Chapter 5 Letter to Kang Youwei (excerpt) (April 29, 1900)

1. To show the righteousness of freedom, I hate and hate it deeply, but my disciples never want to give up this righteousness.I humbly think that neither the axioms of heaven and earth nor the current situation in China are credit for inventing this meaning. The words of the disciples are free, not for pressure, but for slavery.The pressure belongs to the giver (the giver is not responsible, and he doesn't bother to teach, but to teach the ear of the recipient), and the slavery belongs to the recipient.Thousands of years of corruption in China, the disaster is so great today, and its origin must come from slavery; if this nature is not removed, China will never be able to stand among the nations of the world.And those who speak freely are making people realize their own nature and not be restrained by others. If you don't apply this medicine today, you will never be able to cure this disease.And Mr. repeatedly cited the French Revolution as a lesson.The tragedy of the French Revolution is well known to my disciples, and the Japanese are especially jealous. (Mr. said that my disciples are free in the sense of being influenced by the Japanese style. No. There are no Japanese books that talk about the French Revolution and are displeased, and their political books are full of those who criticize Rousseau. Because Frenchism is prevalent in Japan recently, my disciples really hate it. I hate it. But up to now, the Frenchists are the only ones who are advocated by the disciples.) Although, this is not enough to help China.The people of China and France are the most opposite. The people of France are best to move, and they can never be still for a while;Therefore, the theories of Rousseau's sages, when applied to France, are sincerely a tool for fighting chaos; when applied to China, they are suitable as an opportunity to promote governance.For example, the medicine of ginseng and osmanthus will increase the severity of the disease and fever when it is used, and it will aggravate the decline when it is used for the weak.But my husband thinks about this every day, and my disciples think it is too much.Moreover, the catastrophe in France was due to the fact that the revolutionaries used the name of freedom to create disasters, not freedom.Although the Chinese school of thought was dissatisfied with Lu Suo, it didn't mean that Lu Suo was troubled by this calamity.To hold on to this theory is to sin against Xunqing with Li Si, and to sin with Zeng Zi with Wu Qi.Moreover, China has not had the word "freedom" for thousands of years, and the catastrophe of the Ding Revolution in the past dynasties is no worse than that of France!However, it is the person who brings disaster to the world, and it cannot be blamed on the name of entrustment.Moreover, those who suffer disasters because of freedom, after this disaster, can still advance to civilization for a day; those who do not cause disasters because of freedom, their disasters will rise without knowing what to do. This is the case in China for thousands of years.If anyone has the heart to love the world, how should he choose between the two!

As for the theory that European civilization has nothing to do with the law, my disciples are very puzzled, and they don't need to rely on other books, namely "New History of Taixi" to see the generalization.Britain is the country with the longest and most complete constitutional government, the country that has shed the least blood and achieved the most results.The biggest key to its safety and strength is actually the reform bill of the House of Representatives in 1832.The origin of this case was affected by the influence of the legal person (the British people heard about the legal person's struggle for power);This "New History Lanyao" also clearly stated (especially in detail in his book).The European central plains of Germany, Osmarga, Italy, and Switzerland were all annexed by Napoleon.At that time, the Na family changed its politics and gave freedom to the people. Since the people can taste the taste of freedom, they will not be able to be ruled by autocratic people and thieves.See Napoleon was released for the first time, and the Vienna Conference began; Napoleon was released for the second time, and the Holy Alliance of Russia, Prussia, and Austria was revived.The Congress of Vienna, the Holy Alliance, are all set up for the suppression of civil rights.But from this point of view, many people know that the French Revolution affected the whole of Europe.The disciples said that the legal person suffers by himself, in order to make the people of Europe safe and prosperous, the legal person is sincerely pitiful and respectable.Western and Western historians all regard the French Revolution as the key to the old and new worlds, but it is difficult to say purely, but where is the mother of the nineteenth century? (The disciples think that the French Revolution is their mother, and Luther's politics and religion are also their grandmother.)

If the word "freedom" is used, the master said that its translation is inappropriate or acceptable, but it is absolutely impossible to slander its meaning.In the theory of the definition of freedom, there is the most important phrase, which is "everyone is free, and the freedom of non-invasion is the limit".In provincial terms, the words "everyone is free" have sufficient meaning.For if someone invades another's freedom, someone's freedom must be violated, so it cannot be said that everyone is free.Liberty in this way is true freedom, and there is nothing wrong with it.In other words, there is nothing else for freedom of speech, but to make it fully qualified as a human being.In terms of quality, it means that it is not suppressed by the three cardinal principles, and it is not restrained by the ancients.The master said today that "it is time to speak to open up the wisdom of the people, not to promote the rights of the people." When the disciples saw this second language, they couldn't help being surprised that it was very similar to Zhang Zhidong's words.If the husband does not promote civil rights, how can the wisdom of the people be enlightened?His mind and thoughts were constrained by thousands of years of ancient learning, and he never dared to let go. Although he was taught foreign knowledge, all common learning was filled in his memory, and he was no more than a human figure made of machines. , no weather occurred.Take a look at the people of the world today who follow the Protestant religion of Jesus, all are wise and rich; while the people who follow the old Catholic religion are all stupid and weak. (France, like Rousseau and his generation, are not bound by the old religion. The legal person is happy, which is the nature of the people of the country.) Nothing else, there is only a distinction between freedom and non-freedom. (Although France is democratic today, it can never be free.) Therefore, today, knowing that the people's wisdom is urgent, there is no other way to give up freedom.In the field of teaching, China abides by the words of a gentleman, and dare not have a slight deviation; in the field of politics, it obeys the system of a king, and dare not have a slight disagreement.This is actually the biggest source of disease that nourishes the ignorant and nourishes the weak.If the disease does not go away, hundreds of medicines will be ineffective, so we must use all-powerful force to break through the trap, heat the blood vessels that have been cooled, and increase the temperature to boiling; crazy.After this one-time boil, one-time madness, the common people can almost be neutralized by new benefits.However, my disciples dare to judge that China must not be a Buddha, and it must not be crazy.Even if the world is like resurrection (the second chapter of Fusheng's "Ren Xue"...it's so overwhelming, it's a pity that it is rarely close to the truth of modern Western philosophy.) and dozens of disciples, it doesn't have to be able to make them boil or go crazy.The disciples tried their best to promote it, but why is there such a thing as France?

As far as the word "freedom" is concerned, there seems to be a slight wording error in the wording. The disciple wants to change it to "self-government", but self-reliance has the meaning of self-reliance, and he wants to change it to "self-government". The word "self-government" seems to be quite good.Self-government has two meanings: one is the meaning of not being governed by others, and the other is the meaning of being able to really govern oneself.Since you can really rule yourself, why is there any thing that infringes on people's freedom?And why is France raging under the guise of name?So self-government seems quite good.And the so-called not governed by others does not mean not governed by the law.The British often boast that the whole country is governed by others, and that the whole country is governed by others. It means that the laws are made publicly and the public abides by them, that is, they make their own laws and obey them, but in fact they are still governed by themselves.Those who cover the law, so protect the freedom of each person, and not make each other invade.The ultimate principle of this freedom is the essence of law.It is especially unacceptable to slander freedom with the French Revolution.Covering the word "freedom" is not a native product of France.Mier of Ying, Kant of Virtue, are both great Confucianists in modern times, respected by the whole world, and their freedom of speech is truly profound and clear.However, the master quoted Sui Yang and Empress Wu as comparisons, which seems to involve a lot of scolding.The disciples want to debate these two words, but the bamboos in the Nanshan Mountains are really exhausted, and they cannot express their words; if they have other intentions, they really feel that it is a good medicine to save the time today, and it is the only way to learn.This is what we see now, or if there will be progress in the future, it will be abandoned.But what is in my heart today, I dare not deceive myself, so I don't realize the length of his words.It is said that there are many people who are involved in disrespect and not to the elders, but because of the twists and turns of the text, they should go to the essay without self-examination, and they are well aware of their crimes.

Moreover, freedom and obedience are opposite and complementary, and there is no disobedience in true freedom.The British say that everyone governs others, and everyone governs others.But if one does not obey the law in the slightest, one's freedom will be violated.Those who build the law have nothing to do but protect people's right to liberty.And those who invade freedom are the great precepts in the definition of freedom.Therefore, those who are truly free must obey. According to the system of chaos and the system of peace, there are many similarities, but their origins are completely different, and it seems that they cannot be sick of each other. (April 1, 26th year of Guangxu's "Letter to Master Nanhai")