Chapter 699: Confucius Looks Down on Farmers?!

"When you take people to Zhejiang, you must first start with this question, in the Spring and Autumn Period, when Wu Yue swordsmiths cut off materials, did they look at it by sight? Weigh it? What about fire? Or even taste? Or are there other unbelievable methods? This is the basis of sword casting, and it is the work of details. To make a good movie and write a good article, you can't miss the details. ”

Xiao Zhun muttered: "Then this movie can be filmed as an archaeological documentary and put it on the BBC......"

Li Junge said: "If you can put the BBC in this film, then your identity as a civilization communicator will be confirmed." ”

Xiao Zhun said: "Does such a propagator of civilization have another name, called the thankless unjust boss?"

Liang Huili snorted and laughed: "Xiao Zhun, aren't those thankless things that Ayin and Erpi did on an uninhabited island also for this purpose? ”

Xiao Zhun said disdainfully: "He's not trying his best to make Ah Yin happy! I want to believe that he is trying to spread Chinese civilization!"

The next day, the crew was sent away, and the time was almost June, and the babies were about to have a holiday, and Li Junge was going to go to the ancestral hall to discuss the arrangements for the next summer vacation with the fourth grandfather.

Just listen to the fourth grandfather teaching to the camera in the ancestral hall.

Because there are Columbia students auditing, the fourth grandfather will occasionally join in some discussions and answer the content of the message.

I listened to the fourth grandfather said: "First of all, I want to explain that Chinese culture is not Confucianism, Confucianism is only an important part of Chinese culture, you can choose a category you like to start, classics, history, children, collections, and even notes, you can, take interest as a teacher, step by step to deepen the cultivation of Chinese culture."

However, some netizens mentioned that Confucius looked down on farmers and despised labor. Today I want to explain this question.

There is a lot of this kind of rhetoric online, and the evidence for this is mainly from two records.

The first is recorded in the Analects of Wei Linggong: "Zi said: 'Ploughing is also in it, and learning is also in it.' ’

Confucius said, "If you plough the fields, you will inevitably go hungry, and if you study, you will get a fortune." ’

This is the evidence that Confucius exalted the scholars and looked down on the working people.

But is that really the case? If we open the Analects and look at the original text, oh, the original text is actually like this.

Zi said: 'A gentleman seeks the way but does not seek food. Ploughing is also in it, and learning is also in it. A gentleman is not worried about poverty. ’

Oops, it turns out that in the original text, there is also a head and a tail.

Confucius said, "A gentleman seeks only to do the way, not to eat or clothing." Because if you plough the fields, you will inevitably have times when you are hungry, and through study, you can find the Tao and get the corresponding income. Therefore, the gentleman is only worried about the inability of the Tao to work, not about poverty. ’

I don't know why this sentence is used as a basis for Confucius to look down on the peasants, but it actually shows that Confucius's demand for the rulers to seek the Tao is just an analogy of arable land.

Let's first look at the background of the times, in the Spring and Autumn Period, what was the so-called gentleman, he was the main body of the country's political life, the ruler in power and assisting them, the master of knowledge, and the person who produced spiritual cultivation and moral pursuit because of mastering knowledge.

With this foundation in mind, let's look at the meaning of the text, which means that even those who deal directly with grain sometimes have times when they can't eat food, what is wrong with this? If Confucius changed his sentence, he would become 'weavers, frozen in them.' Is it time to say that Confucius looked down on craftsmen again?

Confucius's words are actually just to educate those in power, and they should take a higher view. As a leader, you should have higher moral standards and pursuits, and use them to guide your own governance.

If the problem of seeking the Tao is solved, the problem of ideology is solved, the problem of seeking food is naturally solved, and even if it is poor, it is temporary.

But if you only focus on economic interests, you will still encounter problems sooner or later.

This is what is often heard: 'The ideological problem is the big problem.' ’

Is that what you mean when you go back and read the full text now? Therefore, I would like to advise you not to take other people's views as your own. Hearsay things, first doubt, then research and verify by yourself, and finally make your own judgment.

For example, what I'm saying now isn't necessarily all right? Not necessarily. You can also have doubts, and then study by yourself and get your own conclusions, which is the original intention of readers to 'seek truth'.

Let's talk about the next so-called evidence, and many people like to quote a passage in the Analects of Zilu: "Fan Chi asked for a lesson, and Zi said: 'I am not as good as an old peasant.'" Please learn to be a nursery, and say, 'I am not as good as an old garden.' Fan came out late, and Zi said: 'Villain, Fan Xu also!'

This sounds like Confucius thought that Fan Chi would ask about farming, but Confucius would not, so he scolded him angrily.

But is that really what it means? If you open the Analects, you'll see that this is the original sentence.

Fan Chi asked for a lesson, and Zi said, "I'm not as good as an old farmer." Please learn to be a nursery, and say, 'I am not as good as an old garden.' Fan Chi came out, and the son said: "Villain, Fan Xu also! If you give a good gift, the people will not dare to be disrespectful, if you are good and righteous, then the people will not dare to disobey, and if you are good believers, the people will not dare to be merciful." If this is the case, then the people of the four corners will carry their sons and use their crops?'

Oops, another long tail.

That's exactly what I said. Those in power advocate morality, and the common people themselves come. You don't have to rely on abundant food and clothing to attract them, because they are politically correct, they can create wealth themselves, which is interlocking with what I said before. ”

After the fourth grandfather finished speaking, he glanced at the comments in the live broadcast room and couldn't help laughing.

"Just now, some netizens said that Confucius was talking empty words, people ask for advice and hard work, and you draw a pie for others.

In fact, this is the difference between political means and political ideas, and this is also what I want to explain Confucius means when he says that Fan Chi is a villain.

As I have just explained, Confucius believed that valuing farming and labor is only the pursuit of economic interests, and at best can only be regarded as a political means.

As a politician at that time, more attention should be paid to political ideas.

Propriety, righteousness, and faith are the fundamental and key points, and having a correct political concept is the premise for solving major national affairs.

One example that illustrates this issue is the preamble to the constitutions of the countries of the world.

France: 'The French people love the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen...... The Republic offers to those overseas territories that have expressed their will to unite with the Republic a new system based on the common ideals of freedom, equality, fraternity, and designed for their democratic development. ’

Germany: 'We, the German people, aware of our responsibility to God and to humanity, are willing to contribute to world peace on an equal footing in a united Europe......

United States: 'I, the people of the United States of America, for the organization of a better federation and for the establishment of justice...... To promote the well-being of all and to ensure that we and our children can enjoy the happiness that freedom brings...... Establish this constitution. ’

China: 'China is one of the oldest countries in the world. The people of all ethnic groups in China have jointly created a splendid cultural ......'

Freedom, equality, fraternity, world peace, justice, and happiness for all...... These are all important political concepts, is each one more 'empty' than the other? Is it the 'painting of the pie' that the netizen just said?

However, this is the most important program guiding the administration of a country, and these things are far more important than crops and nurseries!

And it is precisely these 'painting pies' that Confucius wants students to ask!

Therefore, the villain in Confucius's mouth only refers to Fan Chi, not to the peasant. When it was clear that he needed to deepen the study of political ideas, he went to the exhaustive search for political means, that is, he did not have enough political comprehension, his vision was not broad enough, and his ideological level was not high enough, and he was not enough to become a qualified ruler in the future.

However, I would like to point out that because of these assertions of Confucius, there were some problems later.

After that, Song Confucianism fell into another misunderstanding and went to the other extreme, mistakenly believing that as long as he held high the banner of ideas and used them as a means to exert them, all political difficulties could be solved.

This is to ignore the fundamental difference between the two and the actual situation of their respective times.

This led to a market where there were such remarks as 'starving to death is a small matter, and losing a temper is a big matter', which not only did not solve the problem, but instead led to the rigidity of Confucianism, the rigidity of the political system, and the later populism criticized Confucianism, negated it and even liquidated it.

I would like to say that Master's theory is greater than his time, and he has put forward a basic program that can be pursued by the Chinese for thousands of years and can continue to be pursued.

What we need to inherit is his spiritual strategy, not his words as 100% truth, otherwise, it will not only be an example of the east, but also a sword carving.

This pot is the pot of future generations, not the pot that the master should carry. And with Master's thorough understanding of machine power, he should not make such a mistake.

Back in the Analects, it is precisely because of Confucius's emphasis on political ideas that whenever students ask these questions, such as Yan Yuan asking Ren, Zhong Gong asking Ren, Zi Lu asking Zheng, and Zi Xia asking Zheng, Confucius patiently gave them satisfactory answers.

In fact, there is another very interesting phenomenon here, that is, in the Analects, it can also be seen that Confucius's affection for students is different, and sages are also human beings......

Do you think that what happened to Fan Chi is the worst? Zilu Confucius is very beloved, right? He was also criticized like this!

There is also the Zai He who slept a lot during the day, who was scolded by Confucius as 'rotten wood cannot be carved' and 'a wall of dung'! Hahaha, the master also has a temper.

So this is not evidence that Confucius looked down on the farmer, but he was a little angry about Fan Chi.

How can I say that? This baby is a little difficult to build.

Fan Chi is a bit 'stupid', not politically sharp enough, and not strong enough in comprehension, but he is studious and hardworking.

The master sometimes made a fool of him and said that he didn't understand, so he usually only passed on his most concise and straightforward concepts.

In the "Analects", he asked Ren three times and asked Zhi twice, and he was the classmate who asked Ren the most in the "Analects", but Confucius explained to him from several aspects, and the kid was stunned or couldn't understand, and finally ran to ask his classmate Zi Xia, and then Zi Xia had to explain the truth to him in detail.

To be honest, the master's answer to Fan Chi did seem a bit perfunctory and too concise compared to other students. Personally, I think it's because of the Master's liking for the students, or the degree of variety.

For example, in the second paragraph just now, the master didn't explain clearly in person, but only said two simple sentences of 'I don't understand', and when Fan Chi left, he opened others up to the classmates next to him as negative teaching materials, which is a bit of a bully.

Hahaha, but don't think that Fan Chi is really a fool, in the eleventh year of Lu Aigong, Ran You's classmate led the left division to defend against the enemy, thinking that only the old classmate Fan Chi could faithfully fulfill military orders, so he took him on the chariot and served as his own 'car right'.

Later, when the Lu army did not dare to cross the ditch to meet the battle, it was Fan Chi who suggested that Ran You take the lead in charging, which defeated the Qi army.

Later, he also inherited the legacy of Confucius and promoted Confucianism......

His temple, the pedigree, because the descendants actively resisted the Japanese in World War II, were burned and destroyed by the Japanese puppets many times......

Such a person, I hope that our nation, our country, will know him, remember him, and get to know him again.

For thousands of years, people have remembered his contributions and his dedication to seeking the truth.

Therefore, he was named Fan Bo in the Tang Dynasty, Yidu Hou in the Song Dynasty, and a sage in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and one of the seventy-two sages of Confucius.

His tomb, in Yutai County, Jining City, if there are netizens in Yutai, please give me a pillar of incense, just say that there is an old man in Shuzhou, respect him for his loyalty, respect for his bravery, respect for his words and teachings to teach the teacher of the fire, and respect his perseverance and consistent style of study......

That's all for today's discussion, and the last thing I want to say is that distorting and slandering a philosopher in a way that divides the meaning of the scriptures is even more crazy than burning books and pit Confucianism.

Because as long as you are a literate person, open a book once, and it will be immediately clear who is who.

The emperor's new clothes can only fool the blind, not the people who open their eyes.

So once again, I hope that you will not listen to bias and open your eyes. The Analects is there, open it, read it, understand it, and find your own answers.

Confucianism's concept of governance, ethics, historical origins, development, changes, advantages and disadvantages, experience, and lessons should be developed, and it is a huge topic. It is impossible to dwell on it today.

I will only explain a little bit on the question of whether Confucius looked down on peasants, and explain a little bit from the small point of Confucianism's emphasis on political concepts, so that everyone can have a deeper impression of this knowledge.

These are my own understanding, not necessarily right, if you have any questions, you are welcome to point them out, we will discuss and learn together, thank you. ”

Li Junge entered the door to help the fourth grandfather pack up his things, and shook his head and admired: "This is to learn from China and the West, collect the details, and guide the ......."

The fourth grandfather smiled: "Today's can only be regarded as a discussion, not a lesson, there is no fun at all, you have something to do?"