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The academic thinking of the Datong New Dynasty was too chaotic, full of Confucian scholars' self-doubt about Confucianism.

This phenomenon did not start from the fall of the Ming Dynasty, but appeared as early as the Wanli period.

If we push it forward, we can push it to the Zhengde and Jiajing years, and Wang Yangming is one of them. But Wang Yangming's thought soon split into numerous factions. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the reputation of Xinxue was extremely bad, and it was necessary to use Cheng Zhu Neo-Confucianism to criticize Yangming Xinxue, which had been reduced to empty talk and metaphysics.

In the final analysis, this ideological movement, which lasted for hundreds of years, was brought about by the social development of the Ming Dynasty.

With the great development of productivity, the rise of the merchant class, the growth of the citizen class, and the prosperity of the township economy, it is difficult for traditional Confucianism to deal with new social relations. However, the political corruption and the decline of people's livelihood in the late Ming Dynasty, as well as the entry of the Manchu Qing into the customs, only exacerbated this phenomenon-it is a pity that this ideological movement was strangled to death by the Manchu Qing in history. The self-renewal of Confucianism was also interrupted, and it was not rekindled until the Opium War.

In the new dynasty of Datong, at the beginning of the founding of the country, Confucian scholars were still reflecting.

Some people are more conservative, thinking that we should go back to the old, pick up the Confucian classics of the Qin and Han Dynasties, and pursue the original meaning of the Confucian sages. This kind of people can be collectively referred to as "retro faction".

Some people are relatively conservative and think that it should be improved, combining Cheng Zhu Neo Confucianism with Lu Wang Xinxue, and integrating Western and Western culture from Europe. Such people can be collectively referred to as "real school".

Some people are more radical, skeptical of Confucian classics, skeptical of the sages of Confucius and Mencius, and believe that sages and classics are not necessarily correct. Don't think about retro, don't think about adding private goods to the classics, since the saints and the classics are wrong, let's just go and correct them. There are very few such people, and they can be collectively referred to as "crazy Confucians".

A debate about whether a woman should take the imperial examination to become an official, centered in Nanjing, spread rapidly to surrounding provinces with the help of the postal system. What retro school, what practical school, all were blown out.

The debate on women's rights has become the fuse, and more and more purely academic articles have been published.

The focus of everyone's discussion is how to develop Confucianism in the future!

"Your Majesty, this article is the most radical. It was published by Professor Chen Que of Hangzhou University in the Nanjing Business Daily under his real name," Li Xiangjun said. He refuted it. However, many emerging schools also put aside their disputes and sided with Chen Que."

This is tantamount to Chen Que turning the situation of a chaotic battle into two distinct camps with only one article.

Zhao Han was quite surprised, and quickly picked it up to read.

As he read it, Zhao Han praised: "Cruel officials use the law to harm the people, and upright Confucianism kills people with reason. This sentence is beautifully written, and this gentleman actually..."

It is inconvenient to say later, because it does not belong to this time and space.

These two sentences are very similar to Dai Zhen's famous saying, and Dai Zhen lived in the middle of the Qing Dynasty.

Chen Que's article is more radical and comprehensive than that of Dai Zhen. He said that with Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, everyone is now reasonable, and even foolish men and women quarrel and say that they have "reason". The elders use reason to reprimand the younger, and the venerable use reason to reprimand the humble. Even if it is unreasonable, it becomes reasonable, and the younger and the humble fight for reason and become disobedient.

People with high positions and high positions, and people with sharp tongues, seem very reasonable. People with low status and poor eloquence seem to be unreasonable.

Therefore, "reason" has gone astray, and Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism has become a tool to shackle thinking.

Song and Ming Neo-Confucianism, including Wang Yangming's Xinxue, all recognized the theory of qi and principle. But Chen confirmed that in addition to Qi, Xinxing should also be added. The theory of xinxing existed before, but it must be elevated to the same status as qi.

Qi, reason, heart, and nature, the combination of the four is the real way of heaven.

Even, Chen Que introduced the concept of physics.

Qi is the material foundation of the universe and the basic element of the world.

Li is the law of all things, not only the law of nature, but also the law of society, and even all the ethics and laws in the world.

The heart is conscience, the basis for human beings to understand nature and society, and the ideological tool for human beings to deal with problems.

Sex is desire, seeking advantage and avoiding harm is sex, being filial to parents is sex, being greedy for money and lust is also sex. The distinction between good and evil in nature can be corrected and educated with Confucianism, and it is enough to advocate benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trust.

With the heart as the cognition, the nature as the driving force, the qi as the foundation, and the principle as the criterion, only when the four are coordinated and unified can one truly become a gentleman.

As for whether a woman should be an official in the imperial examination, it can also be explained in terms of temperament.

Qi is constantly running, society is constantly improving, and productivity is constantly developing. Poor women must leave the family, or plow the fields, or work. Rich girls, because of financial support, can already leave the family. This is an objective fact and does not need to be refuted. Women's imperial examinations to become officials is just a further step on this basis.

Principle follows qi, and it is constantly changing. The idea that men are superior to women is not suitable for social development, so His Majesty the Emperor proposed the theory of personality. Since men and women are equal in personality, it is not a deviant thing for a woman to be an official in the imperial examination, as long as the woman has enough talent.

Heart and nature are the key to this debate.

Some people's hearts, that is, cognition, have not kept up with the development of society, and they look down on women from the bottom of their hearts. This is a deviation of conscience, which needs more time to accept.

Some people want to suppress women, and they don't want to let women have a higher status. They have various interests.

Including the natural sciences that are still in decline, Chen Que also uses this method to explain. Qi is matter, reason is law, heart is cognition, sex is motivation, and all the elements for studying natural science are available.

After reading this article, Zhao Han thought for a while and said: "The next issue of "Datong Monthly" will reprint this article in full. He ordered the Department of Public Security to send people to Hangzhou to recruit Chen Que to the Imperial Academy as a doctor. He He is a professor at Hangzhou University, and will be transferred to Jinling University to teach in the future. Also, let him be the teacher of the prince, and he will talk about 'qi, xinxing'."

"Follow the order!"

Li Xiangjun was quite surprised, because Chen Que was too radical and had always been regarded as a "crazy Confucian" among the people.

This guy came from the Jishan School, but apart from the orthodox school and the revisionist school, he broke away from the self-contained school. And his faction is currently the only one, not even a formal student (not counting students in the university).

"Take all these newspapers." Zhao Han didn't want to read purely quarrel articles.

Whether it is an academic dispute, or a dispute between men and women, there will definitely be no result.

What Zhao Han needs is just the process of quarreling.

It is enough to let more people know about the idea of ​​equal rights between men and women. Whether people accept it or not is secondary. Everyone who thinks on their knees knows that it is difficult for the public to accept it, and the development of productivity has not yet reached that point.

The same is true for academic disputes. Large-scale public debates have caused more people to pay attention to ideological movements and inspired more people to think about the pros and cons of Confucianism.

The next day, Zhao Han called Wang Zhiliang, the principal of Jinling University, and said, "How is the school?"

Wang Zhiliang said: "Someone got into a fight because of an academic dispute."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Zhao Han laughed happily and said, "As long as there is no disability, young people can exercise their hands and feet. Of course, beating is wrong, and punishment should still be punished."

Wang Zhiliang was very helpless about this: "Your Majesty, the place where the most quarrels are happening now is neither newspapers, restaurants, nor brothels, but precisely in universities! Those students, you support this, I agree with that, after class Just argue. When you talk about it, you will blush, and if you don’t pay attention, you will fight."

Zhao Han said: "A hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend. This is an excellent phenomenon. Don't force students to believe in one faction, and don't be sure which faction is right. Let the students make their own choices."

Wang Zhiliang said: "Your Majesty, the Confucian debate has never been so chaotic since ancient times. There are dozens of schools in the Jinling Mansion alone, and many of them are extremely fallacious. Such a chaotic thinking will inevitably affect the students of the university and cause the students' thinking to be so chaotic. It is also extremely chaotic. Such a situation is not conducive to the enlightenment of sages, nor is it conducive to the court's governance of the people."

Zhao Han said, "It's chaotic now, and in a few decades, we'll be able to get rid of the chaff and save the chaff. Don't be afraid of chaos, but fear that one family will dominate. Students don't even dare to have novel ideas."

With so many schools of thought, Zhao Han has made great contributions.

Just because he did not recognize the fame of the previous dynasty, many scholars, scholars, and even Jinshi of the Ming Dynasty were unable to become officials directly. These scholars disdain to start from a small official, and either choose to be a teacher or study at home. Then call friends, gather to give lectures, write books, publish newspapers, give advice, and even instill students with their own ideas in schools.

As a result, chaotic schools of thought were formed, and some individuals dared to start schools. For example, Chen Que is one person, one faction.

During the examination period, the university is still in session.

Chen Que has now become a man of the hour, and his former friends broke up with him one after another.

Even Huang Zongxi wrote letters to refute some of Chen Que's views, such as saying that "The Great Learning" should not be a forgery, but it still belongs to the scope of normal discussion. Huang Zongxi and Chen Que had always had great academic differences, but they never affected their friendship.

"Professor Chen, you can't talk about Qi and Mind in class. How about you tell us during the holidays?"

"Yes, sir, we read the newspaper, and we all feel that there is still more to say, and we have a lot of doubts and want to ask for advice."

"Sir, why don't I treat you tonight and go to a restaurant to give lectures while having a drink."

"..."

Chen Que's article was published successively in newspapers in Hangzhou and Nanjing. Although there are many critics, there are also many supporters. Among the students of Hangzhou University, there are many radical thinkers who are willing to worship under his disciples and become disciples.

Chen Que patted the ruler and signaled the students to be quiet: "There are many rules for entering our gate. Many of you are from rich households in Zhejiang. Today, the emperor implements benevolent government and the people, and the people are happy and prosperous, but the trend of extravagance is intensifying. For funerals and weddings, there are always big banquets, and the dowry is getting richer and richer. This is wrong. To be my direct disciple, the banquet at home must be kept simple. When someone goes home to marry a wife, the welcoming team is half a block away, I know He must be swept out!"

"Hahahaha!" The students laughed.

Chen Que said: "Also. My students are not allowed to believe in Buddhism. My students are not allowed to be obsessed with Feng Shui. When a person dies, he dies. Where is it buried? My students are not allowed to gamble. Those who are obsessed with gambling, Your mind is too weak to comprehend my knowledge!"

A student asked: "Sir, playing mahjong with friends, is it gambling if you win or lose a few cents?"

Chen Que said: "Occasional entertainment is fine. I don't engage in the practice of preserving the laws of nature and destroying human desires. It is human nature to be fond of gambling. But you must not be obsessed. Once you become obsessed, your character will be ruined. But people also need entertainment. People who don't entertain, It’s a fake Taoist. My school is to be a person with true temperament, to be a person who has seven emotions and six desires, but can restrain the seven emotions and six desires. Alright, let’s go to class and don’t talk about other things.”

During the class, there were already people in official uniforms standing outside the classroom to listen.

The bell rang for the end of get out of class, and the young official immediately pushed the door open, cupped his hands and said: "Mr. Chen is polite, and the next person is Yan Zhenggang."

The Department of Pedestrians is dedicated to running errands for the emperor. The officials are all young civil servants who have just joined the office. Many ordinary imperial decrees in the Ming Dynasty are directly sent to the place by pedestrians, not all of them use eunuchs or Jin Yiwei to deliver the decrees.

In the Datong New Dynasty, it was more common for passers-by to pass on edicts.

When he heard that it was the emperor's envoy, Chen Que quickly cupped his hands: "The angel is polite, do you need to take a bath and change clothes to receive the order?"

Yan Zhenggang took out a copy of the decree and said with a smile: "No, it's just an ordinary manuscript. Mr. Chen is a great talent. His Majesty has ordered that Mr. Chen be transferred to Nanjing to serve as a doctor of the Imperial Academy and a professor of Jinling University. Once in the palace, give the prince a lecture on qi, xin and xing."

As soon as this remark came out, the classroom erupted.

Chen Que showed a complacent look on his face, and he did not hide his joy. He turned to the students and said, "you can hear me, my knowledge will be outstanding in the future!"

This man is forty-nine years old.

He once apprenticed with Huang Zongxi and became a disciple of Liu Zongzhou. Huang Zongxi was quite loved by Liu Zongzhou, and his daughter was married to Liu Zongzhou's grandson. Later, Huang Zongxi was appreciated by the emperor. And Chen Cheng, not only is he an outlier in the same sect, but also has no achievements in his official career.

Unexpectedly, when he was half a hundred years old, he could actually be the teacher of the prince, and if nothing happened, he would be the teacher of the emperor in the future.

The other scholars in Hangzhou University were silent for a long time when they heard the news. The traitor and heresy in their eyes is actually favored by the emperor. What the hell is wrong with this world?

The emperor likes to be deviant, the emperor likes to talk about strange things... yes, that must be the case!

Chen can do it, so can I, isn't it just deviant?

Stimulated by Chen Que, some Zhejiang scholars have already started to have different ideas, planning to come up with a novel theory themselves.

The king of Chu is so thin-waisted that many people starved to death in the palace.

Don't you just want to sell to the emperor's family to learn literary and martial arts?

What kind of thoughts does the emperor have today, folk scholars must be flattered, and the academic thinking in the future will definitely become more and more strange.

Don't deviate from the scriptures, don't criticize the sages, you are ashamed to go out!