Go back to the valley to farm

Chapter 698 Confucius looked down on farmers? !

Chapter 690 Confucius looked down on farmers? !
"When you bring someone to Zhejiang, you must first start with this question. In the Spring and Autumn Period, Wuyue swordsmiths cut materials. Did they use their eyes? Weighing? Fire? Or even tasting? Or are there other unimaginable methods? This It is the foundation of sword casting, and it is the details. To make a good movie and write a good article, the details must not be missed.”

Xiao Zhun murmured, "Then if this film is filmed, it can be broadcast on the BBC as an archaeological documentary..."

Li Junge said: "If your film can be shown on the BBC, then your status as a disseminator of civilization will be confirmed."

Xiao Zhun said: "Is there another name for this kind of civilization spreader, called a thankless takeover?"

Liang Huili burst out laughing: "Xiao Zhun, isn't that what Ayin and Erpi did for no reason on the uninhabited island? You should follow them."

Xiao Zhun said contemptuously: "He? Cut! Didn't he try his best to make Ah Yin happy! I want to believe that he is to spread Chinese civilization! I will write it backwards!"

The crew and crew were sent off the next day. It was almost June, and the children were about to go on vacation. Li Junge was going to the ancestral hall to discuss the summer vacation arrangements with the fourth grandfather.

I just listened to the Fourth Grandpa giving lectures to the camera in the ancestral hall.

Because there are students from Columbia University listening in, the fourth grandpa will occasionally join in the discussion and answer the content of the message.

I heard the fourth grandfather say: "First of all, I want to explain that Chinese studies are not Confucianism. Confucianism is only an important part of Chinese studies. You can choose a category you like to start with, such as classics, history, sons, collections, and even notes and novels. It’s all right, with interest as the teacher, step by step to deepen the cultivation of Chinese studies.

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

There are many such remarks on the Internet, and the evidence mainly comes from two records.

One is the record in "The Analects of Confucius Wei Linggong": "Zi said: "Plowing is also included in it; learning is also included in salary." '

What does that mean?Confucius said: "Plowing the fields will inevitably lead to starvation; and studying, you can get a salary." '

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

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

Confucius said: "A gentleman seeks the way but not food."Cultivation also includes discouragement; learning also includes salary.A gentleman worries about Dao but not poverty. '

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

Now this sentence has to be understood in a different way. Confucius said: "A gentleman only seeks to practice the way, not food and clothing."Because farming, it is inevitable that there will be times when you are hungry; and through learning, you can find the way and get the corresponding salary.Therefore, the gentleman is only worried about the failure of the way, not about poverty. '

I don't know why this sentence is used as the basis for Confucius to look down on farmers. This sentence actually shows that Confucius asked the politicians to seek the way, and it is just an analogy using the cultivated land.

Let's first look at the background of the times. In the Spring and Autumn Period, what is the so-called gentleman? He is the main body of a country's political life, the person in power and the ruler who assists them, the master of knowledge, and the spiritual cultivation and moral pursuit produced by mastering knowledge. people.

With this background, let's look at the meaning of the text again. What this means is that even people who deal directly with food will sometimes not be able to eat food. What's wrong with this statement?If Confucius changed his words, he would become a weaver, and he would be frozen in it. 'Is it time to say that Confucius looked down on craftsmen again?
What Confucius said is actually just to educate those in power, and they should have a higher vision.As a leader, you should have higher moral standards and pursuits, and use them to guide your own governance.

Once the problem of finding the way is solved, the problem of thinking is solved, and the problem of finding food will naturally be solved. Even if you are poor, it is only temporary.

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

This is the saying that everyone often hears: 'Ideological problems are big problems. '

Everyone go back and read the full text now, is that what you mean?Therefore, I would like to advise everyone not to take other people's views as your own.For hearsay, doubt it first, then research and verify it yourself, and finally make your own judgment.

For example, what I said now must be correct?not necessarily.You can also have doubts, and then do your own research and get your own conclusions. This is the original intention of scholars to "seek truth".

Let's talk about the next so-called evidence. Many people still like to quote a passage from "The Analects of Confucius": "Fan Chi asked Xuejia, and Zi said: "I am not as good as an old farmer." "Please learn as a garden, saying:" I am not as good as the old garden. ’ When Fan Chi went out, the Master said: ‘You villain, Fan Xu too! '

It sounded like Confucius thought that Fan Chi asked about farming, but Confucius couldn't do it, so he became angry and scolded him.

Is that really what you mean?If you open the Analects of Confucius, you will find that the original words are like this.

’ Fan Chi asked to learn from Jia, and the Master said: ‘I am not as good as an old farmer. "Please learn as a garden, saying:" I am not as good as the old garden. ’ When Fan Chi went out, the Master said: ‘You villain, Fan Xu too!If you offer good manners, the people will not dare to be disrespectful; if you offer good righteousness, the people will not dare to be disobedient; if you have good faith, then the people will not dare to be merciless.If the husband is like this, then the people of the four directions will come here with their sons, how can they use the crops? '

Whoops, another long tail.

This is the original words.The superior advocates morality, and the common people come by themselves.You don't need to rely on ample food and clothing to attract them, because they are politically correct, and they can create wealth by themselves, which is closely related to 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.

"A netizen said just now that what Confucius said was empty words, and people ask for advice and work hard, and you make big cakes for them.

In fact, this is the difference between political means and political ideas, and it is also what Confucius meant when he said Fan Chi was a villain.

As I have just explained, Confucius believes that emphasizing farming and labor is only the pursuit of economic interests, and at most it can only be regarded as a political means.

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

Propriety, righteousness, and faith are the fundamental and key points, and correct political ideas are the prerequisites for solving national affairs.

There is an example that can explain this problem very well, and that is the preamble of the constitutions of various countries in the world.

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

Germany: 'I, the German people, aware of my duty to God and to man, wish to contribute to world peace as equals in a united Europe...'

United States: 'I, the people of the United States of America, to form a better union, to establish justice...to promote the general welfare and to secure to ourselves and our posterity the happiness of liberty...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 culture...'

Do you understand everyone?Liberty, equality, fraternity, world peace, justice, happiness for all... These are all important political ideas, are they more 'empty' than one?Is it the master's "painting big cake" that the netizen just mentioned?
But this is the most important program to guide a country's governance. These things are far more important than crops and gardens!That's why it will be written into the preamble of the opening chapters of the constitutions of various countries!

And it is precisely these "painting big cakes" that are the questions that Confucius hoped the students would ask!
Therefore, the villain in Confucius' mouth refers only to Fan Chi, not to the peasants.When it is obvious that he needs to deepen the study of political ideas, he goes into political means. This means that his political comprehension is not enough, his vision is not broad enough, his level of thought is not high enough, and he is not enough to become a qualified policy maker in the future.

But what I want to point out is that because of these assertions of Confucius, some problems were also brought about later.

After Song Confucianism, they fell into another misunderstanding and went to another extreme. They mistakenly believed that as long as they held high the banner of ideas and used ideas as means, they could solve all political difficulties.

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

This has led to a market where there are such remarks as "starving to death is a small matter, and injustice is a big matter". As a result, not only did the problem not be solved, but it also led to the rigidity of Confucianism and the rigidity of the political system, which led to the later criticism of Confucianism by populism and the denial of Confucianism. Even liquidation.

What I want to say is that Master's theory is greater than his time. He proposed a basic program that Chinese people can follow for thousands of years and can continue to follow.

What we need to inherit is his spiritual generality, rather than taking his few words as [-]% truth forever, otherwise, we will be imitating others and seeking swords in earnest.

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

Speaking back to "The Analects", it is precisely because of Confucius' emphasis on political ideas that whenever students ask these questions, such as Yan Yuan asking about benevolence, Zhong Gong asking about benevolence, Zilu asking about politics, and Zixia asking about politics, Confucius will patiently answer them. answer to their satisfaction.

In fact, there is another very interesting phenomenon here, that is, in the "Analects of Confucius", it can be seen that Confucius loves students in different degrees, and saints are also human beings...

Do you think what happened to Fan Chi was the worst?Zilu Confucius is very cute, right?I have been criticized like this!
And Zai Yu, who slept a lot during the day, was scolded by Confucius as "rotten wood cannot be carved" and "a wall of dung"!Hahaha, Master also has a temper.

So this statement is not evidence that Confucius looked down on farmers, but he was a little angry at Fan Chi for being helpless.

how to say?This baby is a little hard to bring up.

This kid Fan Chi is a bit 'stupid', politically insensitive and comprehensible, but he is eager to learn and works hard.

The master sometimes has nothing to do with him, saying that he doesn't understand, so he usually only conveys his most concise and straightforward concepts.

In "The Analects of Confucius", he asked about benevolence three times and asked about knowledge twice. He was the classmate who asked about benevolence the most in "The Analects of Confucius". However, Confucius explained to him from several aspects. He also ran to ask his classmate Zixia for advice, and then Zixia had to explain the truth to him in detail.

To be honest, Master's answer to Fan Chi was indeed a bit perfunctory and too concise compared to other students.Personally, I think it is the master's love for the students or it varies from person to person.

For example, in the second paragraph just now, the master didn’t explain clearly to the face, but simply said a few words “I don’t understand”, and when Fan Chi left, he opened up and explained others as a negative teaching material to the students next to him. bullying.

Hahaha, but don’t think that Fan Chi is really an idiot. In the 11th year of Lu Aigong’s Qi division to attack Lu, Ran You’s classmate led the left division to defend against the enemy. He thought that only his old classmate Fan Chi could faithfully fulfill military orders, so he took him along with him Get out of the chariot and serve as your own 'chariot 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 charge first, and that was how the Qi army was defeated.

Afterwards, he also inherited Confucius' behest to promote Confucianism...

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

Such a person, I hope our nation, our country, know him, remember him, and know him again.

For thousands of years, people have remembered his contribution and his persistence in seeking the Tao.

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. He was one of the 72 sages of Confucianism, so he should not be in our era, just remember that the master commented His sentence, "Small man!" '

His tomb is in Yutai County, JN City. If there are netizens from Yutai, please offer a stick of incense for me. It is said that there is an old man in Shuzhou who respects his loyalty, respects his courage, and respects his words and teachings. Teacher Fan of Huochuan, respect his perseverance and consistent style of study...

This is the end of today's discussion. The last thing I want to say is that distorting and slandering a sage in a way that separates the scriptures is an even more insane behavior than burning books and burying scholars.

Because as long as a person who can read and write opens a book once, it will be immediately obvious who is right and who is wrong.

The emperor's new clothes can only fool the blind, but not the open-eyed.

So I once again hope that everyone will not listen to one side and believe in another, and open your eyes. "The Analects of Confucius" is right there, open it, read it, understand it, and find your own answer.

Confucianism's political philosophy, ethics, historical origins, development, changes, advantages and disadvantages, experience, lessons, these are to be developed, which is a huge subject.Impossible to go into detail today.

I just want to explain the question of whether Confucius looked down on farmers, from the small point of Confucianism's emphasis on political ideas, so that everyone can have a deeper impression of this knowledge.

These are my own understandings, not necessarily correct. If you have any questions, you are welcome to point them out. Let's discuss and learn from each other. Thank you. "

Only then did Li Junge enter the door to help the Fourth Grandpa pack his things, while shaking his head in admiration: "This is the one who has learned both Chinese and Western, collected the details, and quoted from many sources..."

The fourth grandpa smiled and said, "Today's event can only be considered as a discussion, not a class. There is no fun at all. Are you here for business?"

(End of this chapter)