Philosopher masters point to life

Author: Huang Yongjun/Yuanguang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: The first part of this book discusses the understanding of life by Chinese philosophy masters according to different schools: Confucianism values morality, Taoism values nature, Mohism values utility, Legalism values rules, and Buddhism values emptiness. In the eyes of Chinese people, although humans are also animals, there is a fundamental difference between humans and animals—humans have a moral sense, while animals do not. Chinese people divide human nature into two aspects: good and evil. The Hundred Schools of Thought debated fiercely whether human life is for punishing evil or promoting good. Whether it is punishing evil or promoting good, the purpose is the same: cultivating the moral sense. In this regard, Taoism, Mohism, and Buddhism are no exception. The second part logically and scientifically discusses the different views on life by Western philosophy masters in chronological order: ancient Greece valued reason, the Middle Ages valued the soul, the Renaissance valued desire, modern times valued freedom, and the contemporary era values humanistic care. In ancient primitive times, due to low productivity levels, the primary challenge faced by humans was survival, so for them, living was merely to satisfy the needs of physical existence. In ancient Greece's slave society, human self-awareness awakened, and human reason was elevated to the highest position, so this stage's worldview was called the "rationalist" view of life. In the Middle Ages' feudal era, religious belief dominated, and people lived for God and the afterlife to enter heaven. They abandoned human desires, emotions, will, and even reason, because compared to the soul, these were not only insignificant but also hindered salvation. During the Renaissance, rationalism was revived, and humans were pulled back from the heavens to the earth. People no longer believed in the afterlife or heaven. For them, living was to enjoy real happiness, pursue the satisfaction of desire and passion. Thus, they shifted from asceticism to indulgence. In modern times, rationalism became increasingly mature, and democratic and scientific ideas were widely accepted by people. People valued the bourgeois concepts of freedom, equality, and fraternity. In the modern era, due to the excess of rationalism, the negative effects brought by technology as a product of rationalism, and the occurrence of two world wars, people began to doubt and deny human reason and knowledge. As a result, various irrationalist views of life emerged in the West, where people lived not for reason but for other aspects. We cannot say that the views of these masters are right or wrong; the view of life should naturally allow for the coexistence of multiple perspectives. Therefore, to help readers understand the philosophy masters as objectively and fairly as possible, and to grasp the original form of their various views, we do not provide any concluding remarks in the book but leave it to the readers to make their own judgments. When reading this book, readers must bring their own perspectives, clearly discern the views of certain masters or schools, and critically absorb them—what is known as "taking the essence and discarding the dross."