introduction
Traditional Chinese Confucian philosophy developed into the Song Dynasty, actively absorbing and borrowing certain ontological philosophical ideas from Buddhism and Taoism, and developed into Taoism, also known as Neo-Confucianism, which explored the principles of heaven, earth, and nature. The philosophical concept of ecology and ecological ethics have also been further developed.
1. The unity of nature and man
"Zhengmeng Qianzhi Chapter" records: "Qianzhi is called the father, Kun is called the mother; To despise it is to be in the middle of the confusion. Therefore, the plug of heaven and earth, my body; The handsomeness of heaven and earth, my nature. ”
In terms of the concept of heaven and man, the physicist Zhang Zai clearly put forward the ideas of "the unity of heaven and man" and "the harmony of people and things". Zhang Zai believes that "heaven and earth are all qi", people and all things are born of yin and yang, and human beings are only one of the natural things. I think that nature has made my body and spirit, that human beings are my brothers, and that all things in nature are my companions. This is a grand ideological realm that embraces the universe and the unity of all things.
"All things are one, so one can be different; With its ability to merge differences, it is called a feeling; If there is no difference, there is no agreement. Nature, Qiankun, Yin and Yang, the two ends have a feeling, and the one can be combined. Heaven and earth give birth to all things, although they are different, they do not need to be indifferent, and the so-called sex is the way of heaven. ”
From the concept of harmony and unity between people and things, it can be inferred that people should tolerate and love things, adults are tolerant of things unswervingly, have love for things without preference, and nature is natural. The so-called "adult" refers to a person who has knowledge and moral character. In Zhang Zai's view, the "way of adulthood" should be in harmony with the "way of heaven", conform to the laws of physics, and love all things. There is reason and reason, heaven and man are one, inseparable, heaven and man are two, there is no need to say unity, "the unity of heaven and man" is a natural law that does not need to be demonstrated.
"The unity of heaven and man" means that man and all things are of the same quality and origin, there are common laws and principles between heaven and man, and heaven and humanity are interconnected, and man is to pursue harmony with heaven and earth. Wang Anshi also said in the poem: "All things are more than one, and Kyushu is more than one." It embodies a distinct idea of organic naturalism.
2. The interdependence of heaven, earth and man
Regarding the specificity of human beings between heaven and earth and the attitude that human beings should adopt towards other living beings, Song Dynasty scholars have further elaborated on the basis of inheriting the ideas of their predecessors. The heavens are above it, the places are below, and the people are in the center. Heaven and earth cannot be seen without people. This is an affirmation of the subjective status of human beings. Because human beings are spiritual, they are superior to other living beings.
"Answer to Uncle Yu Fang" records: "The creatures of heaven are different in their differences, but their principles are not different, so people are the most spiritual, and have impermanence, while birds and beasts are faint and cannot prepare, and the plants and trees are withered and die with their perceivers." ”
The Song Dynasty scholar inherited Xunzi's "people are angry, alive, knowledgeable, and righteous, so they are the most expensive in the world." "This idea believes that human beings are the most spiritual beings who have attained the beauty of yin and yang in heaven and earth, and are incomparable to other natural objects." Man is the soul of all things", which highlights the ability of man and his important position in nature.
Song Dynasty scholars believed that things are born for people, and people depend on natural objects to survive, and in turn, natural things depend on human discovery and use to realize their value. This is actually an anthropocentric value.
However, theorists also recognized that although human beings are precious, birds, animals, plants and trees should also be cared for. Physicists Cheng Yi and Cheng Hao have made a lot of expositions on animal ethics: "Between heaven and earth, not only people are the supreme spirits, but their own hearts are the hearts of plants, trees, birds and beasts, but people are born in heaven and earth." With his own heart, the heart of plants, trees, birds and beasts is full of "sympathy" for animals and plants.
"Benevolence" means nourishing things without harming them, starting from the theory of "benevolence", it is believed that people should cherish and love all life in nature. Zhu Xi expounded man's "sympathy" for birds, beasts, plants and trees from the perspective of "the principle of all things", believing that everything has its natural right and rationality to exist, and that man and all things are born in the same kind of qi, so human beings should have a natural pity for other creatures, follow the laws of nature, kill at the right time, and not die young.
It can be seen that physicists have a strong love for things and cannot bear to kill, even those creatures that are harmful to people, reflecting a high degree of reverence for life in heaven and earth and a strong spirit of ecological ethics. Although the ecological ideal of harmless life does not fully conform to the essence of natural science and cannot be fully put into practice, it still has a great influence on the humanistic spirit and love of things of the literati of the Song Dynasty.
3. Quietly observe the changes, and there is also a god in creation
"The Emperor's Interpretation of the Complete Book of the World: The Inner Chapter of Observing Things" records: "The husband is called a person who looks at things, not by the eyes. It is not to look at it with its eyes and to look at it with its heart, and it is also to look at it with reason without looking at it with its heart. ”
The Song Dynasty scholars had a set of theories of viewing things, which reflected the ecological view of the business of all things. Due to the strong interest and psychological tendency of "studying heaven and man", physicists have shown a strong interest in nature and a unique way of contemplating all things. Their "observation of things" is not purely the observation of natural objects, but often through the observation of external objects, they realize the truth of the universe. The vibrant world of flying kites and leaping fish is the embodiment of the most basic characteristics of "ecology".
"The Biography of Hengpu Heart" records that there is a lush grass in front of Cheng Mingdao's book window, and some people persuade him to eradicate it, Cheng Mingdao said no, he must often see the creator's mind, and also set up a basin and raised a few small fish, at that time, it seems that someone asked him why, he said: "I want to see all things and be complacent." Grass and fish, everyone sees it, only Mingdao and Zhou Dunyi see one together. The grass is covered with grass and says that you want to see the creator's mind often, and the fish in the pot pond says that you want to see all things complacently, and there is a symbol of Taoism!
From the observation of the vitality of all things, the physicists realized the way of the great popularity of life, which in their view is a manifestation of high moral cultivation.
Zhu Xi once said that animals have flesh, so they can know. Although plants cannot be said to be understood, they can also be silently perceived by ordinary vitality. If you hurt yourself, you will be withered and haggard, and no matter how unpleasant it is, it seems that some people know. I once saw ordinary flowers and trees, and when the morning sun shone brightly, they were thriving. With this business, the skin can't hold it, and it bursts out. Like withered branches and old leaves, they feel haggard, because the qi has passed.
Animals and plants have their own business, which was originally produced by the creation of the invisible and wordless, but in the physicists it is described as the product of the "heart of heaven and earth" with will, the heart of the living beings who are full of heaven and earth, and the heart of loving animals gently when they are human, this is the person who has the four virtues to overlook the entire universe, the person who has the heart of heaven and earth, and the greatest virtue of heaven and earth is life, which is based on living things, and living things are the heart of heaven and earth.
In fact, heaven and earth have no will, and the so-called "heart of heaven and earth" is nothing more than the hazy perception and metaphor of the ancients about the great power of nature. The "mindfulness" of the physicist is not only a way of observation or enlightenment in the sense of natural science, but also has a profound aesthetic meaning.
Landscapes always contain a strong religious, poetic or aesthetic meaning. Because "contemplation" is an activity in which the subject temporarily abandons earthly ideas and meditates on natural objects, it is non-utilitarian and spiritualized, so it is more able to gain insight into the natural nature of things, realize spiritual communication with natural objects, and even merge oneself with the object of contemplation.
Zhu Jifang said in the poem "Idle Observation" that when he was bored, he watched the creation of all things in this world, and he was extremely quiet, and his mood was extremely happy. At this time, the butterfly suddenly flew in, but his heart was no longer competitive. This is a poetic expression of the spiritual realm achieved by contemplating and observing all things in a leisurely state of mind, and the tranquility is the self-seeing of human nature, so as to be happy and comfortable, and the heart has nothing to chase.
epilogue
In the Song Dynasty, the philosophical community began to turn to serious reflection on human beings and the earth's ecosystem, and in this case, anthropocentrism was increasingly questioned, and people began to pay attention to the world around them, advocating the protection of the ecological environment, caring for the homeland on which human beings depend, and even extending ethics to the field of animals and inorganic environment, forming the idea of ecological ethics.
Bibliography:
[1] "Zhengmeng"
[2] "Answer to Uncle Yu Fang"
[3] "The Emperor's Interpretation of the Book of the World"