"According to Mr. Dongpo, if a boy wants to fulfill his life's ambition, he must not only read the Five Classics in front of the window, but also have to serve the sword and ride the horse to shoot arrows?"

Liu Kui, the secretary of the Guozijian office, asked with a smile.

This sounds like a joke, but in fact, it has a hint of murderous intent. "If a boy wants to achieve his life's aspirations, he reads the Five Classics in front of the window" is a sentence in Song Zhenzong's "Encouragement of Learning". Song Zhenzong is not a sarcastic Wang prodigy of Su Dongpo. If he fires indiscriminately, he will have to find fault with the imperial history when he turns back.

"The first emperor's "Encouragement of Learning" is to encourage poor scholars who have no good land, no high-rise buildings, no good media, and no one to follow them to study and progress." Su Dongpo said with a smile, "The so-called poor literature and rich martial arts, the cost of practicing martial arts is much higher than reading the Five Classics, and it is not something that a poor scholar can afford." Therefore, if a poor son wants to fulfill his life's aspirations, he can only read the Pentateuch. Those who read the Pentateuch diligently are those who are not motivated. It is not suitable for you to Liu Highway, your father-in-law is now very rich in Haizhou, so Liu Highway, your son should still allow Wen Yunwu. ”

Su Dongpo's mouth was really unforgiving, and he made fun of Liu Kui again. However, it is not impossible to find fault with his words, and a crime of distorting the supreme instructions of the first emperor can probably be pressed.

Of course, as long as Mr. Dongpo supports Empress Liu as Empress Dowager Liu, there will be no trouble......

Liu Kui, who felt that he had caught something, did not quarrel with Su Dongpo anymore, but said with a smile: "Mr. Dongpo, Mr. Yichuan, please sit down." ”

To sit down and talk about the Tao, of course, you have to sit down first and then talk about it. Instead of sitting on a chair, he knelt on the ground according to the ancient law. After Su Dongpo and Cheng Yi sat down, the disciples behind each son also knelt on the ground.

The first to speak was Cheng Yi's high-footed Hou Zhongliang, who said: "May I ask the Sumen monarchs, is there only one heaven, earth, and man?" ”

Whether there is one Tao or three Taos between heaven, earth, and man has always been controversial in traditional Chinese philosophical thought.

People in later generations don't understand this controversy, but Wu Haogu's memory contains the knowledge of two lifetimes, so he can understand it very well. "Only" probably means that there is a "God" or "Reason". Although Confucianism generally does not talk about ghosts and gods, "Heavenly Principles" is close to gods, and it is actually evolving into religion.

And "non-one" is "heaven and man are separated" (this is Xunzi's theory), heaven returns to heaven, and people return to people. Heavenly creatures cannot distinguish objects, and the earth can carry people, but cannot govern people. If this set of theories is developed, it may be the theory of godlessness.

Hou Zhongliang raised this question from the beginning, just to let Sumen choose between "one" and "non-one", and then he could drag the argument to the two lines of "Mencius" and "Xunzi". However, Wu Haogu's answer was unexpected.

"Heaven, earth, and man may be one or not one." Wu Haogu said, "Since we seek the Tao with empirical evidence, we cannot preset the answer. You can only make bold assumptions and verify carefully. 'Only one' and 'not one' are not the answers, but assumptions.

The sage asks questions and asks for the Tao, but rarely talks about the way of heaven, and its essence lies in asking and seeking. Mencius said that heaven and man are united, and Xunzi said that heaven and man are separated, but in fact, they are all bold assumptions. Heaven and man may be united, or they may be separated. In the end, it is necessary for future generations to carefully verify before they can find out.

And Mr. Yi Chuan's theory of heavenly principles is also a hypothesis, a hypothesis based on the unity of heaven and man in Mencius. Therefore, we can believe in the doctrine of heavenly principles, we can not believe it, but we cannot regard it as the ultimate way. Don't stop seeking the Tao or asking questions just because you have the doctrine of heavenly reason.

Mr. Ikawa, what do you say? ”

Under Su Dongpo's teaching these days, Wu Haogu's mouth cannon is now becoming more and more powerful, and as soon as he comes up, he puts the empirical theory in the position of a verifier of various hypotheses.

This makes it difficult for Cheng Yi to refute that Confucianism is not yet a religion, so Tianli is not in a position of unverifiable criticism. Wu Haogu's "hypothetical theory" is tenable.

"Is that man different from beasts because he is benevolent, righteous, courteous, wise, and faithful?" Cheng Yi opened his mouth to ask.

Cheng Yi's question is not simple!

It is difficult to prove the principles of heaven, so we should prove the principles of heaven from the desires of people! If the difference between humans and animals is due to the existence of "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faith", then where does "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faith" come from? The most reasonable assumption undoubtedly comes from "Heavenly Nature", that is, Heavenly Principles. Isn't that the truth of heaven proven to some extent?

If the principles of heaven allow people to have "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faith" to distinguish them from beasts, then "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faith" is a part of the principles of heaven, and people should abide by and practice them...... This is actually the logic of moral theology.

"Shuzheng," Su Dongpo took the question with a smile, "When I was in Danzhou, I often saw the people of the mountains and wilderness, they didn't know benevolence and righteousness, and they didn't respect etiquette and law. So are they human? Is it a beast? ”

"It's not that the people of the mountains and wilderness don't have 'benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faith', but that there is no one to help them discover their 'benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faith'." Cheng Yi said, "If they can be educated, they will be able to know 'benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faith'." And birds, beasts, plants, and trees, there is no way to educate them, because they simply do not have 'benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith'. ”

Well, that seems like a biological problem......

Wu Haogu exhaled and asked with a smile: "Mr. Yichuan, there are not only 'benevolence, righteousness, wisdom and faith' in the world, but also 'all beings are equal and compassionate', and 'return to Allah, Allah is great', and 'man has original sin, God loves the world'." It can be seen that man is different from beasts because he can be edified, but what he believes and knows is related to edification. And who is true and who is false in all kinds of education must naturally be verified by practice. ”

"How do I verify?" Cheng Yi frowned, there is something in the ancient saying of martial arts!

"Naturally, it was verified by education!" Wu Haogu said lightly, "Save the way of heaven, and never go outside!" ”

What do you say......

Cheng Yi's face changed slightly, Wu Haogu seemed to be snatching his own Dao system!

The science of science is to "preserve the principles of heaven and destroy people's desires", and regard the moral saints who destroy people's desires as the path to preach and seek the Tao.

And Wu Haogu took Cheng Yi's "Tianli Hypothesis", and then used the "Absolute Outer Dao" as a way to prove Tianli or Tiandao.

In other words, it is necessary to unify and educate the barbarians who believe in various foreign ways in order to prove that there is a certain correlation between Tianli (Heavenly Dao) and Confucian morality such as "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith".

"Then do you believe in the unity of heaven and man?" Cheng Yi asked.

"Believe it and prove it!" Wu Haogu said, "The sages put forward hypotheses, and our generation should believe them, and then seek verification." If you don't believe it, why do you need to prove it? If you don't seek verification, you are blind believers and stupid people. ”

Wu Haogu is constructing his own "theological system", and the basis of theology is, of course, God and faith. There is no essential difference between the creation of everything by Heaven and the way of heaven and the creation of everything by God. The Christian New Testament. The first sentence of the Gospel of John is, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." And the "Tao" of Christianity actually has the meaning of the source, the source.

Therefore, the science of science, which constructs a "system of heavenly principles" that creates all things, is close to religion and can answer the question of worldview.

However, Wu Haogu wanted positivism and theological systems to coexist, so he put forward the concept of "faith" and "proof" together.

Of course, "faith" and "proof" are not contradictory, otherwise how could there be a scientific and rational school under the Christian and Tianfang systems? Many early Western scientists were not only Christian, but even clergy themselves. For example, Copernicus, who pioneered heliocentrism, was a priest.

Therefore, "positivism" does not belong to the category of atheism - God is a hypothesis, and atheism is also a hypothesis, and it needs to be carefully and repeatedly verified before the final conclusion can be reached.

And having "positivism" does not mean that there is no need for faith. Those who shouted that "practice is the only criterion for testing the truth" in later generations did not believe in the truth of the universe?

Of course, Cheng Yi's set of science cannot be absorbed without reform, because although the system of science is relatively perfect, the system of science is too negative, and it is not conducive to external dissemination - the moral standard is too high, but no one is willing to play with it.

……

"Mr. Dongpo, Wu Chongdao, are you afraid of the Mandate of Heaven?" Cheng Yi then asked questions.

In fact, he didn't care too much about Wu Haogu's "Conquering the Dao Unification", because the "Grabbing Dao Unification" also inherited the mantle to some extent.

"Belief in Heavenly Principles" or "Belief in Heavenly Principles", coupled with "Belief and Proof", has constituted a fairly complete system.

However, this system is for the great Confucian philosophers, not for ordinary people.

So on the second day of Guozijian's discussion, Cheng Yi took out the "fear of the destiny of heaven" in the "Three Fears of Gentlemen" to ask questions at the beginning.

Su Dongpo replied: "I believe in the way of heaven, and I should fear the destiny of heaven and the wrath of heaven." ”

This answer, of course, was also repeatedly discussed by Wu Haogu and Su Dongpo.

Heavenly Dao, Heavenly Mandate, Heavenly Wrath, and of course, Heavenly Destiny, and of course, returning to Heaven can only be combined to form a relatively complete theological system.

Theology is indispensable to heaven and hell, even coaxing, deception and scare!

If there is no fear, then it is not theology.

Wu Haogu added: "Believe in the way of heaven, you should abide by the five constants and the five lun, and finally return to heaven." If you do not fear the destiny of heaven, you will create a curse and be rejected by heaven. ”

He further explained: "The Heavenly Dao is the source of all things, and it is known by nature. Wuchang and Wulun can be interpreted as the virtue of the Heavenly Dao, which is the connection between human nature and the Heavenly Dao. The final return to heaven means that after death, people return to nature, return to the source, and obtain the final liberation. If you are not afraid of the destiny of heaven and do not obey the virtues of heaven, you will be cursed and abandoned by heaven, and you will not be liberated......"

"What about human words and ancestors?" Cheng Yi led the problem to the more sensitive "deep water area". The first deficiency of Wang Anshi's "three deficiencies" (in fact, not shouted by Wang Anshi, but summarized by others for him) is that the destiny is not fearful, which is actually controversial, but people's words are not compassionate, and the ancestors are not enough to law, but it is more realistic.

Now Su Dongpo and Wu Haogu have combined "Heavenly Principles" and "Empirical Evidence" to create a fairly complete system.