Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

"You said that I don't understand how important Neo-Confucianism is to the imperial power and the common people. But a gentleman lives in peace to wait for his fate. Of course, those who are high up can do this. How do you know that it is difficult for the humble just to live?"

Jiang Xinghuo continued: "Although I have my own thoughts, my thoughts have never been your Hai Qing He Yan's thoughts of a prosperous age, 'I want to make the people live a better life.' My thoughts are just 'no matter how much I want the people to live a better life.' How about, let the people live first, and then give them a chance to get better. The people are the foundation of the country, and life requires ambition."

Obviously, the Confucian "On Destiny" that has been implemented from the first answer has been the main thread, entangled with "The Theory of Zhiqi", affecting the confrontation between the two.

"Impossible, your idea is just the opinion of a country fool." Kong Xilu shook his head and sighed, "You want to refute even the most basic idea of ​​'exhausting reason to the point of death', you might as well stop here today. Stop it, you are no match for me."

The reason why Kong Xilu wants to end the conversation is because in Neo-Confucianism's "The Theory of Destiny", there is a statement that is recognized as similar to the theorem, which is the judgment of Er Chengxia, "Exhausting reason to reach fate, the third Things are merged together at once, and there is no order. You cannot use poor principles as a matter of knowledge. If you really have poor principles and can understand them, your life will be at risk."

In other words, since Confucius came up with the concept of "knowing destiny" and founded "Theory of destiny", this has been the foundation of Confucianism. By the Neo-Confucian era of the Five Scholars in the Northern Song Dynasty, the theoretical framework and content of "Theory of destiny" were To achieve a complete explanation, that is to say, if you want to achieve the state of "knowing destiny", it is accompanied by "exhaustive principles (exhaustive study of principles, related to "Ge Wu Lun" mentioned in Jiang Xinghuo Changjie's sermon)" and "exhaustive principles". Xing (pursuing the nature of mind, related to "Theory of Mind").

Er Cheng believes that reason, nature, and fate are the same thing, and there is no order in which one is ahead or behind. It is not a step-by-step approach to regulating the family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world.

But in fact, the implicit meaning here is that destiny is difficult to obtain and human nature is difficult to fulfill, but it is relatively easy to reason, so it is extended to "Gewu Lun".

Li Zhigang, who was listening on the sidelines, put the newspaper under his buttocks, and it sounded like there was no obstacle.

In Li Zhigang's view, today's debate between Jiang Xinghuo and Kong Xilu revolves around two things, one is "Theory of Destiny" and the other is "The Theory of Zhiqi". The relevant basic concepts are very clear. The compulsory introductory courses in science did not faze him.

It sounds complicated, but actually if you use a formula to describe it, it would be:

The two-step problem-solving method of "The Theory of Destiny": Exhausting the principles = exhausting one's nature = knowing one's destiny. Practical difficulty: Executing one's principles \u003e exhausting one's nature \u003e knowing one's destiny

"The Theory of Zhi Qi" Cheng Zhu's problem solving method: (Zhi + Kung Fu) + (Qi + Kung Fu) = Heaven's Way

Although Ji Gang, who didn't study hard when he was in school in Shandong, was confused, he understood it after Li Zhigang explained in a low voice.

Ji Gang used his fingers to write two words on Li Zhigang's palm in return, and Li Zhigang was instantly pleasantly surprised.

Not to mention the little actions of these two people, Jiang Xinghuo said without hesitation.

"It is true that Yichuan said that if you are poor at reason, you can use your nature to achieve your fate. It is the same thing. If you are poor at reason, you can use your nature, and if you can use your nature, you can achieve your destiny. Pointing to the pillar, he said: This wood can be a pillar, and it is also a principle; its straightness is its nature. Yes; the reason why it is straight and straight is destiny. Reason, nature, and destiny are all one."

The examples Cheng Yi gave are easy to understand. Wood can be used as a pillar, which is its "principle", its merits are its "nature", and the reason for its merits is its "fate". But obviously, Jiang Xinghuo is by no means just repeating In Cheng Yi's case, we took Kong Xilu's point of view and found corresponding examples from Neo-Confucian books to refute him.

Kong Xilu also realized this, and his brows frowned slightly.

"Does he really want to pry open the foundation of "The Theory of Destiny"?"

It should be noted that "The Theory of Destiny" is one of the basic views inherited by Neo-Confucianism from the original Confucianism. It can be said that the five sons of the Northern Song Dynasty gave Neo-Confucianism the foundation dug out from the old house. This is the foundation and origin of everything. It must not be moved easily, not even a little bit.

And it was precisely because Kong Xilu knew this thing that it had almost become an unchanging theorem, so from the moment he saw Jiang Xinghuo, he used this as the main line to start a confrontation between the two.

But what if. This is wrong?

A ridiculous idea flashed out of Kong Xilu's mind.

"impossible!"

Kong Xilu shook his head in his heart and said silently.

In his view, when he was reading Er Cheng's works, every sentence and paragraph of documents were precious treasures that had been refined over time, not to mention the various annotations in the relevant content of "The Theory of Destiny".

In fact, the reason why Er Cheng interprets Confucius' "knowing one's fate" in this way is because Er Cheng is worried that if he does not interpret it this way, then the normal word order solution will make people think that "knowing one's fate" is an independent process.

The same formula is used to describe it, that is:

The normal problem-solving method of "The Theory of Destiny":

(Qiongli + Kung Fu) + (Exerting Xing + Kung Fu) ≠ Knowing the destiny = having destiny + Kung Fu

There is no need to be rational or exhaustive, just look for the skill of "knowing destiny". Once you practice it, you can "acquire destiny". Ercheng believes that this will make people mistakenly think that knowing destiny is an independent skill. But in fact, in the thinking framework of Neo-Confucianism, the matter of knowing destiny is really too grand, so grand that there is no place to focus on it, and there is no way to start. It is like saying that I will step on my left foot and my right foot to reach the sky.

But what is science?

Neo-Confucianism is a discipline that has passed through countless top scholars in China over hundreds of years, represented by the "Five Scholars of the Northern Song Dynasty". They spent their entire lives absorbing ideas such as the "Book of Changes" based on the original Confucian structure, and through stitching Take it out of context, constantly self-explain and iterate, and finally build a complete theoretical building.

This theoretical edifice is magnificent and exquisite. Except for the fact that there are a few bricks at the top that have not been filled in, overall, it is impeccable and can definitely be justified.

Therefore, Neo-Confucianism never advocates going straight from the first floor to the eighteenth floor, nor does it advocate sudden enlightenment. Branch theory to continuously build an ascending system with different steps.

When one understands the structural nature of Neo-Confucianism, it is not difficult to understand why Ercheng does not advocate that one can directly reach the pinnacle of "knowing destiny" through a method similar to "enlightening the Tao".

We also understand why, in Kong Xilu’s view, Er Cheng’s “Theory of Destiny” is absolutely error-free.

It's not that Kong Xilu is so stupid that he can't guess even after reading a sentence. Is there another solution? It's that another solution is not allowed within the scope of Neo-Confucianism.

These things have long been deeply imprinted into the depths of Kong Xilu's soul.

But since Jiang Xinghuo dared to use this example to refute himself, it was enough to prove that he indeed knew the foundation of Neo-Confucianism. Then, there was no way he could find objections to his own theory in such a short period of time.

But if he really found a reason to oppose and presented it to the world, wouldn't it be

For a moment, something suddenly occurred to him, and Kong Xilu felt a chill on the back of his neck.

"The Theory of Destiny is the foundation of Neo-Confucianism. It cannot be questioned by just anyone. If you don't understand, let's stop here today." Kong Xilu suppressed a trace of panic in his heart and responded calmly. : "Not to mention, you take Mr. Yichuan's example as an example. Yichuan has already made it clear, why do you need to comment?"

"Don't be anxious, just listen to me slowly."

After he was so happy, Jiang Xinghuo also became interested in slowly debating scriptures with him.

Unlike chopping off a person's head with a knife, defeating the belief in the enemy's mind was what he was more interested in.

Jiang Xinghuo smiled noncommittally and said: "In principle, one must be poor, and in nature, one must be exhausted. In destiny, one cannot say the two are exhausted and exhausted, but in terms of unity. In the past, Hengqu had experienced that warning is the source, and rationality and exhaustion are the same as those in nature. Wear the canal to divert the source, but the canal is two things, so this idea will be changed later. Is this also what Yichuan said?"

Kong Xilu's heart sank, as expected!

The other party really put in a lot of effort and came prepared!

What I want to say here is that the knowledge of the Five Scholars of the Northern Song Dynasty does have an obvious succession relationship on the timeline, and they have also made foundational contributions in different fields of Neo-Confucianism. However, as long as they are human beings, it is bound to be possible to explain the same problem. There will be different views and definitions, and the Five Sons of the Northern Song Dynasty are no exception. Therefore, in the eyes of Ming Confucians of this era, some controversial issues already have better and more perfect explanations, but some are not always the same.

For example, Zhang Zai, well, he is the same Zhang Zai who said, "Establish a mind for the heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, carry on the unique knowledge for the saints, and create peace for all generations." In "The Theory of Destiny", he followed a little bit. Er Cheng has a different perspective.

Of course, if Jiang Xinghuo just brought out Zhang Zai's things, it would be just picking up people's wits. There are many things to refute, and there is nothing terrible. But Kong Xilu looked at the half-eaten peach in Jiang Xinghuo's hand, but he felt inexplicably His eyelids twitched.

But no matter what, he couldn't show any expressions at the moment and could only wait for Jiang Xinghuo to make his move.

Jiang Xinghuo paused and said:

“Exhaust reason and nature, and then focus on fate.

Use the character's nature and listen to it.

Die peacefully when old, and then never dream of Duke Zhou. "

Huang Xin, who was listening on the sidelines, seemed to have thought of something. He blurted out: "The Luoyang Debate!"

Li Zhigang also suddenly realized.

During the Song Dynasty, there were two major branches of Neo-Confucianism, one was Guan School represented by Zhang Zai, and the other was Luo School represented by Er Cheng.

The Luoyang Debate was the pinnacle of the debate between the two schools of Neo-Confucianism. The main arguments focused on three aspects: "exhausting rationality to the end of one's nature", "ritual education", and "the well-field system".

Jiang Xinghuo smiled and said: "Mr. Hengqu said that Yichuan interpreted 'exhausting reason to exhaust one's nature and even fate', and 'exhausting reason only leads to one's fate'. As the saying goes, 'it is also lost too quickly. This meaning is all in order.' If one can fully understand the principles, then one can fully understand the nature of human beings. After fully understanding human nature, one must also fully understand the nature of all things. In this way, one can reach the way of heaven. Is there anything wrong in the meantime? Do you understand now? Scholars must first understand the truth, and only then can they learn. Now there is a difference between knowing destiny and mastering destiny. How can we say it is perfect just because we know it?"

Let’s make a digression here. It’s obviously Er Cheng, so why do the two of them always say ‘Yichuan (Cheng Yi)’?

This means that Er Cheng learned from Zhou Dunyi, and Er Cheng’s Luo School was actually the source of the later half of the history of Confucian thought.

After the southern crossing, Cheng Yi's theory was completed by Zhu Xi, and is known as Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism in the world; Cheng Hao's theory was developed by Lu Jiuyuan and completed by Wang Yangming in the Ming Dynasty, and is known as Lu Wang Xin Xue in the world.

In the Ercheng era, the two major schools of Neo-Confucianism and Xinxue had not yet been distinguished. They only showed some differences in academic interests between the Ercheng brothers. By the great ideological debate between Zhu Xi and Lu Jiuyuan in the Southern Song Dynasty, the two major schools were formed and became the basis of contemporary knowledge. The most prominent different affiliations in society.

In the current early Ming Dynasty, Ming Confucian scholars are all studying the "Cheng Yi-Zhu Xi" philosophy, so when the two Chengs are mentioned, it is naturally Cheng Yi.

Returning to the topic, what Jiang Xinghuo said is actually Zhang Zai’s other way of solving the problem of "The Theory of Destiny".

The three problem-solving methods are still expressed in formulas for easy understanding:

①The second step of problem-solving method in "The Theory of Destiny": Exhausting principles = exhausting one's nature = knowing destiny, practical difficulty: Exhausting principles \u003e exhausting one's nature \u003e knowing one's destiny

②The normal problem-solving method of "The Theory of Destiny": (Qunli + Kung Fu) + (Exerting Xing + Kung Fu) ≠ Knowing the Destiny = Destiny + Kung Fu

③ "The Theory of Destiny" Zhang states the problem-solving method: exhaustion of principles → fulfilling one's own nature → fulfilling human nature → fulfilling the nature of all things → knowing destiny

This is clearly stated in Zhang Zai's book "Hengqu Yi Shuo".

"The exhaustion of principles should also be gradual. When you see that there are many things, you will exhaust the principles. From now on, you will make an agreement to exhaust the nature of human beings and the nature of things. The principles in the world are infinite, and the establishment of heavenly principles has its own place. Exhausting the principles will exhaust the nature, and the nature has been described. This is what a modern person would say. It is both physical and human, and as for fate, fate is just what it is."

This also extends to Zhang Zai and Er Cheng's different "Lun of Examining Things". Zhang Zai advocates moving from the principle of one thing to the principle of many things, while Er Cheng advocates investigating one thing today and another thing tomorrow. There are many, and then there is a natural connection. Well, Wang Yangming was so obsessed with bamboo that he vomited blood.

However, the focus of today's debate between Jiang Xinghuo and Kong Xilu is not "Ge Wu Lun" but the preceding "Theory of Destiny".

Kong Xilu said: "The debate in Luoyang has been concluded, and we have exhausted our minds to understand that destiny is one. You are just trying to prove it, but the truth is still the same."

"Really?"

Jiang Xinghuo looked at him with a smile, as if waiting for him to say this.

"Confucius called Yan Yuan and said: It's a pity that I saw its progress but not its end."

When Kong Xilu heard this, his expression changed, and a few drops of cold sweat slipped down his back.

Being as smart as him, of course he understood what Jiang Xinghuo meant.

Damn it, he really found it!

Moreover, these are not taken out of context, but are the authentic words of Confucius.

After a moment, Jiang Xinghuo asked: "Since you don't recognize what Mr. Hengqu said, do you still recognize what your ancestor said?"

"What does it mean?"

Ji Gang frowned and asked Li Zhigang in a low voice.

Li Zhigang did not answer him immediately, but thought about it for a few more breaths before he came back to his senses.

"The superficial meaning is that Confucius said that he only saw the progress of Yan Hui and never saw the cessation of Yan Hui. But if combined with the controversy over the solution of 'exhausting one's nature to know the destiny' in "The Theory of Destiny", it becomes the fault of a sage. Are Heaven's laws and destiny known by learning, or by birth?"

From the perspective of future generations, what kind of problem is this?

To answer directly, there are no saints in this world. Confucius also learned this, so isn’t that the end of it?

But looking at this issue in the early Ming Dynasty, in Neo-Confucianism, and at this moment in the imperial prison, this is a very important issue.

Is Yan Hui a saint?

Yes, he was made a saint again and was sacrificed in the Confucius Temple. Who dares to say that he is not a saint?

Then Jiang Xinghuo found a huge loophole in Er Cheng's problem-solving method.

In other words, if knowing the destiny through exhaustion of reason and exhaustion of nature is one, then why is it that the saint Yan Hui, who logically should have known the destiny and fulfilled his destiny, is still making progress and has not stopped yet according to Confucius?

Failure to stop means that the limit of "exhaustive reasoning" has not been reached.

And a saint, in today's definition, must understand the destiny of heaven and be fully human.

This creates a huge and unexplainable contradiction.

Poor reason ≠ doing one's best work = knowing one's destiny

——Er Cheng’s problem-solving method was falsified by Jiang Xinghuo!

This is also one of the shortcomings of too much stitching in Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism. Things that are stitched together will eventually be stitched together. A wise man will make mistakes after careful consideration. When he encounters the clear and incomprehensible original sentence of "The Analects", he cannot explain it. .

In fact, everyone knows that the answer to this question is very simple, and it can even be said to be well understood.

Confucius is not a saint, and Yan Hui is not a saint. There are no saints in the world, and there is no one who knows it from birth. The truth cannot be exhausted, human nature cannot be perfected, and the destiny of heaven cannot be known.

Doesn't Kong Xilu know that there is no saint in this world who can "purify reason, fulfill one's nature, and understand destiny" at the same time, and achieve 100% status in these three items at the same time?

It’s not necessarily that I don’t know, it’s just that I’m unwilling and unable to admit it.

Because if Kong Xilu answered like this, then he would have completely lost, not just losing the debate, but losing everything he had. Identity, status, fame, and glory.

Kong Xilu's identity is that of a saint. This is a label that he cannot and cannot erase in his lifetime. It is the foundation of his life. But if a saint does not exist in theory, what is he?

Kong Xilu studied Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism. If he answered like this, he would be personally admitting that "The Theory of Destiny" at the foundation level of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism was wrong.

What will be the consequences if "Destiny" is wrong?

"Studying things to gain knowledge" for the sake of "exhausting the truth", that is, "The Theory of Things", is also fundamentally wrong.

If the "Gewu Lun" is wrong, then Cheng and Zhu's "Li Qi Lun" of Neo-Confucianism, as well as the important law of "Li Yifenshu", will also be shaken.

If the foundation is not strong, the ground will shake.

Seeing that the entire Neo-Confucian building was at risk of being shaken, sweat dripped down Kong Xilu's forehead in large drops, blurring his eyes, fogging his mind, and making his breathing heavy.

"What, mute?"

Jiang Xinghuo raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "Maybe you think Yan Hui is not a saint? Then tell me, who is a saint? What is a saint?"

After Kong Xilu became a saint, he certainly did not have the ability to expel Yan Hui from the sainthood.

Although Yan Hui's excommunication can fundamentally close this hole.

But only Zhu Di can do this.

But if Zhu Di really takes action, it will not just be a matter of expelling Yan Hui from the holy book.

Huang Xin and Li Zhigang both watched with interest how Kong Xilu retorted.

Anyway, they don't know how to solve this problem, but this does not prevent them from watching Kong Xilu's excitement.

In fact, in their opinion, Kong Xilu was afraid that he would have no choice but to be forced into this position by Jiang Xinghuo.

If Jiang Xinghuo's killer move really makes Kong Xilu surrender, then if word spreads, the whole world will be in an uproar!

Moreover, if Kong Xilu can't think of a way, things will be really serious.

Jiang Xinghuo used "contradictions to solve Tai Chi" and "knowledge and action are intertwined, and the cycle is unreasonable, leading to conscience." 》 was also excavated, and the Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism building that had been built for hundreds of years was really in danger of collapse.

This also means that Jiang Xinghuo's new learning will be built on the ruins of Neo-Confucianism.

Kong Xilu is a world-renowned master of Neo-Confucianism. If he loses at this time, Neo-Confucianism will really be in a red [danger].

Kong Xilu's brain was running at high speed. He knew very well that Jiang Xinghuo had only found this flaw after searching for so long.

If Jiang Xinghuo fails to succeed this time, it will be difficult for Jiang Xinghuo to find a second flaw. After all, Neo-Confucianism has been established for hundreds of years, and all the patches that should be applied have been basically applied. Even if there are still loopholes, something like this can directly cause fatal harm. It is definitely an extremely unlikely event.

But this time it was different from previous debates.

Because Kong Xilu not only represents himself, but also represents the entire Neo-Confucianism!

Currently, part of the power of the imperial court is in the hands of Jiang Xinghuo.

Neo-Confucianists know very well how to get along with the court.

Kong Xilu believed that Jiang Xinghuo's reform had offended the interests of most gentry and would inevitably fail.

But there is also a process towards failure. In this tug-of-war process, if Kong Xilu makes an irreparable mistake, then he will become a sinner of Neo-Confucianism.

Of course Kong Xilu would not allow himself, who had been invincible his whole life, to be ruined at the last and most important historical moment.

Kong Xilu's way of thinking was completely different from others. Seeing that the loophole could not be closed directly on the spot, he stopped worrying and went directly to build another wall to plug the loophole from the outside.

Kong Xilu took a deep breath, gritted his teeth and said: "Mencius said: All things are prepared for me. Reflexively and sincerely, there is no greater joy. "Poetry" said: Born to be outstanding people, there are things that have rules, and the principles of things are infinite. , but being sincere by being reflexive is close to the truth, and the same is true for saints!"

Well, like "Jing", "Sincerity" is also the result of Song Confucianism taking it out of context.

Song Confucianism took a word that was not that important to the extreme and called it "one word can be said to be 'sincerity'". That is to say, in a person's life, the difference lies in sincerity and dishonesty. Then he said, "A hundred skills are not as good as anything" "One sincerity" means that a person can be sincere in anything, and can sincerely do one thing to the extreme. This is the direction close to enlightenment, so "everything is prepared for me, reflexively" "Sincerity is the greatest joy." When you can do anything with this sincerity, there is no happier thing than this. Through "sincerity", you are already close to the "Tao".

Kong Xilu’s point of view is that it is very difficult to understand the truth of things, but as long as the heart is ‘sincere’, then it is close to enlightenment, that is, everything is prepared for me.

In other words, Yan Hui studied very hard and never stopped. He was sincere enough. Therefore, although he did not exhaust all the principles in "Principles", he was close to the "Tao".

In this way, the Ercheng equation is established again after Kong Xilu's modification.

Being rational ≈ doing one’s nature = knowing one’s destiny

Although it is "≈", although it is not perfect, it can be considered as rounded off, rather than "≠" which is fundamentally different.

Seeing Jiang Xinghuo's fierce offensive being broken by Kong Xilu in the blink of an eye.

Not to mention Ji Gang, Li Zhigang was a little stunned.

Can you still play like this?

"Come to understand Yan Hui's Tao with sincerity, and the character of a saint is unbreakable. Kong Xilu has been invincible in the world in debates for decades. He is really capable and capable. I just don't know how Jiang Xinghuo should deal with it."

Huang Xin also thought secretly.

Kong Xilu regained a victory. Naturally, he could no longer be passively beaten. Instead, he followed the idea he had just figured out and took the initiative.

"Every form and form in my body is nothing but a thing, and each has its own characteristics. The eyes are related to colors, the ears are related to sounds, the mouth and nose are related to odors, and those that are connected to external objects and cannot escape must be there. So. If you know its essence and cannot leave it behind, then you will understand the principles of the world."

Kong Xilu's quote here "If you know its essence and cannot leave it behind, then you will understand the principles of the world." The allusion comes from "The Doctrine of the Mean".

The original text is, Confucius said: The virtues of ghosts and gods are extremely prosperous. Look at it but not see it; hear it but not hear it; remember the things but not leave them behind. Let all the people in the world dress up in rich clothes to accept the sacrifice. It's as if it's on top of it, as if it's on its left and right. The poem says: God's thoughts cannot be measured and thought, but can they be thought of? The subtleties show, the sincerity cannot be concealed, this is the way.

Of course, according to the usual style of stitching together monsters by Neo-Confucian masters, the allusions borrowed are just superficial. Kong Xilu means that people are poor in rationality and rely on the feedback provided by various senses. As long as they know "body" "Things", then the principles of the world will be understood.

In other words, Kong Xilu was using another example to confirm the "reflexive and sincere" approach he had just given to Yan Hui, or "reflexive and rational".

Kong Xilu quickly launched his ultimate move: "There is a saying in "Er Cheng Ji" that asks: Are objects considered external objects, or objects in the middle of nature? The answer is: It doesn't matter. Everything in front of you is nothing more than an object, and everything has its own reason. . Just like the reason why fire is hot and the reason why water is cold, as for the relationship between king, minister, father and son, it is the principle. Everything can be reflected on the principle, and your so-called "first understand the principle, then fulfill the nature, and then understand the destiny", isn't it extremely ridiculous? "

According to Zhu Xi's understanding from Er Cheng, the original words of Zhu Xi's letter are: "Reflexively and sincerely, it is a matter of knowing things later, and it can be said to be exhaustive and exhaustive. Therefore, everything in the world is "Principle, on the contrary, all bodies have their own things to see, such as seeing with eyes, hearing with ears, holding hands, and walking with feet."

In other words, "reflexively and sincerely" is something that comes after studying things to achieve knowledge, because at this time, the principles are already exhaustive. Or we should dig from the roots of "The Doctrine of the Mean". Understanding goodness is a matter of studying things to achieve knowledge, and sincerity is the matter. The work of sincerity and right heart.

Jiang Xinghuo didn't speak.

He just felt that Kong Xilu should not continue to use the topic habitually.

If he went back to "The Theory of Knowledge" or picked up the "The Theory of Zhiqi" just now, Jiang Xinghuo would probably have failed today, because Neo-Confucianism has gone through hundreds of years of development, let alone fatal loopholes, it can be caught There are not too many ordinary vulnerabilities.

As long as the debate continues on the current track, the worst result Kong Xilu can get is a tie.

But if you insist on talking about "physical objects", then Jiang Xinghuo won't be able to spoil you.

In other words, before the rise of modern science and the corresponding development of modern philosophy, the observations and definitions of matter in medieval philosophy were extremely inaccurate.

This is not to disparage Chinese philosophy or Eastern philosophy, but in the era of the first year of Yongle, let alone Eastern philosophy or Western philosophy, the concept of matter is inaccurate, and even the Western philosophy at this time is even less accurate. It is reliable that the transformation gradually occurred with the advancement of science and technology, and Jiang Xinghuo is also convinced that if industrial changes and technological progress appear in the East, then Eastern philosophy will also progress in the concept and definition of matter.

This is not to say Die Jia, but to be honest, philosophy, as a thing on the thinking level, will definitely develop with the development of technology on the material level, and in his previous life, the level of ideological activity in the late Ming Dynasty was not the same. It is no worse than the Enlightenment period in the West. There is no reason why technology and corresponding social development can keep up, and Eastern philosophy cannot produce corresponding concepts.

For example, in dialectical metaphysics, there is a philosophical proof of an important distinction between matter, which is the quality of the three properties of objects (that’s right), and this is a topic of far-reaching significance to modern philosophy.

Because the three properties of objects directly explain the different properties shown in the ontology, entity theory and ontology of things from a philosophical concept.

"What you said is very good. If you know its essence and cannot leave it behind, then the world will be in order."

To everyone's surprise, Jiang Xinghuo frankly admitted that Kong Xilu's methodology was good.

Li Zhigang frowned, this was not Jiang Xinghuo's style.

Obviously, there is some explanation here. As for what the explanation is, Li Zhigang can't guess it yet, but he should be able to find out soon.

"We don't need to debate other things, just use the simplest examples. For example, Yichuan used pillars as an example, and Huian used imperial examinations. Today, you and I are in prison to debate scriptures. Let's use this peach as an example. Maybe it can become a story. "

However, Jiang Xinghuo then weighed the remaining half of a hard peach in his hand and asked again.

"Then I would like to ask, how can I understand the peach in my hand and be rational about it?"

Looking at Kong Xilu who was deep in thought, Jiang Xinghuo smiled.

Obviously, Kong Xilu still didn't understand what kind of door his question opened.

Behind this door is unknowable knowledge that is enough to create a new path within the existing philosophical framework of the world and create a vast territory for the new and young "science".