Because the dean's philosophy of running a school is relatively free and inclusive, there are many people with different ideological tendencies among the tutors in the college, and students are influenced by it and have their own preferences. The polemics provided an ideological stage for the various factions to showcase, and students and instructors attached great importance to it. From the selection of topics to the formation of team debates, they are all carefully selected.

Soon, the proclamation was posted, and for a while the subject of the polemic was discussed everywhere. Ten days, six polemics: First, is the origin of the world non-existent or existent? In the second scene, is human nature inherently good or inherently evil? In the third scene, the king or the people? Fourth, Etiquette or Rule of Law? Session 5: Physiocratism or Mercantilism? Sixth, is it easier said or easier to do?

Li Yun is also looking forward to appreciating these polemics, although the sage said: clever words make the color unkind, but Li Yun thought, the so-called truth is not clear, although both sides of the debate have their own opinions, but through the comparison and synthesis of the views of both sides, the understanding of the avenue of society and life will be enlightened, maybe it will help him to understand it!

In the enthusiastic anticipation of the students of the college, the first debate began. The venue of the debate is in the auditorium, the two sides of the debate and the instructor of the commentary are on the stage, the instructor and the moderator are in the middle, three people on each side of the debate occupy two sides, and there are students on the side who are responsible for using the hourglass time. The other students who watched the game sat in the audience, and the five students in the two rows in front were randomly selected to be the public judges for voting.

The main representatives of the two sides of the debate are Du Bai and Zhou Yu, Du Bai represents the "nothing" side, and Zhou Yu represents the "have" side. After the host instructor explained the rules, both sides clarified their positions in turn and then began to argue.

Du Bai started his discussion first, only to see that he was handsome, and Lang Lang said: "Where do all things in heaven and earth come from? The sage said: Tao begets one, one begets two, two begets three, and three begets all things. From this, we can infer that at the beginning of all things in the universe, there was the origin of a world, that is, the Tao, which was formless and formless, and mysterious and mysterious, so the original Tao of the universe was nothing. Nothing then gives birth to one, which is Tai Chi. Tai Chi gives birth to the two ways of yin and yang, and then gives birth to three that are the sun, moon and stars, yin and yang run at four times, the earth gives birth to the five elements, and all things are formed. The way of heaven exists forever, so the root of our knowledge is to seek this way, conform to the way of heaven, and do nothing without doing nothing. There was a burst of applause.

When it was Zhou Yu's turn, he was not stage frightened, and talked eloquently: "What is the origin of the universe?" It has been debated since ancient times. The sage said: Man is the law of the earth, the earth is the law of the sky, the heaven is the law, and the Tao is the nature. Above the Tao, there is a natural existence, this existence exists, it runs eternally, it does not die because of the change of dynasties, it does not change because of the change of the four seasons. The Tao is the embodiment of the rules and order of nature, which is eternal but will change, and the Tao of Heaven will change accordingly. The foundation of our knowledge is to discover the law of change of nature, that is, the way of heaven, so as to use the way of heaven to change nature and use it for the way of heaven. There were also some supporters who applauded.

The two of them either quoted scriptures or refuted each other, arguing with each other, which provoked bursts of applause from the scene. In the end, after the comments of the tutor and the vote of the students, Du Bai's debate was better and more in line with the understanding of ordinary people, and he won the first debate.

Li Yun listened with relish, and couldn't help but think: "Although Du Bai and Zhou Yu's views are different, they both recognize the existence of the Heavenly Dao, and the difference is only that this Heavenly Dao is above all things, or is it just a manifestation of the operation and change of all things. The Tao is ethereal and difficult to find, and ultimately it comes down to people, and the purpose of people seeking the Tao is not to be subject to the Tao, but to serve people with the Tao. The way of heaven is constant and changeable, life in the world, not only to follow the principles of nature, is to seek the way; It is also necessary to apply the principles of nature against it, which is to change the course; Both are the Tao, and the two sides of the Tao are just two sides of the Tao. However, in the end, the four times are irreversible, yin and yang cannot be violated, and there is a certain range of lane changes, and in the end, we must follow the natural way of heaven, regardless of whether this way of heaven and nature are absent or not. From the very beginning, there are two sides to everything in contradiction, and their opposing conflicts and transformations have contributed to change, and the direction of change should be the direction of reality contradictions. The essence of the Tao is to go against the sky, and the root of the Cave Void Sutra is the combination of existence and non-existence, and the practice of existence to the extreme, and the integration into one, which is the ultimate Tao nothingness, but it is not the real nothingness, it is the existence that encompasses everything and transcends everything, and has universality, that is, nothingness. ”

The second session on the topic of whether human nature is inherently good or evil has also been going on for a long time, and each has its own opinions. This time, Zhu Liang and Zhang Shu are each representatives.

Zhu Liang represents the theory of goodness, he said: "Human nature is inherently good. The difference between humans and animals is: compassion is shared by everyone; Everyone has a heart of shame; Everyone has the heart of right and wrong. Everyone has the conscience of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faith, and everyone can be a saint. The reason why people later became evil was because their innate goodness was blinded, and the key to correction was to educate and correct people's hearts and restore their original good nature. ”

Zhang Shu represents the theory of evil, he said: "Human nature is evil. People are born with a heart of self-interest, and since the baby they get it, they are happy, and they cry when they can't. I want to eat when I'm hungry, I want to wear when I'm cold, I want to rest when I'm tired, I want to hide when I see the benefits, and I can't hide from the disadvantages when I see them. The hope of making a sedan chair is that people are rich and rich; The person who made the coffin wanted the person to die early. Therefore, since ancient times, there have been ministers who have killed their gentlemen and their fathers, and there are evildoers everywhere, and the development to the extreme is the degeneration of human nature and social chaos. Therefore, it is not enough to educate and educate, but more fundamentally, it is necessary to legislate, set up a powerful government and monarchy, reward the good and punish the evil, make everyone abide by the law, improve the social order, and the state order is good. ”

The debate between the two was also quite wonderful, expounding the origin of human nature and the system design ideas that make human nature good and social order from different perspectives, and all the students were very addicted.

Li Yun returned to his dormitory, combined with his own thinking, and wrote "The Theory of Human Nature" and "The Theory of Harmony with the Sons".

He sought to introduce the idea of Tao into the theory of human nature, and he believed that human beings were in a state of chaotic oneness at the beginning, and that human nature was neither good nor evil, and there was no distinction between good and evil. The requirements of social order have produced the division of good and evil, good and evil are artificially set the day after tomorrow, and are determined according to the interests and needs of the people, and the content of good and evil in different times also changes, and the good and evil of the monarch and officials are not completely consistent with the good and evil of the people at the bottom. Human temperament and behavior are also affected by various environments, and the combined effect of personality and environment leads to various changes. To achieve the ideal good, the first thing is to make the good that the majority of people accept, not the good that most people oppose. In terms of ways to achieve this, education and the rule of law complement each other and are indispensable. Educate first, internalize goodness into human behavior, and prevent first; The rule of law comes last, and the law is used to enforce people's behavior, and control comes last; Then people's hearts will be peaceful, and social order will be orderly.

He also realized that although the ideas of Taoism, Yin-Yangism, Mohistism, Legalism, Confucianism, and Famous Scholars were different, their fundamental purpose was to focus on the development of society and the development of people. Taoism constructs the concept of Heavenly Dao, making the natural world and human society a whole, and the unity of heaven, earth and man; It also recognizes that everything is opposite, that things must be opposite, that changes are not living and that there are certain laws. The doctrine of Confucianism both reflects the structure of society and helps to stabilize the social order. Legalism constructed a new system of governance, implementing the centralization of monarchical power and emphasizing the rule of law, laying the foundation for the social management system. Mohists also represented the ideas of the broad masses of the lower classes, attaching importance to production and frugality, and contributing to the continuation of society in an era when production wealth was insufficient. By observing the four solar terms determined by the operation of the sun and the moon, the Yin-Yang family provided convenience for both the year and production. Politicians should attach importance to the unity of thought, but they should also pay attention to developing ideas along with changes in society.

The topic of the third session was a more sensitive topic, but fortunately the monarchy was now weakened and uncontrolled. Xu Zhong and Sun Cao became the representatives of the debate on both sides. Xu Zhong insisted on the monarch, and Sun Cao emphasized the people.

Xu Zhong said: "The country is made up of people, the highest person in the country is the king, since ancient times there are three emperors and five emperors, the existence of the king is the inevitable result of organizing the people." Things are in the four directions, and they must be in the center. The saint insisted, and the Quartet followed. This saint is Jun. Only when the monarch leads, formulates decrees, establishes an official government, respects the monarch, unifies the system, establishes good order, and works as one, can the country be strong and prosperous. All the people depend on one person, one person is safe and all surnames, and one person is the first in the world. Therefore, respect the king first, and the king is the most important. ”

Sun Cao said: "Jun is set up by people to protect themselves, if you can implement benevolent government, love the people and secure the people, then you are a king." If the monarch is selfish, arrogant and extravagant, the people are not happy, and eventually the people's resentment boils over, then the monarch is not the monarch, and the country may die. The Son of Heaven, if there is a way, people will push it as the master, and if there is no way, people will abandon it and not use it. Therefore, the king is the second, the people are the foundation of the country, the people are the most important, and the king is light. The chaos of the world is not in the rise and fall of one surname, but in the sorrow and happiness of all people. ”

Sun Cao's views can be said to be very bold, especially the views behind him are thought-provoking. He even opposed the idea that the king is the lord of the world, believing that the world is governed by the monarch and the people, just like everyone carrying a tree, there are those who lead in front and those who support in the back.

Li Yun thought: "Jun, Zhou Ye; people, water also; Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize a boat. The people are the foundation of the state, and the way of the king must first save the people. Acting perversely for one's own sake may succeed for a while, but it will eventually perish. The king has the way, and the people respect it; If there is no way, the people will die. The way of the king lies in the peace and prosperity of the people, not whether they are ordered by heaven or not, in a certain sense, the people are the sky. ”

The fourth debate on etiquette and the rule of law was also very exciting. In the end, the tutor Wang Yang's comments were very in place. "Etiquette and the rule of law are not exclusive, but mutually reinforcing," he said. Just like the previous controversy between good and evil, when applied to governing the country, it is the rule of etiquette and the rule of law. It is necessary to internalize the requirements of society into the requirements of etiquette, to educate people with etiquette, and to guide people to goodness. However, in the development and change of society, it is impossible to stop evil by education alone, the interests of the people need to be protected, and the social order needs to be regulated, so the rule of law is also necessary. The saint's ritual and law are used together, and the overlord is mixed, and there will never be bias in using only one way of governance. ”

The fifth debate on physiocratism versus mercantilism was also very exciting.

The view of physiocratism is a very popular viewpoint, they believe that agriculture is the foundation of the world, agriculture has developed, there is enough grain, the people have food to eat, clothing to wear, social stability, and the country is rich and the people are strong. Moreover, the peasants are relatively fixed, simple-minded, and know the etiquette in the warehouse, which is easy to manage. However, the number of people engaged in industry and commerce has increased, and the agricultural population has decreased, and agricultural production has been affected. Therefore, it is necessary to emphasize agriculture and suppress business, which is a fundamental national policy.

Mercantilism holds that agriculture is important, and that there is no stability without agriculture, but agriculture is only the foundation, and there is no prosperity without work, and there is no life without business. Without commerce, the products of various localities will not be able to circulate, and the agricultural products in many places will be cheap and hurt the peasants. Without the improvement of tools by craftsmen, agriculture would also be inefficient. In the coastal areas, where there are many people and little land, commerce, especially overseas trade, is the foundation of their livelihood, and their status is more important than agriculture. Industry and commerce make money, which can supplement agriculture and support agricultural development. Therefore, we should focus on business rather than suppress business. As for the fact that it is difficult to control when people are rich, there is no need to worry, it can be regulated by law. Moreover, after getting rich, repairing bridges and roads, and donating to charity are also conducive to alleviating social conflicts.

Li Yunben was born in a peasant family, and traveled to the west and south, so he also had some understanding of trade, and his dealings with Tao Xin also understood the thoughts of some merchants, and he was also very interested in this mercantilist thought. I deeply feel that the development of the country should not be too biased towards agriculture, and we must give priority to agriculture, pay equal attention to industry and commerce, and complement each other. Just like the golden mean, don't be biased.

The sixth debate on whether it is easier to know than to do is easier to do than to know and easy to do, and there are different debates on epistemology. Li Yun listened to several polemics, and by this time he had already understood that there are two sides to any matter and reason, and he must learn to look at problems from different angles. Knowledge and action are ultimately unified, knowledge and then action, action and then correction of knowledge, the cycle repeats, the understanding continues to improve, and the line continues to improve. Whether it is knowledge or action, we must proceed from reality and adapt measures to local conditions.

These debates in the academy promoted Li Yun's thinking. With a realistic attitude towards study, he gradually perfected his world outlook and strategy for governing the country, which laid a solid foundation for his future governance of the country.

Just when Li Yun was learning to think, the situation outside took a new turn.