship between the humanities category and the natural category, not a broken one.
However, when we emphasize that ancient Confucianism regarded man and nature as a continuum, we must immediately declare that Xunzi (about 298-238 BC) regarded nature as pure nature and advocated "benevolence" to rule "nature". Xunzi's cutting off the continuous relationship between "man" and "nature" in Confucianism can be regarded as a turning point in the ancient Confucian view of nature.
Xunzi judged human universality from human nature, such as "hunger means food, cold means warmth, and fatigue means rest". Xunzi said:
Everyone has something in common: hunger means food, cold means warmth, fatigue means rest, good means benefit, and evil means harm. This is what people are born with, and it is also what metaphors and heroes have in common. The eyes can distinguish white, black, beautiful and evil, the ears can distinguish sounds, the mouth can distinguish sweet and sour, the nose can distinguish fragrant and smelly, and the bones, body and skin can distinguish cold and summer diseases. This is what people are born with, and there is nothing to wait for, just like jade and Jie. It can be Yao and Yu, Li and wisdom, craftsmen and farmers, which are accumulated by wrong customs. It is always an honor to be Yao and Yu, and it is always a danger and shame to be Jie and Zhi. I will always be happy for Yao and Yu, and always tired for craftsmen and farmers. However, human resources are scarce for this reason. Why? Say: very ugly. Yao and Yu were not born, but the husband was born unfortunate, educated and reserved. ("Xunzi". Honor and disgrace ")
Xunzi believes that human nature is born with interest and desire for eyes and ears, which must be cultivated and corrected the day after tomorrow. Xunzi said:
Human nature is evil, and the good are also false.
Today's human nature, born with good and good, shun, so fight for life and give up death; Born with disease, follow it, so thieves are born with loyalty to death; It is appropriate to be born with a desire for eyes and ears and a good sense of sound, so fornication is born with courtesy and righteousness. However, from the perspective of human nature, if people know, they will be uncontested, suitable for committing chaos and returning to violence. Therefore, there must be a process of learning from law, etiquette and righteousness, and then accepting the resignation and conforming to the arts and sciences. However, in this view, human nature is evil and clear, and human nature is good and false. ("Xunzi". The nature of evil ")
In a word, Xunzi strongly advocated that "culture" should be used to rule "nature" and "acquired" should be used to correct "congenital" so as to prevent people from being evil because of their natural tendency. The continuity of "man" and "nature" in Confucius and Mencius' thought was broken by Xunzi.
Third, the relationship between "man" and "nature" in Confucianism (2): Holism.
The second characteristic of Confucian view of heaven and man is the unity of heaven and man. This "unified view" presupposes that both man and nature have the same essence-benevolence.
Since ancient times, the concept that "man" is born of "nature" is no stranger in China culture. "Guanzi Shuidi" said: "The earth is the foundation of all things, and the root of all things is also. Water, the blood of the earth, and the proper flow of tendons and veins can be regarded as a summary of China's ancient ideological heritage.
In ancient Confucianism, the concepts of "man" and "nature" were integrated, which was clearly expressed by Mencius. He said: "Everything is prepared for me. Go against it and be sincere, and be happy. Forgiveness is strong, benevolence is not close. (Mencius. Dedicated to 4) Mencius' "everything" in this passage can have different interpretations, but it generally refers to everything in the universe, so there is no problem. Zhu explained this sentence: "This chapter says that the principle of all things lies in me, and the body is practical, then the Tao lies in me and I am happy;" If you do it with forgiveness, you can't tolerate it in private, but you can get it with kindness. According to Zhu's explanation, the reason why "everything" is integrated with me is because the "reason" of everything is already in my body. People and everything in nature have the same quality.
1 1 century, Zhang Zai (Hengqu, 1020- 1077) wrote a famous paper "Mingxi", which put forward important views on the relationship between "man" and "nature" in Confucianism. Zhang Zai said:
Dry call father, Kun call mother; Indifference to this is a complicated result. Therefore, the plug of heaven and earth, my body also; The beauty of heaven and earth is my nature. People and my compatriots, things are me. Great monarch, my parents are sons; The minister, the family of children and grandchildren, is also the same. Respect for high years, so long; Kindness is lonely and weak, so I am young. The combination of virtue and virtue of Saint Qi is both virtuous and beautiful. Where the world is tired, disabled and lonely, it is all my brother's fault.
Along the thread of Mencius' thought, Zhang Zai put forward the idea of harmony between man and things, and regarded man and others and all things in nature as one.
How can man and nature be one? Hao Cheng (Ming Dow, 1032- 1085) and Franz Chen (1033-107) made clear opinions on this issue.
A scholar must be a prophet. A benevolent person is like a thing. Righteousness, courtesy, knowledge and faith are all benevolent people. If you know this, you just need to keep it sincerely, and you don't need to look it up. If the heart is slack, there is prevention; If you insist, why not? If you can't get it, you must be poor; It goes without saying that it is safe to be poor after a long time? This way is not right with things, too big to be worthy of the name. The use of heaven and earth is for my use. Mencius said that "everything is ready, only the east wind is needed", and it is a great pleasure to be sincere. If reflexivity is not sincere, then two things are right, and happiness will be achieved without it. "Stubborn" means preparing this body. What is this intention? "If you have something, don't do it, and if you don't, you will be encouraged." This is the way to survive. If you save it, you will get it. If you have good knowledge, you won't lose your energy. If you haven't got rid of your old habits, you must keep them, and you can catch them for a long time. That's true, but you can't keep it. You can enjoy it physically, but you can't stay. (suicide note, volume 2, page 3, upper part to lower part)
Cheng Ziming put forward the proposition that "benevolent people share the same thing", arguing that the behaviors such as righteousness, courtesy, knowledge and faith and their values are all manifestations of "benevolence". As long as people think deeply and understand the connotation of "benevolence", they can reach the realm of "reflexivity and sincerity" as Mencius said, and realize that self and nature are not antagonistic and there is no interval.
/kloc-Zhu, a great Confucian thinker in the 20th century (1 130- 1200), went a step further in his famous paper Benevolence:
"Heaven and earth take life as their heart", and the lives of characters have their own hearts. Therefore, although the virtue of language and mind is comprehensive and everything is ready, in a word, it is just benevolence.
In Zhu's exposition, the whole universe is full of energetic spirit, and "man" and everything in nature are growing up in this endless core value between heaven and earth. The core value of this universe is benevolence.
15 and1629, Wang Yangming (Shouren, 1472- 1629) and Zhu's thoughts have many similarities, but they are consistent in the concept of the unity of things and me. Wang Yangming put forward the following powerful statement in "University Question":
For great scholars, Confucianism (Zhu) thinks that learning for adults; I dare to ask why the learning of adults lies in "Mingde". Yang said, "Adults are people who integrate the universe. He regards the world as one family and China as one person. " If the husband is ruined and splits himself, he is a villain. Adults' ability to integrate everything in the world is also unintentional, and their hearts are benevolent; It is integrated with everything in the world, and it is only an adult. Although it is the heart of a villain, it is also his regret. Therefore, when a willing son goes into the well, there must be compassion, which is the fusion of his benevolence and his willing son. The obedient son is still of the same kind; When you see the cries of birds and animals in your infancy, you must have an unbearable heart, that is, its benevolence is integrated with birds and animals. Birds are still conscious; Seeing the destruction of vegetation, there must be compassion, which is the integration of benevolence and vegetation. Trees and plants still have business; It is a pity to see the destruction of the tile stone, that is, its benevolence and tile stone are one. The benevolent is one of them. Although there must be a villain's heart, it is rooted in the nature of destiny and the natural spirit is not ignorant, so it is called Mingde. The villain's heart has broken away from the humble, but its integral benevolence can still be ignored, because it is unmoved by desire and not covered by private interests; However, it is motivated by desire, covered by private interests, attacked by interests, and provoked by anger, so it does everything it can, even eating flesh and blood, and dying as one. Therefore, if you are covered by selfless desires, you are a villain, but being a Jew is also a benevolent; When there is a cover of selfish desires, it is an adult's heart, but its separation is still despicable. Gu Fu is an adult scholar. He only needs to get rid of his own selfish desires to understand his own virtue and restore his nature of integrating heaven and earth. It can't be something outside, but something. "(Wang Yangming's University Question)
Yang Ming followed Zhu's description of "university" as "the study of adults" and further asked: Why is the so-called "the study of adults" based on highlighting the good seeds within people ("Ming Ming De")? Wang Yangming pointed out that the so-called "adult" refers to a person who "integrates everything in the world". The most fundamental reason why "adult" can be integrated with all things in nature is that "benevolence" is the essence of "adult", so "adult" is not separated from plants, birds and animals. As long as people can get rid of self-centered selfish desires and fully develop their inner goodness ("virtue" or "benevolence"), they can fully practice the ideal of harmony with everything.
In The Analects of Confucius, people yearn for the harmony between man and nature, which has similarities and differences with the harmony between man and nature that Cheng Brothers and Wang Yangming yearned for after 1 1 century. As Professor Zhang Heng said, in the realm of Ceng Dian in The Analects of Confucius, there is no tension between subject and object, only harmony between things and me. "Everything in nature is no longer what people want or know, but returns to itself and truly presents its true colors. People and things are "each in his place" and "each in his place", thus achieving the harmony of "being with the world and everything". The pre-Qin Confucianism's harmony between man and nature has a strong aesthetic significance. I forgot about the beautiful scenery in late spring, and I was carefree.
Compared with pre-Qin Confucianism, the concept of "integration of things and me" of Confucianism in Song and Ming Dynasties is full of strong moral connotation. In Confucianism in Song and Ming Dynasties, the beauty of harmony between man and nature is based on endless goodness. In Zhu's so-called "nature is life-centered" world view, both man and nature have the virtue of "benevolence" in life.
Four. conclusion
Confucian tradition is the mainstream of China culture. In this mainstream thought, man and nature are a kind of mutual integration and infiltration. Nature is the creator of man, and man is also a participant in nature. The continuation and integration of "man" and "nature" is possible precisely because people and everything in the universe take endless kindness as their core values. "Benevolence" not only exists in everyone's heart, but also transcends every individual and becomes the homogeneity of all things in the universe. The establishment and development of the Confucian concept of "harmony between man and nature" is mainly based on the consciousness of man's "heart".
The concept of harmony between man and nature contained in Confucian traditional view of nature has profound enlightenment to modern people. Since the industrial revolution, the industrial civilization and capitalist culture in the last 200 years can be said to be a broken culture. The first manifestation of the fracture of modern civilization is the fracture between the individual and the universe itself. The Faust spirit in Goethe's Faust can be said to be the symbol of modern civilization, which represents the driving force for conquering the heaven and controlling the universe by human beings. This Faust spirit has a strong modern character, but it lacks the dimension of transcendence.