Cheng Yi, who was sitting aside, had an unhappy breakup with Zhang Yue. After bidding farewell to Zhang Yue, he was giving lectures with his brother Cheng Hao.
The lectures of the two were funded by Wen Yanbo and other big guys, but compared with his brother, Cheng Yi's lectures were not successful. Everyone thought what Cheng Yi said was very strange, and even attracted ridicule. What Cheng Yi said
He is far less easy-to-understand than his brother, and he is good at quoting from other sources.
However, Sima Guang continued to encourage him, praising him for being good at ancient studies, and thinking that his achievements in Confucianism would be better than that of his brother Cheng Hao in the future.
It is true that Cheng Yi has a strong energy, that is, he has to study everything thoroughly, never give up, and even dig into the dead end. Shao Yong once jokingly said to Cheng Yi, you said 'ginger grows on trees', then I have to follow it.
you.
His discussion of politics was exactly the same as his study and scholarship. They were all very precise and could not be confused at all. Now when Cheng Yi heard Zhang Yue talk about Mencius, he couldn't help but become serious. He also had a deep knowledge of Mencius and highly respected him.
Sima Guang said: "The theory of Taoism proposed by Han Tuizhi (Han Yu) was that of Confucius after Yao, Shun, Yu and Tang. Confucius came under Mencius and was not passed down after Mencius."
Fan Zuyu said: "However, Han Tuizhi has the wish to continue the Taoist tradition. He once said that the Taoist tradition can be passed down roughly by him. Although a person dies, there is no hatred in this life."
Sima Guang said: "Yes, Han Tuizhi is profound in knowledge, adheres to the original Taoism, and wants to spread the Taoist tradition crudely, but I don't think it is enough to let him go."
"Below Confucius, only Yangzi is a truly great Confucian! Since there is no Confucius, who else but Yangzi knows the way of the sage? Mencius and Xunzi are not even comparable, let alone the rest."
After Han Yu proposed the theory of orthodoxy, Confucianism has been controversial. Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Zhou Gong and Confucius are not controversial.
What about after Zhou Gong and Confucius?
Han Yu supported Mencius, but at the same time he implicitly claimed that he inherited Mencius' orthodoxy. However, Sima Guang believed that Han Yu was not qualified, and even Mencius was wrong. He believed that Yang Xiong was qualified.
Zhang Yue asked knowingly: "Could it be that the Yangtze mentioned by Twelve Zhangs is Yang Xiong, the Mang doctor, and not Yangtze?"
At this time, it is still said that loyal ministers will not serve the two masters. One sentence will determine Yang Xiong's status as Wang Mang's doctor. It is useless for you to say tens of thousands of words.
Sima Guang said: "Scholar-officials respect the king and are noble. Although Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty, he is already the master of the world. There is nothing wrong with surrendering."
"On the contrary, it is Mencius. Mencius said that everything he learned was from Confucius, but the conduct of a gentleman should precede Confucius."
"But Mencius said that Boyi is a narrow-minded person, and Liu Xiahui is disrespectful. Little does he know that a gentleman will serve as an official if the country is righteous, and he will live in seclusion if the country is not righteous. He is a wise man who serves the great officials, and a benevolent person who makes friends with his scholars. Therefore, Boyi is not narrow-minded. He is harmonious.
But it's different, there is no boredom in escaping from the world, it is not Liu Xiahui's disrespect."
"Confucius did both of these things, Mencius rejected them."
"How can you say that Mencius inherited the way of a sage? I think Mencius is just a person who "sold himself by selling the way of the ancestors".
Sima Guang is worthy of being a great person, and his criticisms are very insightful. One sentence is like a whip, and the whip will cause blood.
Mencius said, Boyi saw that the ruler was fatuous, so he ran away and stopped serving him. When he saw that there were villains in the court, he stopped serving as an official.
This is wrong and is a very narrow-minded thought. If you think the country is not good, you should build it instead of criticizing it from a distance.
But Liu Xiahui is different. He is a gentleman, but he is harmonious but different. He interacts with everyone. A gentleman gets along well with villains and can tolerate everything. This is also wrong. When you see a villain, you should criticize him.
Fight him, don't accept him.
Sima Guang said, Mencius, what you said is wrong. Boyi is not narrow-minded, and Liuxia Hui is not disrespectful. This is their way of doing things, and Confucius praised it highly. As a preacher of Confucius, you, even his old man
Do you object even if you say so?
Zhang Yue listened and said, Sima Guang is indeed a fundamentalist. Mencius inherited Confucius' orthodoxy, but it is an inheritance of improvement and criticism. You, Sima Guang, hold on to everything.
Zhang Yue just said: "Twelve Zhangs instruct Mencius to sell his body by practicing the teachings of the ancestors."
"Actually, I think Mencius said that those who have benevolent hearts and benevolent people, but do not bring benefits to the people, are doing things that are not in accordance with the principles of the previous kings."
As long as your actions are beneficial to the people, you don't have to follow the rules of the previous kings in politics. This sentence shows that Mencius did not fully inherit the way of Confucius, nor the way of the previous kings.
Whatever policies are beneficial to the people, we will implement them. The core is people-oriented and benefiting the people, rather than following the policies of the previous kings.
Wang Anshi once quoted this sentence in "A Hundred Years of Nothing in Our Dynasty", and Sima Guang was of course strongly opposed to it.
The core of the debate over Mencius is still the dispute over reform and unchangeable laws.
Zhang Yue only speaks to the point, and a gentleman only talks about Taoism and politics as long as he reaches his point.
Sima Guang did not continue the debate.
Anyway, it was Sima Guang who was doing the whole thing, and Zhang Yue was just responding with a few words.
…
At this moment, Mr. Lu walked to the corridor with his granddaughter and his daughter Lu, and they were outside listening. His daughter said: "You are twelve feet old, but your words are sharp and not inferior to those of young people."
Lu Gong wrote: "Sharp is sharp, but Sanlang didn't use any force."
Lu said: "Dad is right, their uncles and nephews are both the best among men."
Lu Gongzhu smiled slightly and said, "When did I praise you for being right?"
Lu smiled and said, "Can't I praise your son-in-law for you?"
Lu Gong couldn't help but laugh. Zhang Yue recommended Zhang Zhi as the military envoy of Xihe Road. He had more than 100,000 Han soldiers and horses in his hands, which was very majestic. When Lu knew that her husband and son-in-law were so relaxed and happy, she felt that her mother-in-law,
I feel more confident speaking in front of Seventeen Niang.
A few days ago, Mrs. Lu returned to her parents' home, and she was very good-looking in front of her sisters, brother and sister-in-law. Lu Gongzhu's wife, Mrs. Lu, pulled Mrs. Lu to ask him to give birth to a son for the Zhang family, so as to consolidate her position as the head of the family and avoid Zhang's
Take a concubine directly.
You must know that the Lu family is of a very high family, and is known as the Lv Ban Dynasty, and the Lu family is the daughter of Lu Zongdao who participated in politics before.
Enter the wine shop and tea shop'.
But at this time, Mr. Lu could not help but worry about gains and losses, and interfered in the family affairs of his daughter and son-in-law.
Although this move was a bit excessive, Lu Gongzhu didn't say anything after he found out.
At this time, Mr. Lu could hear Zhang Yue and Sima Guang arguing again in the room.
Sima Guang said: "Confucius did not talk about life, but the most important mistake Mencius made was in the theory of the good and evil of human nature."
Cheng Yi looked serious after hearing this. In order to save the declining trend of Confucianism and make up for the shortcomings of Confucianism not talking about the study of life, the study of life was very popular in the Northern Song Dynasty.
Not only did Wang Anshi talk about it, he also talked about the Luo School of his brother Cheng Yi, Zhang Zai's Guan School, and the Shu School (Su Xun, Su Shi, and Su Che). In fact, Cheng Yi supported Zhang Yue's choice of Mencius as the orthodoxy from the bottom of his heart. Not Yang Xiong, who was generally supported by Sima Guang and others at that time.
However, Yang Xiong had a high status at that time, and he was similar to Mencius. When Confucian scholars discussed Taoism, they either supported Yang Zi or Mencius. No one talked about Xunzi anyway.
Confucianism believes that human nature is inherently good, while Xunzi believes that human nature is inherently evil.
Because evil nature and good nature are the core contradictions between Confucianism and Legalism, and this is the fundamental inflexibility of Confucianism.
…
in the corridor.
Mrs. Lu held her baby in her arms and asked Mr. Lu: "Dad, what are the third uncle and Sima Twelve arguing about? Is this Mencius related to national affairs?"
Lu Gong wrote: "You still don't understand. If the seven volumes of Mencius are completed and completed, they will be ranked alongside the Analects of Confucius. From then on, Mencius will definitely be upgraded to a position of equal respect with Confucius. The next step will be for Mencius to accompany him in the temple."
"This move is like [correcting the name] for salvation, and also [correcting the name] for reform. This is what Wang Jiefu likes to see, but it is also what Jun Shi does not like to see."
"When it comes to rectification of names, both Junshi and Duzhi are masters of this. They must not give in at all when fighting. Zhang San wants to praise Mencius, but Sima Twelve must not do it. When it comes to the rule of the world in Bianjing, Taoism Not necessarily in Luoyang or Bianjing."
Luoyang was indeed culturally prosperous at that time, and it was also the base camp for officials who opposed the reform.
Lu said: "That's it. Dad, who are you helping?"
When Lu Gongzhu heard this, he shook his head and said, "You are indeed a person who seeks perfection, but I still want to do something for the world."
…
Sima Guang said: "Mencius said that there is no evil in human beings. This is what Mencius said. Danzhu, Shang Jun saw everything from Yao and Shun when he was young and grew up. He cannot change his evil. Can this say that there is no evil in human nature? Mencius said Good, Xunzi focuses on evil, and he gets its partiality and leaves out its main body. And this main body is that human nature consists of both good and evil."
"This is what Yangzi said: People who practice good will become good people, and people who practice evil will become evil people. This is so logical. I don't know who else in the world doesn't understand this."
Sima Guang still maintained that Yang Xiong's confusion of good and evil was the truth.
Zhang Yue said: "I have looked at all the sages. Mencius said that human nature is good, Xunzi said that human nature is evil, Gaozi said that human nature is neither good nor evil, Yangzi said that human nature is mixed with good and evil, Han Tui said that the superior man is good, and the middle man is both good and evil. The servants are evil."
In addition to Mencius, Xunzi, and Yang Xiong, there is also Gaozi. Gaozi said that human nature has no good or evil, just like water. What is good and evil in water? Gaozi also said that classic saying, food and color, are related to human nature.
Han Yu divided people into three equal parts. The superior people were good, the middle people were good and evil, and the evil people were only evil.
Zhang Yue said: "It's okay to take Yangzi's theory from Twelve Zhang. But I think Twelve Zhang and Yangzi are all great Confucian scholars in the world, but their knowledge is still somewhat lacking in thoroughness!"
When Sima Guang heard this, he said: "Then please give me some advice from Mr. Zhang!"
Zhang Yue said: "I don't dare to take it seriously."
"Mencius said that he devoted his whole mind and knowledge to elucidate the theory of life and life. I compiled four sentences in Taixue."
"There is no good or evil body, there are good and evil actions, knowing good and evil is conscience, and doing good and eliminating evil is qingwu."
Cheng Yi was immediately inspired by Zhang Yue's words. Yes, Zhang Yue had told him this sentence back then. Cheng Yi thought about it repeatedly, but couldn't figure it out. Afterwards, Cheng Yi also asked Zhang Yue, Zhang Yue.
Yue smiled but did not answer. Will he finally tell the truth today?
"How do you explain this?" Sima Guang was confused.
Zhang Yue said: "Suppose the world is so big and there is only one person. Then what one person thinks is the truth in the world. Even if it is the truth, there is no good or evil at all."
"If there is one more person in the world, as long as you have a thought attached to that person, then there will be good and evil."
How do you understand Zhang Yue’s words?
Fair ladies, gentlemen are fond of women. It is said in Dream of Red Mansions that I wish I could have more than one woman in my life.
Think about these words for yourself. In fact, there is no good or evil at all. Food and sex are also related to sex. It is not evil to like women. People have the nature of reproduction. This is the body of the heart. But if you see a girl thinking the same way, it is good.
If there is evil, this is the movement of intention.
The body of the heart is subjective, and the movement of the mind is the connection between the subjective and the objective. For example, you have thoughts about a certain girl.
With specific objects, there is good and evil.
When playing the P Club game, the player, as the monarch, raises the country's taxes to the highest level, and the people in the country are in dire straits. The player brutally suppresses the uprising and engages in militarism. There is no good or evil in this, because you have no connection with others. Someone uses this to judge you morally.
, you just call him Shabi.
If as an emperor who rules over the world, he does not care about the life and death of the people, this is evil.
Everyone couldn't help but be stunned after hearing Zhang Yue's explanation.
Whether it is good nature, evil nature, or a mixture of good and evil, neither good nor evil has made a mistake, that is, we only talk about subjectivity and not about objectivity. Leaving the specific object and analyzing the good and evil of a certain idea is purely subjective.
Seeking fish from a tree, talking nonsense, all efforts are in vain, this is typical idealism.
For example, Zhu Xi said that husband and wife are natural principles and are good, and three wives and four concubines are human desires and are evil.
But the problem is that it is divorced from objectivity. Ordinary people can not have three wives and four concubines, but the emperor cannot. For example, today, the ministers are eager for him to marry more and have more children.
In a thousand years, only Wang Yangming has seen through this.
He can put an end to the discussion of good and evil.
"What is a conscience?" Cheng Yifa asked. He thought about this question for a long time and couldn't figure it out.
Zhang Yue said: "The first level is those who are born with them, and the other level is those who are acquired the day after tomorrow. They are lustful and admire Shao Ai. The body of their heart is based on emotion but only on etiquette. They are consciences."
When you see a girl you like a girl very much, this is your nature, but if you can express your emotions appropriately, this is your conscience. One of this conscience is shyness by nature and knows shame, and the other is acquired experience, which tells you not to be rude to a beautiful woman easily, otherwise you will bring very bad consequences.
To pursue a girl according to your conscience is to seek knowledge through investigation.
In addition to nature, people also have social attributes.
To put it bluntly, there are parts that we are born with, and there are parts that can be modified the day after tomorrow.
Otherwise, if you really want to "return to your nature", then you should learn from chimpanzees. You must know that chimpanzees are famous for their cruelty in the population.
Cheng Yi questioned: "Mencius said that conscience means knowing without worrying. It should be known from birth."
Zhang Yue said: "Yes, conscience is knowing without worrying, but it is not born knowing. For example, you and I are knowing without worrying now when we speak in the correct pronunciation, but the ability to speak is only a baby's babbling, and this will come later. You are taught, not born.”
Fan Zuyu said: "The meaning of Zhang Xianggong's words is that there is no good or evil in the human heart. Good and evil can only exist when the mind is involved. Knowing good and evil is what people get from their conscience. To do good and eliminate evil is to study things and gain knowledge. , that is, it is a success.”
Zhang Yue nodded and said, "Yes."
Fan Zuyu suddenly realized that all the previous books he had read were in vain. With Zhang Yue's words, Mencius's "conscience" theory was carried forward.
"Do you have a pen and paper?"
Fan Zuyu asked. He took a pen and paper from a servant of the Zhang family to record today's debate between Zhang Yue and Sima Guang.
But Cheng Yi kept thinking about it, trying to get into trouble.
He read every inch of his reading. Once he got through it, his knowledge reached a new level.
Sima Guang retorted: "Human nature is one, how can it be said that the mind, body and conscience are divided into two."
However, Zhang Yue knew that no matter how pleasant his words were, Sima Guang would not agree with him. Zhang Yue smiled, but he did not defend himself.
At this time, Mr. Lu pushed the door open and said, "Xiangong Zhang is really a man of gold and jade!"
Only then did everyone realize that Mr. Lu had been listening outside for a long time.
Mr. Lu has taken a decisive step by taking this good friend of Sima Guang.
Lu Gong wrote: "So conscience must be good."
Zhang Yue said: "Exactly. This is what Mencius said below about the goodness of nature. Everyone has a conscience, but conscience needs to be practiced in order to gain knowledge."
In the final analysis, we still have to believe in human nature and obey it. At the same time, human nature also needs constant education and the constraints of authority and systems, but education and systems are only means, not ends.
Human beings are no longer gorillas, and their social nature is getting stronger and stronger. For example, Mencius mentioned compassion. When you see others in trouble, you will feel sympathy.
One sheep in the flock was eaten by a lion, but the other sheep were fine.
This is consistent with Zhang Yue’s philosophy that Confucianism is Tao and Legalism is art.
So I say my way is consistent!
To govern a country, the logic from top to bottom must be well designed.
After hearing Zhang Yue's words, Mr. Lu was convinced, and unknowingly he had completely turned from Sima Guang to Zhang Yue.
On this day, everyone talked until night. Zhang Yue wanted to entertain Sima Guang, so Mr. Lu asked them to stay in his house.
Sima Guang refused to leave, so Zhang Yue had no choice but to see him off.
Sima Guang carefully wrapped the "Mencius' Justice" presented by Zhang Yue. He said to Zhang Yue: "Xianggong Zhang, your theory of good nature is indeed better than the theory of the confusion of good and evil. This is where I have not tried my best to learn." .”
Seeing that Sima Guang was willing to change his mind, Zhang Yue was overjoyed. He thought Sima Guang was more stubborn than Wang Anshi.
"However, I still don't agree with Mencius as a classic. I'll finish reading Mencius on Justice when I go back."
Zhang Yuechang bowed his head and said, "Thank you, Twelve Zhang. I hope you can correct me."
Sima Guang smiled and said: "Du Zhi, you are still like this after so many years. Maybe it is because I am old and it is not easy for you to walk this road!"
Zhang Yue was almost moved to tears when he heard this.
Zhang Yue said: "How dare I talk about hard work in front of Twelve Zhang."
Sima Guang said: "You, your innocent heart is never easy."
After speaking, Sima Guang left, and Zhang Yue saw Fan Zuyu and Cheng Yi.
Cheng Yi was still thinking with his head down, while Fan Zuyu stepped forward to bow to him. Zhang Yue said to Fan Zuyu, "Chunfu, don't blame me anymore."
Fan Zuyu said: "In the past, I had little knowledge. Zhang Xianggong, the reform has been going on for nearly ten years. From now on, I am just a family member. I will rely on you from now on."
Zhang Yue said: "I dare not take it seriously!"
"We still have to look forward to the future, but the reform will not change, otherwise we will go back."
Fan Zuyu was silent for a moment after hearing this, but finally did not answer.
After seeing off Sima Guang and Fan Zuyu, Zhang Yue returned to his mansion. On the path in the courtyard, a bright moon hung in front of him.
Zhang Yue thought to himself, how to take the path under his feet?
Looking back, the boat has passed the Ten Thousand Mountains; looking forward, the road is long and bright.
