The development of Confucianism in the Ming Dynasty should have reached a climax at the end of the Ming Dynasty.
Just like the Western Renaissance, after experiencing the retro trend, it completed a complete transformation.
However, history has played a joke on China. The more barbaric and violent ethnic minority regimes have changed the ideological direction of China.
The Manchu Qing regime, which had moved from barbarism to feudalism, could learn from the old system well, which was the limit of what they could do.
We cannot expect them to suddenly surpass the times and become the leaders leading China forward.
This task must be left to current scholars.
On the way south, Zuo Menggeng, Liu Zongzhou, Li Banghua, Huang Zongxi and others had many exchanges about the current situation of Confucianism in Jiangnan.
Throughout the Ming Dynasty, the forefront of ideological trends was always in Jiangnan.
Upper decision decided by the economic background.
The developed business society in Jiangnan has provided a platform for ideas to take off.
This is not a society that relies on land for survival and development, so the old feudal ideas have always been relatively weak here.
When southeastern scholars who are deeply influenced by the business economy discover problems, they will inevitably explore and study them and make new voices.
Before and after Liu Zongzhou, there were countless scholars who came to the fore and inspired the world with their radical ideas.
If the Manchus had not entered the customs, I believe that in a few decades, China would have undergone earth-shaking changes.
How to spread ideas in Jiangnan and then influence the whole country, both Zuo Menggeng and Liu Zongzhou paid great attention to this.
It's not time for their camp to make its own voice, so it needs some skills.
As a great master, Liu Zongzhou cleverly found the weaknesses of Confucianism.
That means lack of action and being disconnected from the grassroots level.
No matter how Confucian scholars praise the unity of knowledge and action and the application of what they have learned, the fundamental problem is how to integrate knowledge and action and apply what they have learned. There is no practical way from beginning to end.
Apart from shaping ethics and morality, Confucianism has little help in practical matters.
From then on, Liu Zongzhou started to attack, and Zuo Mengeng followed up with follow-up attacks, and in one fell swoop he defeated Fang Yuegong, the defender of the old ideological system.
Next, it’s Liu Zongzhou’s personal performance time.
After three hours of eloquent lectures, everyone who listened was mesmerized.
The most important thing is that the content of Liu Zongzhou's lectures is not empty theory, but combined with reality.
These were originally Liu Zongzhou's weaknesses, but during his time in Linqing, after being deeply influenced by Zuo Menggeng, Liu Zongzhou went deep into various places and continued to sharpen his thoughts by combining theory with practice, and he has gradually become more perfect.
"A gentleman is likened to righteousness, and a villain is likened to benefit. However, righteousness and benefit are not simple opposites, but a relationship of unity of opposites. The welfare of all people and the survival of the people are not benefits. How important is benefit?"
Everyone thought deeply about it and deeply believed it.
It is said that all the hustle and bustle in the world is for profit, and the hustle and bustle in the world is for profit. Countless living beings are running back and forth, isn't it just for three meals a day, firewood, rice, oil and salt?
But is such a benefit important?
Of course it is important, and it is the most important.
Otherwise, when the people cannot survive, they will rise up and overthrow the tyranny of the dynasty. This is an inevitable result.
Just like the peasant uprising in the northwest.
"The well-being of the people and the stability of the country are all for the benefit, and they are also great benefits. Great benefits are great righteousness, and a gentleman should understand them and pursue them, so that he can live up to what he has learned."
Using the dialectical analysis method of Professor Zuo Menggeng, Liu Zongzhou combined the ancients' strict distinction between justice and benefit, which was theoretically impeccable.
Countless Confucian disciples pursue the pursuit of self-cultivation, ordering the family, and governing the world. What should be the standard?
Of course, things are prosperous and the people are prosperous, and the world is at peace.
Why is the rule of Zhenguan and the prosperous period of Kaiyuan always talked about by people?
Isn't this the case?
"If the people are prosperous, the country will be strong, and if the country is strong, it will be peaceful. Whoever can use his knowledge to help the people become prosperous and strong will surely be a saint through the ages. Lords, I hope you will abandon empty talk and be down-to-earth, and do not seek to be heard in the world, even if your land is prosperous.
, it is also the responsibility of our generation of scholars to govern the world."
Liu Zongzhou finally dug the big hole.
He called on the majority of scholars, officials, gentry, and common people to connect Confucianism with daily production and life, and use Confucianism to promote production.
The question is, can Confucianism do this?
It must be impossible.
And once someone does this and finds that it cannot be done, they will definitely question Confucianism and think about it.
Since Confucianism cannot improve production tools, and since Confucianism cannot improve production efficiency, it means that Confucianism is not practical.
Inferring from this, Confucianism is not considered practical learning, and is contrary to the advocacy of the sages and sages of the past to "unify knowledge and action, and apply what they have learned."
Nowadays, no one is aware of Liu Zongzhou's insidiousness. On the contrary, they are all convinced by his theory.
After all, there are only a few people who study and become officials, and the vast majority only use it to learn things.
But being sensible cannot bring wealth or solve the problem of hardship in life.
In the process of pursuing wealth, not much of the sage's teachings learned can be used, so people will inevitably choose a new direction on their own.
Everyone in Songjiang Mansion left with satisfaction. As expected, in just a few days, the contents of Liu Zongzhou's lectures would inevitably spread throughout the Jiangnan Mansion.
Only Fang Yuegong staggered, his mind was confused, and he instinctively sensed the crisis.
He knew Liu Zongzhou deeply and read many of Liu Zongzhou's works when he was studying.
But Liu Zongzhou's remarks today are completely different from those in the past.
Fang Yuegong didn't understand the danger of Liu Zongzhou's remarks for a moment, but encouraging people to pursue wealth was bound to conflict with the traditional Confucian approach of calming the people and doing nothing.
Even when he returned to the government office, Fang Yuegong could not get over the shock.
After thinking for a while, he wrote a letter carefully and then ordered the housekeeper to come in.
"Send this letter to the capital immediately and give it to Duke Xue Binting (Xue Guoguan)."
After the housekeeper took the order, Fang Yuegong felt a little relieved.
Now we can only hope that the big guys in the capital can detect the danger and eliminate it.
Otherwise, this blossoming Jiangnan may soon become a scalding furnace.
A successful lecture planted seeds in the hearts of the people in Jiangnan. I believe that given the right time, these ideas will take root and sprout, eventually breaking through the old walls and ushering in a new dawn.
Because Liu Zongzhou was a guest of the Xu family, this time also greatly increased the Xu family's reputation.
Originally, the Xu family was not considered a top wealthy family in Songjiang Mansion.
Because the Xu family had little background and believed in Catholicism, they were somewhat ostracized by traditional scholars.
Not to mention others, Chen Zilong, Song Zhengyu and other rising stars in the scholarly circles only knew the Xu family, but had little contact with them.
If Xu Guangqi had not had a prosperous official career and was now a cabinet minister, the Xu family would still be in a difficult situation.
But it will be different from now on.
With the signature of Liu Zongzhou, a great scholar, the Xu family was able to gain a foothold in Jiangnan Shilin.
In the evening, there was even more excitement inside the Xu Mansion.
In the bedroom, Xu Ruolan opened the gift box happily, took out the gift, and rubbed it carefully.
This is a gift from Zuo Menggeng to the women of Xu Mansion, each of them has a pair of high heels.
Different from the white high-heeled shoes worn by Xu Ruolin, this pair is red. Although it is not inlaid with jewelry, it uses gold thread to make a picture of a peacock opening its tail, which has a different charm.
Xu Ruolan is over 30 years old, and when her charm has matured, wearing such shoes can be said to complement each other.
With the help of the maid, she put on high heels and adjusted awkwardly.
After going back and forth a few times, I finally got the hang of it.
This plump and round woman twists and turns in high heels, her waist is light and her buttocks are swaying, which is the most deadly.
There was a sound of swallowing at the door. It was Ai Tinghuai who had lost his composure.
If it were in the past, Xu Ruolan would have been unhappy to see her husband like this. But today, seeing her husband obsessed with her charm, she couldn't help but smile, and the dark room glowed.
"You go down."
After the maid was dismissed, a primitive war broke out in the bedroom, which lasted for a long time.
After the storm passed, Xu Ruolan regained her consciousness and took her husband to talk about business.
"My third brother-in-law makes this kind of shoes. They are the only ones in the world, and they are so beautiful that women like us flock to them. If they can be sold, they will definitely be a huge source of wealth."
After Ai Kejiu, no one in the Ai family was an official, and they focused more on doing business.
Ai Tinghuai recognizes the charm of high heels. Not only that, he also has opinions.
"Not only are these women's high-heeled shoes, but also the men's leather shoes worn by Zhongheng, they are also very comfortable and beautiful. Why don't we discuss it with Zhongheng tomorrow? This business is worth doing."
Seeing that her husband supported her idea, Xu Ruolan was overjoyed and took the initiative to get tired of it, which made Ai Tinghuai enjoy and be frightened. But when she thought of the promising business, she couldn't help but look forward to it.
Early the next morning, Xu Ruolan couldn't wait any longer and went to find Xu Ruolin.
Instead of asking Zuo Mengeng about this kind of thing, it would be better for the sisters to discuss it privately.
Finally, when I walked into Xu Ruolin's boudoir, I saw Xu Gandi, Yu family, Qiao family, Wang family, Huang family, and even Xu Ruoxin.
Sisters and sisters, you look at me and I look at you, and we all laugh in unison.
They are indeed a family, they are so in tune with each other.