Why is the theory of "harmony between man and nature" essentially a theocracy?

A strong-willed person can be compassionate.

There were two words "heaven" and "man" in Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Shang Dynasty, but there was not much relationship between heaven and man. According to the textual research of philologists, the original meaning of the word "Tian" is the human head, and later it has the meanings of "Shang" and "Da", because the head is the uppermost part of the whole human body and is in the most prominent and prominent position. "Tian" was neither regarded as a god at that time.

"Heaven" and "Man" first appeared in the documents in the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty. "Shu Da Daily" said: "Heaven only exists in people." Among them, "heaven" refers to the personified supreme god, which can bring good or bad luck to people, while "people" refers to the ruling class, not ordinary people.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, the doctor of Zi Chan in Zheng told an astrologer that by observing astrology, there would be a fire in Zheng: "The sky is far away, and people are near". That is, he thinks that the cause of astronomical phenomena is far away from us, while the cause of personnel is very close to us. The sky here is astrological, and Bizao and others think that he can decide the quality of personnel. Not the supreme God, nor the intuitive "heaven".

In Zuo Zhuan and Guoyu in the Spring and Autumn Period, there are some sentences, such as "God helps you, you can't be bad, you can't trust the bad" and "the survival of a country depends on destiny". It means that the rise and fall of a country and the success or failure of personnel are fixed and cannot be changed by human resources.

Confucius believes that man refers to man's subjective efforts, and heaven refers to those things that are naturally realized without human efforts, which means destiny.

Mencius described moral concepts such as benevolence, righteousness, loyalty and faithfulness as gifts. In his view, benevolence, righteousness, loyalty and faith are inherent things in the mind, and they are not moved into the mind from the outside through acquired efforts. Mencius' relationship between man and nature is actually about the relationship between man and non-human factors.

"Zhuangzi Qiushui": "Cattle and horses have four feet, which is called the sky; Wearing a bull's nose and wrapped around the horse's head is a person. " In Zhuangzi's view, the so-called heaven refers to the nature or natural state of things; The so-called people refer to those purposeful and planned activities or behaviors. The paradise here is now close to "nature".

Han Feizi said: "Smart and wise, the sky is also; People are also thinking about things "("Han Feizi's solution to the old age "). The heaven here refers to the innate wisdom and the instinct and nature of wisdom as the cognitive subject; And man refers to the thinking and practical activities of the cognitive subject.

Dong Zhongshu is an important representative of Confucianism in Han Dynasty, and he has made a lot of explanations on the issue of "the time between man and nature". What he said about heaven, on the one hand, has a natural appearance, and also refers to natural phenomena such as the sun, the moon, the stars and the four monsoon rains, but on the other hand, it is also conscious, which can supervise people's behavior and reduce disasters or auspicious things. Man refers to man's behavior, especially the behavior of rulers. His relationship between heaven and man is essentially a relationship between god and man.

During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Guo Xiang believed that "heaven" refers to the nature in its natural sense, not the nature opposite to human society. All reasonable social phenomena, as long as they are in their respective positions, can be called heaven.

Liu Yuxi attributed human body and physical strength to heaven, and human wisdom, ethics and legal system to people.

Neo-Confucianism in Song and Ming Dynasties gave a new explanation to the relationship between man and nature. The orthodoxy of Neo-Confucianism-School defines "heaven" as "reason" when it comes to the relationship between man and nature. In his works, "Heaven", "Earth", "Reason" and "Taiji" are just different expressions of the same category, and this category is regarded as the supreme and eternal universe ontology, which leads to "Tian Li". At the same time, it is also the most fundamental ethical principle in feudal society-"outline". "Man" has two meanings. First, human nature, the so-called "nature of destiny", is considered to come directly from the universe itself-"heaven" or "righteousness". The essence of "heaven" or "justice" is ". That is, "human desire." Heaven corresponds to human desire. In order to protect heaven, human desires must be eliminated. In a word, Zhu Cheng School's theory on the relationship between man and nature has two aspects, one is the unity of heaven (reason) and man (nature), and the other is the correspondence between heaven (reason) and man (desire).

After the Ming Dynasty, Christianity was introduced into China, and "Heaven" was translated into the Christian God.

In modern times, with the spread of western learning, "heaven" was translated into nature, such as Yan Fu's theory of evolution. At this time, there was also a relationship between heaven and man.

The concept of the connection between man and nature has a long history in China, and it is a theory that has a universal influence on the public. Its meaning is that heaven is connected with people, and heaven can make corresponding responses according to different behaviors of people. Generally speaking, this theory is theological. In different times, its content, form and ideological essence are very different.

First, the theory of God-man induction in the early Western Zhou Dynasty

The original form of the connection between heaven and man is the connection between god and man, which originated in the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty. Its basic content is: personification is supreme, God monitors the behavior of rulers, and rewards good and punishes evil.

The Book of Songs Zhou Song Jingzhi;

"respect! Respect! Jesus, Whippies! Life is not easy! I am high up every day, eager to surrender my disciples, so I came. "

It means: "Be respectful! God is so observant that it is not easy to get fate! Don't think that the Emperor of Heaven doesn't know what we are doing, but know that his messengers are constantly coming and going in the sky, watching you all the time! " Therefore, people think that angels are the bridge between heaven and people, and the Emperor of Heaven can obtain information about the world according to angels, thus deciding rewards and punishments. The main ways of reward and punishment are as follows:

(1) determines the life of the ruler. Those who have virtue make them live long, and those who have no virtue make them die quickly;

(2) Whether the wise are born. If the ruler has virtue, God will give birth to a wise man as the auxiliary wing of the ruler; Without virtue, the wise will not go to heaven, and only the incompetent will be left around the ruler.

This way of feeling between man and nature is different from the future. The feeling between heaven and man is not so vivid for later generations, and angels are rarely seen. The medium of feeling is abnormal natural phenomena, with rare beautiful natural phenomena as the reward of heaven and rare evil natural phenomena as the punishment of heaven. However, in the early Western Zhou Dynasty, natural phenomena were rarely mentioned, and the Supreme God directly intervened and decided social phenomena, but social differences were widespread.

Second, the "naturalization" between the western weekend and the Warring States period.

Since the western weekend, a new concept has gradually formed: abnormal phenomena in nature are caused by bad behavior of people. Bai Yang's father's words were recorded in Mandarin Zhou Yu: "The qi of heaven and earth does not lose its order. If it goes beyond its order, the people will also fall into chaos. Yang can't come out, Yin can't collapse, so there is an earthquake. "

At the turn of October, the author of The Book of Songs Xiaoya also interpreted the abnormal natural phenomena such as earthquakes and eclipses at the same time as the result of the rulers' misconduct such as "not using their virtues" (not appointing talents).

There is the theory of relativity between heaven and earth, and there is nature instead of simply referring to the supremacy of God. Secondly, there is a direct induction between human behavior and natural phenomena. This kind of induction is not inspired by God, but the improper behavior of human beings. The normal order of the operation of heaven and earth is disrupted, and regular communication cannot be realized, which hinders savings to some extent, thus leading to earthquakes. This view is called "naturalized" feeling between heaven and man.

Shang Shu Hong Fan systematically combs the induction between man and nature, and natural disasters are related to the correctness of human behavior. In Shi Lvchun Li Qiuming, disasters are divided into wind and rain, cold and heat, yin and yang, four seasons, people, animals, plants, grains, clouds, sun and moon, stars, Uber and many other aspects, and various complicated situations are distinguished in each induction.

This kind of feeling between heaven and man is becoming more and more complicated and mysterious.

Third, Mo Zhai and Dong Zhongshu's view of heaven and man.

The content and basic feature of Mo Zhai's and Dong Zhongshu's induction between man and nature are that "heaven" is the supreme god with will in the appearance of nature, and the way of "induction" is that "heaven" monitors people's behavior, and then expresses his will through a series of natural phenomena, exhorting and encouraging the rulers on earth.

Mo Zizhong: "If it is the son of heaven, but not, the natural disaster will not stop. Therefore, if the weather is cold and hot, there will be rain and snow in first frost, the grain is not ripe, the six animals can't cope, the disease is raging, the wind and rain are biting, and the punishment is also on this day. "

The meaning of this passage is that when the will of man and the son of heaven is unified, but the will of the son of heaven and heaven is not unified, natural disasters will still occur. Mozi emphasized that heaven has the will here. He believed that heaven is "loving the people", and the induction between "heaven" and "people" is not a direct communication, but a punishment or reward for "heaven" after careful consideration. It can be seen that although the sky in Mo Zhai is natural in appearance, it is so in essence.

Dong Zhongshu's theory of induction between heaven and man is much more complete in system, which emphasizes more prominently that heaven has will.

Dong Zhongshu said in Spring and Autumn in the Suburb: "Heaven is the great king of the gods." In "suburban justice": "Heaven is the king of the gods, and the king is the most respected." He believes that ancient emperors were all incarnations of God, and he is convinced of Zhu Di's statement that he swallowed a mysterious bird and gave birth to Hou Ji, and he "bent down and stretched out to heaven." Strengthen monarchical power with heavenly power. His theory is essentially religious theology. The monarch is bound by heaven and acts on its behalf. The security of the country and society actually depends on the son of heaven. The son of heaven is the representative of heaven on earth. To strengthen the authority of the king is to strengthen the authority of heaven. "Ordered monarch is also providence. Therefore, those who are named the son of heaven should regard heaven as their father and be filial. " Dong Zhongshu completed the simulation of the relationship between father and son. He actively advocated traditional ways of offering sacrifices to heaven, such as asking for rain and stopping it. He believes that the production of grains in heaven is only to feed human beings, which shows that heaven is merciful and it is appropriate for people to sacrifice to heaven with sake milk or fat. At the same time, he believes that sacrifice is not a ceremonial procedure, but there are indeed ghosts and gods to enjoy.

Dong Zhongshu believes that heaven is the embodiment of the best. It is all-inclusive, without discrimination. It nourishes everything with the rise and fall of the sun, the moon, the cold and heat of Yin and Yang. The way of being a saint is based on love and selflessness for law and heaven. Wu De's benevolence and righteousness are all manifestations of treating human beings equally. Heaven has no preference, and all things are nurtured with kindness, so that all things are endless. This reflects the providence, which lies in nurturing people, but in their kindness. So all activities in the sky are the embodiment of goodness. Moving on time in cold weather and hot summer has great influence on people's livelihood. In a family-based feudal society, it is indeed a wise idea to treat the relationship between heaven and man in this way, which boils down to human relations!

Yin and Yang are used to refer to two opposing forces. Dong Zhongshu also added feudal moral attributes to it. He thinks that Yang takes living things as warmth, Yang takes things as coldness, Spring and Autumn as yin, and Yang in the world is respected by heaven and Yin is humble. He also said that Yang is a natural virtue and Yin is a natural punishment. He believes that the opposition between Yin and Yang must be a master and a slave.

He admits that opposites must be "combined", and the principle of "combined" is that Yang respects Yin and Yin respects Yang.

"Yin and Yang, wife and husband, son and father, minister and you. Everything is incompatible, but each has its own yin and yang. Yang is both yin and yang; Husband is wife, and wife is husband; Father and son, son and father; A monarch is a minister, and a minister is a monarch. The father is yang and the son is yin; The husband is yang and the wife is yin. Vagina seems to be independent, and it can't be specialized at first, but it can't be divided into merits and demerits. It is a combination of meaning. Therefore, the minister is the king, the son is the father, the wife is the husband, the yin is the yang, and the earth is the sky. "

Here, "harmony" always belongs to the upper, the yin always belongs to the yang, and the minister always belongs to the monarch. Ministers are subordinate to the monarch, sons to the father, wives to the husband, and the latter to the former. This theory was put forward to adapt to the Three Cardinal Principles and the Five Permanent Principles.

Dong Zhongshu proved that tomorrow is the supreme master of the universe, the three cardinal principles of kingship fall from the sky, and the monarch must act according to God's will. He also put forward the view that man has the same will and moral attributes as heaven, and even his physiological structure is a copy of heaven.

"man is based on heaven, and heaven is also his great-grandfather. The reason why this person is like heaven. The human body was formed in a few days; Human blood turns its ambition into benevolence. "

"The essence of heaven and earth is a creature, so it is not expensive to people. People are destiny, so they are detached and lean on it. There is nothing in benevolence and righteousness, only people can connect heaven and earth. People have three hundred and sixty days; The flesh and blood of the body, even the thickness of the land; There are tweezers with eyes and ears, and the image of the sun and the moon is also there; There are five veins in the body, which is also like a valley. " (The Number of Heaven)

"The number of days is the end of an adult's body, so the festival is three hundred and sixty-six, and the next day is also; A large section of twelve points, the number of months is also; There are five zang in it, and the number of vice five elements is also; There are limbs outside, and the hours are also four. "

"The image of heaven and earth should be taken as a belt. The spiritual dignity of people above the neck will be like tomorrow; Those under the neck are rich and humiliated, and the ratio of soil is also. Covered in all directions, the image of the terrain is also. It's a gift, and what is brought down is yin, and each has its own points. Yang, the weather is cloudy, and the atmosphere is cloudy. Therefore, the movement of yin and yang makes users suffer from foot disease and throat obstruction. Then the atmosphere is rainy and the image must respond. "

He also regards in-phase interaction as the basis of the connection between man and nature.

"Beauty attracts beauty, evil summons evil, and class rises accordingly. For example, A?vagho?a should be a horse and Niu Ming should be a cow. The emperor Wangfujing will be prosperous, and its beauty and auspiciousness are also prescient; It will die and the elves will see it first. Things are solid and happy. " ("Like to move")

"It will rain, people die first, is the corresponding Yin. It will rain, make people want to sleep, and it will be Yin Qi. Those who worry and make people lie down also seek yin; If you are happy, you won't want to lie down. "

He believes that there is an invisible master behind the induction phenomenon in nature, and that is "destiny". For example, when the Zhou Dynasty was about to flourish, Hong Niao's glory was a sign of God's destiny. Dong Zhongshu proved the induction between man and nature through the mutual induction between natural phenomena, and in turn used the induction between man and nature to bring the similar interaction between nature into the theological framework.

He also used it to prove that the quality of personnel will lead to God's blessing or punishment.

"Wang Re with heaven, that way. If there are four seasons in the sky, the king has four strategies, and the four strategies have four seasons. The same is true. "

Dong Zhongshu brought the five elements into his argumentation system to demonstrate the relationship between man and nature.

"This disrespectful, disrespectful wood is not straight, summer more wind and rain. The wind, the smell of wood, and the angle at which it sounds, so it should be based on the storm ... "Dong Zhongshu also proposed to make an in-depth study of the feudal patriarchal order, but it can not be understood in a logical sense, but only from the sense of heaven and man. That is, "the three cardinal guides and the five permanents can be sought from heaven." The meaning of heaven and earth is named. This name has sacred religious significance. He believes that true understanding is that human understanding conforms to God's will. As a result, the hierarchical order of emperors, governors, officials and people became irreversible from the name of the emperor's people.

Dong Zhongshu's theological system of heaven and man induction established in the Western Han Dynasty became the ruling ideology of feudal society in the Han Dynasty. His religious theology not only became the theoretical basis of the ruling of the dynasty, but also became the theoretical basis of the ruling of the whole society in China, which had a far-reaching impact on later generations.

Fourthly, the connection between heaven and man in Neo-Confucianism.

During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Cheng Zhu's Neo-Confucianism did not completely inherit Dong Zhongshu's theory of heaven-man induction. Because there are often views of God-man induction and Heaven-man induction in the classics, it began to be reinterpreted.

Zhang Zai, a philosopher in the Northern Song Dynasty, explained it from the perspective of "the heart of heaven" or "human heart". "If people like it, the sky will like it. If people hate it, the sky will hate it ... What most people want is reason, and reason is heaven."

He highlighted the word "reason", that is, the inevitable reason and the inevitable trend.

Zhu also used reason to explain heaven, and opposed to depicting heaven as a vivid and serious personality god. He also inherited Zhang Zai's view that heaven is the heart of the people, and used the theory of qi to understand the causal relationship between social phenomena and natural phenomena.

"From heaven and earth, it's just a matter of breath. From a whole body, my breath is the breath of my ancestors, and it is only one breath, so I feel responsive. "

"Spirit and blood flow with wealth. If you can't reach the phoenix, you can't burn it, the Ming king is not prosperous, and the signs are naturally good. "

Wang Fuzhi, the terminator of Neo-Confucianism, still affirmed the connection between man and nature, but he inherited Zhang Zai's point of view.

"What people hear, see and hear is the God of Heaven, so those who have the same heart are reasonable, and Heaven is also good, and good or ill luck should respond to it" (Zheng).

It can be seen that until the Qing Dynasty, Wang Fuzhi still failed to break through the barriers of Neo-Confucianism.

The divine right of Kings

The political theory of deifying feudal monarchy. It is natural and reasonable to think that the emperor's power is endowed by God. The emperor exercises power and manages the people on behalf of God on earth. According to records, in China, slave owners in Xia Dynasty began to rule under the guise of religious superstition. Shang Shu Zhao Gu said, "Summer clothes have a destiny." This is the earliest record of divine right. It is considered to be the supreme Lord of heaven and earth and the ancestor of Shang Dynasty. Therefore, the common people should obey the rule of the Shang king. In the Western Zhou Dynasty, "heaven" was used instead of "emperor" or "god", and the king of Zhou was named "son of heaven". The inscription on the bronze ware "Mao" in the Zhou Dynasty records: "Pi shows martial arts, Huang hates Jue De, and deserves me." Dong Zhongshu put forward the concepts of "God's will" and "God's will", and put forward the theory of "harmony between man and nature", holding that heaven is the highest personality god and the supreme master of nature and human society, and people should act according to their own features. Starting from the theological teleology of "the unity of man and nature", Dong Zhongshu put forward the "monarchism", that is, the people should obey absolutely and do what the monarch likes unconditionally. The theocracy theory of monarchy emphasizes the natural rationality and sacredness of monarchy. This theory has had a far-reaching impact in China. Emperors of past dynasties, even rebellious peasant leaders, call themselves "Heaven" or "Heaven" and describe their activities as influenced by Heaven.