"Since you know a lot about the Ming Dynasty, let's go on." Theodora said, "Why do you think they will change their habits immediately?" ”

"Because you're not enough of the Central Plains." Guo Kang smiled: "A person like me who is very middle-minded, you don't need to think carefully to understand the reason. ”

"The people of the Central Plains do not have any consistent 'traditional thinking habits' at all. In other words, their traditional habit is pragmatism. ”

"To sum up, they focus on practicality and ignore the impractical 'tricks'. It can be said that their strengths and weaknesses are actually in this trait. ”

"Tricks and tricks......," Theodora began to think about the word.

"Yes." Guo Kang explained: "The word comes from the Shangshu Tai Oath, and the original text says that King Wu of Zhou condemned the king of Shang for using strange skills and excessive skills to please women. This is actually a good summary of the common thinking of the people of the Central Plains. ”

"Is this a trick?" Theodora pointed to the scaffold-like corset: "I think this technique is quite peculiar......"

"The key to trickery is 'excess'." Guo Kang didn't care at all: "It's all technical ingenuity, the ancients often thought that the technology used for entertainment was strange and ingenious, but no one ever said that improving agricultural tools and researching water conservancy equipment was strange and ingenious." Because there's only one thing that says 'overplayed'. The improvement of agricultural technology has never been 'excessive'. ”

Guo Kang is very sure of this. Agriculture in the Central Plains belongs to an industry that has never stopped developing and progressing for thousands of years. Even in the middle and late Qing Dynasty, tools and technologies continued to be upgraded, and there may have been a large-scale regression during the Republic of China. It can be seen that it is not technology and innovation itself that are excluded, but those that are considered meaningless and even harmful.

"I have made this thing for you, not to provide excessive entertainment to please the woman, but to solve problems and alleviate the inconveniences of life. Therefore, it is not a miracle trick. He came to his own conclusions.

"That's what it means." Theodora probably understood.

Truth be told, this way of thinking is really not conducive to encouraging people to think about natural philosophy. Because for a long time, this discipline does not provide much practical value. Guo Kang said.

"In many aspects of life, production, and even the military, it is enough to rely on the level of science in ancient times. New inventions, including steam, are basically breakthroughs in the field of technology and craftsmanship, and have nothing to do with natural philosophy itself. ”

"Well...... then," Theodora realized, "no wonder you say that the church is best suited to study these." ”

"Hey, the people of the Central Plains are too down-to-earth." Guo Kang shook his head: "Such a 'virtual' thing, only religious organizations can persistently insist on research and investment." ”

"But on the other hand, as soon as they see the value, they adjust to it immediately. Although this process also takes time, it is already very difficult for a civilization, especially one of this size, to make drastic adjustments. Even compared to civilizations with shorter histories and smaller volumes, this reaction speed is astonishing. ”

According to the experience of the previous life, the Central Plains people may only need one generation to make an overall adjustment, or even less. The changes in the late Qing Dynasty seemed "slow", not so much because they did not want to change, but because they did not realize the crisis for a long time.

Before the Sino-Japanese War, the whole of Seris was actually quite "classical" in atmosphere. Although there are many people who have learned about Western ideas with foreign guns, foreign cannons and even foreign religions, the practical needs in this area are not very urgent.

Beginning in the 70s of the 19th century, the Qing army first performed remarkably in the process of recovering XJ. In the subsequent Sino-French War, although it suffered a lot of losses, it also caused the French army to retreat at a strategic level in Beiqi. Against the top powers of the time, this performance was already good. So at that time, many people didn't realize that there was still a problem, but felt that the Qing Dynasty was okay again......

It was not until the defeat to Japan in 1895 that it brought a huge psychological impact to the people, which led to a sudden change in ideology. In the thirty or forty years since then, various trends of thought have surged, and those who can try it have almost tried a circle. That's an astonishing speed compared to most civilizations - at this point, no one else can even try it.

Looking at this history from later generations, of course, Guo Kang will be very impressed.

"The Seris will tell you that there are 'good things' and 'tricks' in the world, but he won't tell you that they can change at any time." He told Theodora with emotion: "I didn't notice it myself at first, but then I gradually discovered the pattern here." ”

"For example, natural philosophy. In ancient times, this knowledge was not very useful, so the Seris were not very interested in it, and dismissed some of it as a waste of time and energy, and a delay in business. ”

"If we only look at this time, then the judgment of the ancients is actually right. As we said before, Seris is a place that has been very competitive since ancient times, wasting money and energy, and undoubtedly a sabotage to one's own camp, so others have the incentive to stop it. ”

On the contrary, in that era, the greatest role was the study of society and management. The Seris are quite mature and advanced in this regard, and a great deal of relevant content is taught in the Four Books and the Five Classics. ”

"Using this advantage, they succeeded in building a very large, efficient and stable country at the time. In other civilizations, it is almost impossible for a state apparatus of this level to exist. With the help of this powerful order, the Seris civilization can crush almost everyone around it. For them, this is the ability to live and live, and of course it is the 'right thing'. ”

"That's why some people think that reciting the Four Books and the Five Classics is the right thing, and studying natural philosophy is indulging in strange tricks and tricks."

"Then if the 'useful' things change, they will change with them." Theodora said, "After all, their true belief was pragmatism. ”

"Yes. On the surface, the Seris had previously believed in the Four Books and the Five Classics, but in fact they believed in only practical value. Guo Kang nodded: "Once they discover that natural philosophy can bring huge benefits, they will immediately abandon the Four Books and Five Classics and regard natural philosophy as a 'serious matter'." ”

It's not because they believe in science or crave the truth. For most people, it's just that 'science' is better used and more playable. Their belief is still in the primacy of practicality itself. ”

"Although on the surface I 'converted' from reading the Four Books and the Five Classics to reciting scientific works, in fact nothing has changed. Even the position of 'Strange Tricks and Tricks' has not disappeared, but the original Four Books and Five Classics are now Strange Tricks and Tricks. ”

"If this happens, you can rest assured that they won't even be able to attack 'tricks and tricks'." Guo Kang said: "But at this time, it becomes a condemnation of the Four Books and the Five Classics for having no practical value, which is a waste of time and energy and delays the right thing." ”

At this time, the person who accused Confucius was essentially the same kind of person as the Confucian scholar who pursued Confucius and accused the craftsman, but his position was just reversed. It is even okay to think of them as the ninth school of Confucianism, anyway, the basic way of thinking is the same. He smiled and said: "In fact, everyone has a Confucian in their hearts." ”

"So I'll understand." Theodora nodded: "It's the same as all kinds of heresy in Europe. Some heretics even deny the existence of God, but they still argue within philosophical and theological systems. Perspectives may change, even the opposite, but the core way of thinking of civilization will not change. ”

"yes, that's what I thought." Guo Kang said.

That is, there are no spells in this world. Otherwise, if the Seris people find out one day that reciting the Four Books and Five Classics can summon the Great Demon of Confucian Abuse and help them hack down the enemy, then it is estimated that everyone will take the Four Books and Five Classics as a "serious matter" and recite them every day. At the end of the day, for them, whatever faith is a thing or a tool.

(End of chapter)