Thank you for putting "On Pride, Prejudice and True Knowledge" in the first chapter of the first volume when you compiled my manuscript, because when I presented the "Collection of Essays", I was extremely happy to see it on Count Seris's face.
It shows appreciation: at least he thinks we are not hopeless.
"A person who has never seen a river thinks that the first river he encounters is a vast ocean." "Arrogance is an innate disease of us humans." These maxims that once made me feel proud of myself are beyond doubt.
saved the honor of Europe.
Otherwise, the Duke of Tuscany, Bishop Ferdinando and I, and even all the Europeans present at the time, could only save the face of "self-proclaimed civilized people" by committing suicide - although Count Xu Guangqi later greatly softened his tone.
, it can even be said to be very gentle.
I have written so much that you must be wondering what happened in the Palace of Signalia to make me feel so emotional. You know, I am on a sacred mission to chase the mission from the East. Through the Archduke's
Recommended, I was very honored to meet His Excellency Count Seris - a true sage.
Through the conversation with him, I sincerely believe that I am the clown who has "never seen a river", a typical arrogant man, and a role model for all Europeans. Because the "true knowledge" we have is different from what Siris has.
It's so shallow and ridiculous in comparison.
At the beginning, the count emotionally criticized the bad habits of Europeans, that is, not distinguishing themselves from animals in terms of cleaning and "hygiene". Of course, I explained to him that our unwillingness to clean our bodies has religious significance -
—But the count, who was about to be baptized and converted to God, sneered at this and quoted the Book of Leviticus to complete my refutation:
“The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Speak to the Israelites: If a man has an discharge... the bed on which he lies, the stool on which he sits, his clothing, and anything he touches shall be unclean.
..... You have to take a shower and wash your clothes. If you get the person with leakage, his clothes and utensils, or his vomit, etc., you have to take a shower and wash your clothes... If the person with leakage is cured,
Just like other diseases, you should first observe it for seven days, and wash your clothes and body with running water...' This paragraph is very long, and I will not quote it in full here."
"Count Xu Guangqi said, 'If the infectious diseases in Bordeaux had been followed God's instructions, they would have been controlled long ago. The Salis people do not believe in God, but the methods used to control infectious diseases are not the same as those recorded in the Bible.
It’s essentially different, but it’s done more thoroughly.”
He then told me about the pathogenic mechanisms of several infectious diseases that Siris had discovered: including smallpox, schistosomiasis, dehydration and the epidemic disease in Bordeaux - the plague. You must not have imagined that the infectious disease is epidemic in Bordeaux.
It turns out to be spread through rats and fleas. Unfortunately, these two things are everywhere in Europe, and our dirty living environment and flea-infested hair and bodies have become a breeding ground for the spread of this disease.
Thanks to the omnipotent God, the angel He sent will save Bordeaux. I am about to return to France from Florence, and what will arrive before me will be my order - clean, disinfect, isolate and protect, as long as you do the above four points
, it is entirely possible to overcome the continued epidemic of this disease in a short period of time.
Of course, necessary treatment is indispensable for citizens who are already suffering from the disease. Count Xu Guangqi generously provided prescriptions, but what worries me now is that these complex drugs will not be available in a short period of time - what if those mercenary businessmen
It would be a much more cost-effective deal to be able to import these life-saving herbs from Seris instead of shipping back luxurious spices and porcelain.
Dear Mademoiselle de Gounet, if - I mean if, I had seen the count when he arrived in Lisbon, then the plague in Bordeaux would probably not have happened, because in Count Xu Guangqi's view, the plague that had once been prevalent in Europe
The Black Death is a type of plague, because its symptoms also appeared in Seris, but they were eradicated before it became popular.
"Hygiene"-protecting people's lives and maintaining people's health is a manifestation of civilization. I learned this in Palazzo Vecchio. His Excellency the Count used his knowledge since visiting Europe to compare it with the sanitary habits of the Seris people.
Than, eloquently proves the tragedy that our ignorance and fallacy on this issue will bring: the Black Death and the epidemic epidemic in Bordeaux should not have happened. Even if they did, reasonable measures could be taken to prevent them quickly.
wipe out.
...
What surprises me even more is that the achievements of the Seris people in philosophy and humanistic thought have exceeded the limits of human thought. I can't describe to you in the letter what the count said in his letter: "The Tao can be Tao, but it is not Tao; the name can be named, but it is not famous.
” gave me a shock.
I guess those mottos that made me so complacent could only be regarded as wisecracks in the Count's eyes, because the meaning and implications of a casual quote from Confucius would be enough to write a two thousand word article - in fact,
In Seris, this is how they select officials.
When it comes to selecting officials, Siris is at least a thousand years ahead of us - in my opinion, there is no doubt about it. Siris has no tradition of using aristocrats to govern the country at all. They started when the nations were competing for hegemony two thousand years ago.
"Meritocracy" means that in a special period, a talented person can serve as the prime minister of six countries. Before he achieved such an achievement, he was just an ordinary scholar with nothing to attract him.
Proud bloodline.
Miss Gunai, if today's Europe can implement the "nine-grade Zhongzheng system" that the Seris people have abandoned long ago, simply speaking, it uses "zhongzhengguan" to select officials among the people through "promoting filial piety and integrity" and other methods, our
The king and the people can laugh and wake up from their dreams.
The Seris people used the "imperial examination" to select talents as early as a thousand years ago. All officials must pass the examination rather than determine their status by their origin and bloodline - the deputy envoy Wang Jiaping who followed the count passed the examination.
He passed the examination and became a high-ranking official in the empire. Before he became an official, although he was able to receive a good education and possess astonishing wealth, his status was equal to that of a peasant in Seris.
This is really a terrible equality. Where the light of the Lord does not shine, the lambs are treated equally, and what an irony it is...
God, I can't keep writing. After talking to Count Xu Guangqi, I feel like my whole belief has been shaken. He is not the "skeptic" I was in my thirties. In my opinion,
His belief in the Lord is very firm, but I also have a feeling that he may not believe in the Lord using the method taught to us by the church.
For example, he said that Emperor Seris had a motto that could explain the essence of all religions: "Don't add entities unless necessary." If a thing cannot be falsified, the emperor suggested that everyone should listen to Confucius and adopt the approach of "keeping a respectful distance"
Strategy.
Count Xu Guangqi said that God is something we cannot keep away from, even though in fact His existence cannot be falsified. But humans cannot imagine God because He is incomprehensible. The limits of our human imagination cannot exceed ourselves. Therefore, in faith
When it comes to God, all we can rely on is our own hearts and moral precepts - placing our faith in others is unbelief in itself.
Oh my god! I really can't keep writing.
After I return to France, I will sort out the contents of this letter. I am sure that this record will become an immortal piece in the "Collected Essays" because it will be the beginning of our escape from ignorance.