Chapter 6 6. Social Responsibility

In his later years, Mr. Liang Shuming accepted an interview with an American scholar, and the content was compiled into a book titled "Will the World Be Better?" "It can be said that the title of this book is the common wish of Chinese scholars for more than two thousand years, that is, to improve the world through personal efforts. This is called the "Spirit of Shushi", and Confucius is the representative of this spirit. Confucius was originally an official in the Lu State, and he did a good job, but because the monarch and his ministers could not cooperate, he hung up the crown and left, traveled around the country, and took his students everywhere.Once they came to a river and couldn't find a ferry. They saw two people plowing fields nearby. Confucius asked Zilu to ask for directions.Zilu went, and asked the first person, where is the ferry?The man didn't answer directly. He saw Confucius sitting on the carriage from a distance, holding the rein, and asked Zilu, who is the person holding the whip in the carriage?Zilu said, it was Confucius from the state of Lu.The man said, Confucius knew where the ferry was.What does that mean?It means that even those who lived in seclusion at that time heard that Confucius took his students to travel around the world. Their evaluation of Confucius was that Confucius knew where the ferry of life was and how to cross the river.That is to say, he admits that he has a far-sighted vision and knows where the society is going to develop and where the way out is. It is only because the times are wrong that it is difficult for him to move forward.

Zilu couldn't get an answer, so he asked the second person.The man heard their conversation and asked Zilu, who are you?Zilu said, I am a student of Confucius.The man said: "The eloquent is everywhere in the world, but who will change it? And instead of following the people who pioneered people, how can we follow the scholars who pioneered the world?" ("The Analects of Confucius") The world is in chaos, everywhere All the same, who can change it?You follow Confucius who is running away from the bad guys, why not follow me who is running away from the bad world!After finishing speaking, continue to plow the field and ignore him.Zilu went back and reported the situation to Confucius. Confucius knew that the two were hermits.

The Master said in a daze: "Birds and beasts should not be in the same flock, but who will be with me if I am a man? There is a way in the world, and it is not easy to be with Qiu." ("The Analects of Confucius") Confucius said with a sad expression: "We can't live with birds and beasts. If we get along with different groups of people, who should we get along with? If the politics of the world are on the right track, I won't take you to try to change it." This sentence fully expresses the Confucian "Spirit of Shushi", and shows the sense of mission of an intellectual, which is "doing what is impossible", knowing that the ideal cannot be realized, but still doing it, why?Because escaping is not the best way, if everyone retreats to the mountains and forests to seek personal freedom, what will this society do?There is no way in the world, and it needs intellectuals to work hard to improve it. Even though they know that their power is limited and no matter what they do, they will not be able to achieve the state of world harmony, but they still refuse to give up.Therefore, the wisdom of Confucianism is not manifested in liberation, but manifested in: in the appropriate time and environment, in the appropriate way to achieve the ideal result.This is the ability to "choose good" and "good choice", and its basis is: if you don't do this, you can't feel at ease.

Another time, when Confucius' caravan was moving forward, Zilu did not keep up.He couldn't find his teacher anywhere, and when he saw an old man weeding beside him, he went up to ask for advice, did you see my teacher?The old man said: "The four limbs do not work, and the five grains do not distinguish, which one is the master?" You do not work in your limbs, and you can't distinguish the five grains. How do I know who your teacher is?When Zilu heard the old man scolding him, he folded his hands and stood by the side of the road.Seeing his respectful expression, the old man thought to himself, okay, let’s take you to my house for a night; let him stay at home overnight, kill a chicken to cook for him, and ask his two sons to come out to meet him.The next day, Zilu followed Confucius' motorcade and reported the incident to his teacher.As soon as Confucius heard it, he knew that he had met an expert.He asked Zilu to go back to deliver a message, but when Zilu returned, the old man was no longer there, so he told the old man's family: not being an official is not righteous.The festival of elders and children cannot be abolished; how can the righteousness of monarchs and ministers be abolished?If you want to cleanse your body, you will mess with Dalun.A gentleman's official position also follows his righteousness.If the Tao doesn’t work, it’s known. ("The Analects of Confucius")

It is wrong not to be in politics.The etiquette between the elders and the young cannot be discarded, so how can the morality between the monarch and his ministers be discarded?Originally, I wanted to be clean and self-respecting, but in the end it ruined the larger ethical relationship.When a gentleman comes out to engage in politics, he does what he should do morally.As for the fact that political ideals cannot be realized, we already know that. This is tantamount to Confucius' response to hermit criticism.The principle of Confucianism is, how can there be a family without a country?If the country is not on track, the ethical relationship between people cannot be established.Because a person lives in the world and is destined to grow up slowly in the family, there is a "senior festival" in the family.For the family to exist, it must be protected by the state and maintained by various social and political organizations.After entering the society, one must affirm the "righteousness of the monarch and his ministers".Since you asked your two sons to come out to meet each other, it means that you affirm the festival of seniority, but why don't you want the righteousness of the monarch and ministers that is more important than the festival of seniority?Confucius believed that if you want to avoid involving dark politics in this life and maintain your own innocence, you will end up abandoning the larger ethical relationship. , in order to do what should be done morally, this is an ambition that scholars should have. Even if they know that ideals cannot be practiced, they still have to do it.

Also, you yourself have been educated and have high ideals, but when you see the chaos in the world, you try to protect yourself wisely. This is of course a choice, but under this choice, how do you educate the next generation?You still want your kids to be educated and get along with others, don't you?Therefore, there are only hermits with adults, but no hermits with children. The hermits are destined to choose to live in seclusion as individuals, but they cannot spread this idea widely and invite friends and companions.Unlike Confucianism, one can justifiably pass education, combine like-minded people, engage in human reforms, and at the same time make oneself feel at ease.That's why Confucianism has become the mainstream of culture, while Taoism must seek out a few people with extremely high wisdom and extraordinary concentration.But if the whole country is corrupt, will a few people be able to support themselves?I think this is very unlikely.Therefore, scholars must have the spirit of "give me nothing", know what is impossible, and use personal efforts to improve the world, so as to respond to Mr. Liang Shuming's "Will this world be better?" ".

When it comes to social responsibility, we can use an analogy to illustrate: a country is like a tour bus. The leader is responsible for driving and taking us to a beautiful place to watch and enjoy, but halfway through the car, he suddenly has a heart attack. I fell down, who can continue to drive at this time?Is it rich?Are you entitled?Are you strong?Or what about people who want to drive?neither.At this time, there was Confucius who learned the principles of driving and the structure of a car. Naturally, he, who knows how to drive, has the mission and responsibility to bring everyone to an ideal world.This is why knowledge must bring a mission, and why scholars must have a sense of responsibility. After reading the classics and understanding the history of social development in the past thousands of years, they can sum up experience and lead everyone on the right path.This is the Confucian sentiment of joining the world.Beginning with Confucius, Confucianism prepared to benefit society and shoulder social responsibilities with talents and knowledge.

Zigong said: "There are beautiful jades here, and you can store them in a tree, and sell them if you ask for a good merchant?" Zigong said: "Sell it, sell it. I will treat the merchant." ("The Analects of Confucius Zihan") ) Zigong said: "Suppose there is a piece of beautiful jade here, should I hide it in a cabinet? Or find a merchant who knows the goods and sell it?" Confucius said: "Sell it, sell it, I am trying to Waiting for a good merchant." Zigong was a student of Confucius. He was very eloquent and liked to use metaphors when speaking. "Jia" can be interpreted as "businessman". Shanjia is a good businessman or a businessman who knows the goods. This is a metaphor for a political leader with vision. "Sell it" means that I hope that someone will appoint me, so that I can be a king and do the right thing, and help the people of the world.The idiom "waiting for Jia and selling" comes from here.However, it is not enough for a person to have the ability and the desire to serve the society. What else is needed?Chance.You need someone to appreciate you, trust you, give you a chance, and let you do it.It's a pity that there are not many such opportunities, and even Confucius didn't get them.Therefore, when it comes to social responsibility, many people think they are responsible, but society does not necessarily need it.For example, when I give speeches in many places, people often joke with me, saying that it will be the same if you speak again, and society is still in such a mess.After I heard it, I could only laugh at myself, because if I didn't speak, the society might be more chaotic. All I want is peace of mind, and I will do my best. There is a passage in "Mencius" that also reflects Confucius' sense of social responsibility.

Zhou Xiao asked, "Did the gentleman in ancient times be an official?" Mencius said: "Official. It is said that Confucius has no emperor in three months, so the emperor is like him, and he must carry quality when he goes out of the border." Gong Mingyi said: "The ancients have no emperor in three months, Then hang. '" ("Mencius Teng Wen Gong Xia") Zhou Xiao asked: "Did a gentleman in ancient times be an official?" Mencius said: "Be an official. There is a record that says: "Confucius became anxious when he was not employed by a monarch for three months; when he left a country, he must bring a letter to meet the monarch of another country." A meeting ceremony.' Gong Mingyi said: 'In ancient times, if a person has not been used by the ruler for three months, others will go to comfort him.'"

In ancient times, when meeting princes, one had to bring a meeting gift, which was usually a "pheasant", that is, a beautiful pheasant.You take a pheasant to show your heart, and others will consider giving you a chance.When Confucius left a country, he would bring the ceremony of meeting the monarch of a country. What does it mean?It shows that he really wants to be an official.But he is not an official for himself, but he can't bear the suffering of the common people in the world, and hopes to have the opportunity to serve the common people.In ancient times, if a gentleman has not been used by the director of the monarch for several months, others will go to condole him, why?Because a scholar without an official position is like a farmer without a field.Human beings have different divisions of labor in society, and when competent, talented, and moral people come out to serve as officials, it is equivalent to fulfilling their duties and serving the society together.But the social responsibility of scholars mentioned by Confucianism is not to be accommodated casually. Confucius said: "If there is a way in the world, you will see it, and if you don't have a way, you will hide." If someone uses me, I will do things, and if no one uses me, I will live in seclusion. What do I do?Continue to practice.Maybe others don't use you because you are not strong enough and not ready yet.Mencius also said: "People in ancient times did not want to be an official, and they couldn't help being evil." Of course you want to be an official, but you can't do anything that violates the principle for the sake of official position.Confucius had a student named Min Ziqian, who was favored by the Ji family of Lu State and wanted to appoint him as county magistrate.Min Ziqian said to the person who sent the message, "You can resign for me!"If you come to me again, I will flee to the north of Wenshui, beyond the border of Lu State.Why did Min Ziqian refuse to be an official?Because the Ji family is really not a good leader, if you are an official under him, you may have to give up your principles and accommodate him, which violates the position of Confucianism.

In ancient times, ordinary people had few opportunities to receive education and their living conditions were relatively simple, so those who were well-educated had great potential in politics.But sometimes there is a gap between subjective beliefs and objective practice. At this time, it depends on whether various conditions can cooperate.Confucius also thought that he was a piece of beautiful jade, with a certain level, and he was a reassuring political figure, but he might not have a chance.But as a scholar, he always thinks that as long as I do my best, whether I can achieve my goal is another matter. At least I try my best. This is the social responsibility of a scholar.And this wish that has been tried and worked hard, if passed on from generation to generation, can maintain the progress of the entire society, and there will be hope for the improvement of the world. Before Confucius, Jizi, a remnant of the Shang Dynasty, immigrated to the Korean peninsula, and there are still Jizi's tombs and temples in North Korea.Confucius was from the state of Lu. If he immigrated, he would have crossed the sea to the Korean peninsula. Now everyone might be arguing over which country Confucius was from.Is Confucius wanting to emigrate alarmist?No, Confucius actually thought about this issue carefully, and there is evidence in it. Zi said: "The way is not right, take a boat and float in the sea. If you follow me, what is the reason?" Zilu was delighted to hear this.The Master said: "Yu Ye is so brave that I have nothing to draw from." ("The Analects of Confucius·Gong Ye Chang") Confucius said: "My dream has no chance to be realized, so I just went overseas on a raft. The one who followed me must be You!" Zilu was overjoyed when he heard that.Confucius said: "Yu! Your love of bravery surpasses mine, but there is no place to find suitable wood!" "Tao" as far as individuals are concerned, refers to the outlook on life or ideals, that is, the individual's understanding of "what should be" about everything in the world. The purpose of "floating in the sea" is to go overseas, just like Confucius' later idea of ​​"wanting to live in the nine barbarians".Confucius said that if he immigrated, the only person who could go with him would be Zilu!Because Zilu is brave and heroic, he will abandon everything and follow the teacher.Other students may be reluctant to give up what they have achieved.Zilu was very happy to hear that, thinking that the teacher needed him as a bodyguard.Confucius had no choice but to add another sentence: "Yuye, so brave that I have nothing to draw from", which means that although Zilu is braver than others, he is a bit brave and foolhardy. Some people interpret the words "nothing to draw" as: Confucius taught Zilu, saying that you can't judge me at all. I am lamenting, and I don't really want to emigrate. "Material" is the same as "cut" in judging principles.But where is there such a teacher who said that he would take Zilu overseas on a raft, and then said Zilu why are you so stupid? Can you tell that I am sighing and not really want to go?No one is taught that way.Therefore, the correct understanding is that the raft mentioned above needs to be made of wood, and the later saying that such wood cannot be found means that I do not really want to go abroad, but just lament that I am not needed here. There is also a passage of Confucius saying that he "wanted to live in Jiuyi", "Jiuyi" is the land of Huaiyi in ancient times, which is very backward in the south of Qi and Lu.Confucius wanted to leave Qi and Lu, the big countries in the Central Plains, and live in the backward wild areas.Some people say, that kind of place is very simple, how can you live in it?Confucius replied: "A gentleman lives here, why is there such a thing?" ("The Analects of Confucius·Zihan") A gentleman can live in peace and happiness wherever he lives, because what he values ​​is the inside, not the outside. The real happiness, value, and dignity are It comes from within; if a gentleman goes to a backward place, he can just engage in education and give a good introduction to his thoughts, so why do he feel crude?It can also be seen from this that Confucius believed that he could "turn the people into customs". Of course, Confucius wanted to immigrate only on a whim. He always felt that I could not fulfill my ambitions here, so I might as well go somewhere else.But he did not make the trip after all, because he has a deep cultural identity.The ancient Chinese regarded themselves as civilized and enlightened, and called the tribes of the four directions "Dongyi, Xirong, Nanman, and Beidi".Confucius said, "It is not as good as the death of the Xias to have rulers in the barbarians." Although the countries of the Zhou Dynasty claimed to be civilized societies, they were not as good as those uncivilized ethnic minorities. Why?Because during the Spring and Autumn Period, when the Zhou Dynasty was chaotic, there was no emperor for five years, and the Lu State had no monarch for nine years.Although the Yidi are relatively backward in culture, they still know that maintaining the stability and development of a region requires a stable social order and the support of a leader.Confucius lamented that the Central Plains countries were more civilized, but their politics was very chaotic. On the contrary, they lost some basic principles of life.He said: "If there is a way in the world, you will see it, if you don't have a way, you will hide it", "Use it to do it, and let it go to hide it."Although these two sentences adhere to the principle, they are passive, as if they can only silently wait for Mingjun's reuse.At the same time, how to distinguish "youdao" from "no way"?If there really is a way in the world, why do we need Confucius?In case there is no way in the world, Confucius has nothing to do.Looking at history, there is always a swing between the right and the wrong, how can intellectuals stay out of it?Therefore, Confucius' idea is destined to be difficult to implement, that is, he cannot really retreat. If Confucius was born today, would he also want to immigrate?The answer is unknown.Most likely, he will continue to "do what he knows can't be done" as before, fulfilling his social responsibility as an intellectual.It mentioned that Confucius said that there are two major laws in the world. One is that filial piety and longing for parents cannot be changed, and the other is that loyalty to the country cannot be changed.Why?If you leave here and go to other places, there are still relevant national systems, including various human rights and social norms; if you say that this place is chaotic, then avoid it, and other places are very stable, so you go and enjoy it?Even if Confucius wanted to emigrate, it was definitely not to enjoy the blessings and achievements of other people's struggles, but to reform and improve them.As he said, he is willing to engage in education work in the land of nine barbarians, and is willing to fulfill the responsibility of intellectuals.Confucianism believes that a person cannot choose what kind of era he is born in, nor can he arrange what kind of society he lives in. You can only understand and accept the actual situation, and then try to do your best to improve it.There is no perfect stage in the human world, and the ancient golden age is often only imaginary, not really so beautiful.So you can only improve the world, and improving the world starts with improving yourself.Only when you improve yourself can the whole society gradually improve; if you don’t improve yourself and you lack correct concepts in your head, no matter how peaceful and beautiful the world is, you will still feel troubled and painful. Confucius took his students to the state of Wei, where there was a dispute at that time.Kuai Kui, the prince of Wei Linggong, offended Wei Linggong's wife Nanzi, who drove him abroad.When Wei Linggong died, his grandson Wei Chugong took over the throne.This time, the son did not become the king, but the grandson inherited the throne. Of course, the son would come back to fight for the throne, resulting in a situation where father and son competed for the throne.When Confucius went, Wei Chugong had been in power for several years.Zilu asked the teacher, the state of Wei is in such a mess, if you were to be in charge of politics, what would you do first?Generally speaking, we would choose to do a good job in the economy first, and then talk about other things, but Confucius didn't see it that way. The Master said: "The name must also be corrected!" Zi Lu said: "Yes, it is true, the son's deviousness! Do you want to be correct?" The Master said: "If the name is not correct, the words will not be right; if the words are not right, things will fail; If rituals and music are not flourishing, if rituals and music are not flourishing, the criminal law will fail, and if the criminal law fails, the people will be at a loss." ("The Analects of Confucius·Zilu") Confucius said: "If I have to do it, it is to correct the name!" Zilu said: "You are too pedantic! What can I correct?" Confucius said: "You are so reckless! A gentleman does not understand himself If the status is not corrected, the speech will not be smooth; if the speech is not smooth, the official affairs will not be done; if the official affairs are not completed, the ritual and music will not be on track; If there is a certain standard, the people will panic and be at a loss." This passage is very logical. "Must also rectify the name!" became the first consideration of Confucius in politics.Politics is about managing people's affairs, so what does it have to do with "rectification of names"?This is one of the keys to understanding Confucianism. There are two kinds of "name", one is name and reality, and the other is name.A name is a name, and a "table" is a name; a table is in front of you, which is a fact.When we usually talk about names and facts, it is relatively simple. For example, what is the name of this person?He said my name is so-and-so.So-and-so is connected with this person.Everything has a name, and everyone can grasp it as long as they know it objectively.Fame returns to the duty corresponding to a name, which means matching a certain identity, role, and status, and there must be certain proportions, requirements, and standards in it.Because the greatest feature of the human world is that besides what is, what should be, what is actually what it is, what should be is what it should be.If you only talk about what is true and don't ask what should be, society will have no rules and will be chaotic.Therefore, Confucius' "name is right and sound" is considered from the perspective of "name". When Confucius was in Qi State, Duke Jing of Qi once asked him, how should politics be promoted?Confucius said eight words: Junjun, ministers, father and son, son and son.The first "jun" is the name, which is the current monarch, and the second "jun" is the duty, which is the ideal monarch, which means that if you have the name of the monarch, you must have the ideal performance of the monarch, and you must learn from Yao, Shun and Yu. .The same is true for ministers, fathers, sons and sons, which can be translated as: "The ruler should be like the king, the minister should be like the minister, the father should be like the father, and the son should be like a son." After hearing this, Duke Jing of Qi thought it made sense, and said, "That's good. Belief is like a king is not a king, ministers are not ministers, fathers are not fathers, sons are not sons, although there is millet, I can eat it?" ("The Analects of Confucius Yan Yuan") If the king is not like the king, the ministers are not like the ministers, the father is not Like the father, the son is not like the son, even if the country has a lot of food, can I eat it?It means that everyone has to settle down and fulfill their responsibilities, so that the society can be stable and harmonious. Now Chugong Wei is the king, and his father, the crown prince, has returned from abroad and thinks that he should be the king.Both sides think their own is right, and the other party lacks legitimacy and legitimacy.Who should inherit the throne?Does the first one win?Is it okay to obtain status by illegal means?It is necessary to figure out who is the ruler and who is the minister, otherwise the chaos will continue.Therefore, Confucius said that the issue of governing and defending the country must first be "rectified", and the names between the monarch and his ministers, father and son, should be corrected.Otherwise, if the name is not corrected, the speech will not be smooth.Because you speak according to your identity, what role you play, and what you say must conform to the corresponding role.How can you advance the affairs of the state if words are not of standing?If the official business cannot be done, the rites and music will not be on track.Ritual and music are the expression of proper relationship between people. If the ritual and music are not on track, the penalty will lose a certain standard. In the end, the common people will do whatever they want, causing chaos in the world.The world is in chaos, and you, the king, will not be able to live well. Therefore, Confucianism attaches great importance to the name, and only when the name is correct can the words be smooth.No matter what kind of status a person has, what he says will have the appropriate effect, and you cannot exceed your authority.Suppose you are just a secretary and you want to speak for the boss, that is not acceptable, unless you have explicit authorization, otherwise what you say only represents the secretary.The so-called "only tools and names, not fake people", if names are randomly added to inappropriate people, he will misuse and abuse them, causing problems.Similarly, if you have a certain status, you must try your best to meet the standards required by this status.Only when everyone fulfills his responsibilities and fulfills his duties can society be stable.The same is true in politics. The name and status must be corrected first, and the following series can be followed by smooth words, successful affairs, rituals and music, and criminal law, so that ordinary people know how to live and develop. There are three families of doctors in the state of Lu: the Meng family, the Shu family, and the Ji family.Their children are hereditary, and they will be officials when they are born.Especially the Ji family, who have great power.By the time of Ji Kangzi, he was in his twenties and had already become the Minister of Lu.At this time, Confucius was serving as a national advisor. Ji Kangzi, a young official, came to ask Confucius for advice on how to engage in politics.Confucius' answer is simple: politicians are righteous.Zi Shuai is righteous, who dares to be unrighteous? ("The Analects of Confucius Yan Yuan") Zheng means righteousness, and those in power take the lead on the right path. Who would dare not to walk on the right path?In other words, if political leaders do not take the right path, will the people of the world not despair?These words are the expectations of an old man for a young man, but the young man may only think about how to use the power in his hands. Hearing that he must first act upright and sit upright, he will probably feel a lot of pressure.At that time, there were many robbers in the state of Lu. Ji Kangzi asked again, what should I do if there are too many robbers?Confucius said: "If a dog does not desire, he will not steal even if he is rewarded." ("The Analects of Confucius Yan Yuan") If you yourself are not greedy for money, even if you are rewarded, others will not be robbers.What's the meaning?Because those in positions of power are greedy, some people are forced to make a living or learn from others, so they become robbers.Conversely, if the leaders are not so greedy, the people will also have a sense of shame and self-respect and self-love.Confucius said this very frankly, even a bit exaggerated, the purpose is to make the politicians wake up earlier. Ji Kangzi then asked Confucius, what if I kill those who do evil and get close to those who cultivate virtue and do good?It's too cruel to hear this kind of words.An American political scientist said that the most important thing in politics is to avoid cruelty.A person who holds great power will kill bad people at every turn, but he has overlooked one point. No one is born a bad person. A bad person is caused by the combination of social environment, education system and other factors to make him go on an evil path.In other words, bad people degenerate from ordinary people into bad people, and good people become good people through the efforts of ordinary people. People cannot be simply divided into dichotomies. Confucius said to him: "If you govern, how can you use killing? If you want to be good, the people are good. The virtue of a gentleman is the virtue of a villain. The wind on the grass must die." ("The Analects of Confucius Yan Yuan") Confucius replied Said: "You are in charge of politics, why kill people? If you want to do good, the people will follow suit. The words and deeds of political leaders are like the wind; the words and deeds of ordinary people are like grass; when the wind blows on the grass, the grass It must come down." Confucius has a concept of trend. For example, we say that the world has no way or the world has way. No way means that the world is moving towards a chaotic world without way, and having a way means that the world is moving towards a proper rule of the world. Both are a trend, and it is impossible to divide black and white .The same is true for human beings, who are free and can do good or evil.Obviously there are severe punishments and strict laws, but they still do evil, which shows that there are great incentives for evil.One of the triggers is the failure to educate, and this is the responsibility of the leader. But Ji Kangzi, a young high official, thought that as long as the violators were killed, the problem would be solved.Killing seems to be a word, and it can kill a person casually.In fact, all the way through the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period, there were too many wars, the lives of ordinary people were too worthless, and killing people became a very common thing.Confucius could not accept this idea at all.He said that you are in charge of politics, why do you need to kill people?If you are willing to walk on the right path, the people will naturally follow you to do good deeds. This is called "the wind moves the grass", the leader behaves like the "wind", and the common people behave like "grass". East, the grass will fall to the east, rather it is very natural.This is exactly what we often say "the superiors and the inferiors will work together" or what Mencius said "the ones who are good at the top must have those who are inferior". What the people in the top position like, the people at the bottom will intensify their efforts to win the favor of the leaders. , which is a common situation in society. Confucius' intention is to hope that leaders "lead by example", break the pattern of class antagonism, and work together to pursue a beautiful, virtuous and harmonious life.He said: "Government is governed by virtue, such as the North Star, where the stars live." ("Analects of Confucius") You use virtue to govern the country, just like the North Star, the position of the North Star does not move (the North Star is in the The ancients believed that it was motionless, of course today's astronomy tells us that there is no completely motionless planet in the universe, because you can't find a fixed point to measure whether it is moving or not), and other stars surround it in their own place Bit, both harmonious and orderly.If you govern the country with virtue, you don't have to do anything yourself, and the world will be on track.The Master said: "Shun is the one who governs without doing anything! What is the husband doing? Just respect yourself and face the south." ("The Analects of Confucius Wei Linggong") Shun just sat on the throne with a dignified and respectful attitude, and governed the country well up.Why?Because when he governs the country, he first cultivates his own virtue, and the ruler becomes a model of goodness, and the common people will move in the direction of goodness.Therefore, those in power must not think about killing people casually, and killing all the bad guys can govern the country well.If this method is established, I am afraid that there will not be many people left in many countries.How should I do it?Through education and political methods, let the common people go on the right path.No one is born a bad person, everyone has hope to walk on the right path.It's just that leaders need to find the correct system design so that everyone can live a more stable life. Therefore, "acting from above to below effect" comes from the basic concept of "human nature tends to be good".Once the "virtue" of the superior is manifested, people's hearts will naturally be willing to obey, and if they arrange their lives toward "goodness", the world will naturally be peaceful.On the contrary, if people in positions of power do evil, will ordinary people also do evil?This is a big question.Confucius believed that this was not true.If people in high positions do evil, the common people will be very angry, which may lead to chaos in the world. Duke Lu Ding, the king of the State of Lu, once asked Confucius, "One word can rejuvenate the country, but there are others?" Is there such a thing that one sentence can make the country rejuvenate? Confucius said to him: "If you can't say it, if it is true, what is it? People say: 'It is difficult to be a ruler, but it is not easy to be a minister.' Just as you know that it is difficult to be a ruler. Isn't it almost possible to rejuvenate the country with just one word?" ("The Analects of Confucius" · Zilu") Confucius replied: "You can't speak so arbitrarily. To an approximate degree, there is a saying: 'It is difficult to be a monarch, and it is not easy to be a subject.' If you know that it is difficult to be a monarch, it is not close to a sentence Can the country prosper?" "几" means approximation and closeness.The reasons for the rise and fall of a country are very complicated. Even in terms of the responsibility of the monarch, it can only be said to be "approximate".Confucius believed that if the ruler and ministers knew that they were doing things for the common people, the responsibility was very heavy and they needed to work hard, then there would be no problem; on the contrary, if the ruler and ministers did not think for the common people, but acted like a domineering, how could the country prosper?Confucianism especially emphasizes the word "cautious", as long as it is something that serves everyone, one must be cautious and fearful.Confucius once used Yu as an example, saying that Yu ate simple, but made rich sacrifices to ghosts and gods; dressed roughly, but made sacrifices gorgeously; , Therefore, "Yu, I have nothing to do with it", there is no criticism of Yu, because Yu is cautious and fearful, knowing that it is difficult to do things well, so he is working hard. There is also a saying called "When people are hungry, they are hungry, and others are drowning", which comes from "Mencius".Yu was in charge of controlling the flood, and when he saw someone drowned, it was as if he let him drown himself.Ji is responsible for planting the five grains, teaching the common people how to harvest, and seeing people starving, it is as if he let them starve.If the leader can have such a heart, think that the difficulties encountered by every common people are my responsibility, and I will try my best to help them, and the country will naturally prosper.What is the rationale behind it?Leaders should combine their own happiness and sorrow with the common people. The so-called "joy the world, worry about the world", take joy in the happiness of the people in the world, and worry in the sorrow of the people in the world.Fan Zhongyan of the Song Dynasty extended it as "worry about the world's worries first, and enjoy the world's joys later".In fact, this sentence is not easy to do.Who can be happy after the world is happy?It means that everyone in the world is happy, and if I, the leader, are happy again, then you may never be happy, because there will always be people in the world who are unhappy.But the important thing is that you have a sense of responsibility, and try your best to use your knowledge, abilities, talents, and especially your virtues to help the people, always trembling, working day and night, as if facing an abyss, walking on thin ice, knowing that this is not easy to do , Never relax at any time, and concentrate on doing your own responsibilities, so that the country can prosper. Since one word can rejuvenate a country, Duke Ding of Lu then asked, "How can a country be ruined by a single word?" Is there such a thing that a single word can make a country decline?Confucius replied: The words of people say: "I have no pleasure in being a ruler. I only have my words and I don't violate them." Will the state be ruined by words? ("The Analects of Confucius·Zilu") There is a saying: "I have no joy in being a monarch, except that no one disobeys my words." Wouldn't it be nice if what I said was true and no one disobeyed it?If what is said is wrong and no one disobeys it, isn't it close to the decline of a country with a single sentence? It means that you, as a king, don't listen to other people's advice, and you don't accept other people's words and your ideas are different, and you don't understand the truth of loyal advice. If this continues, won't the country perish?Therefore, "One word mourns the state" is to warn people who are leaders to be humble, to be able to listen to different opinions, and not to be self-centered and too subjective.Confucianism is very taboo on political leaders who are too subjective. They think that I have power, I have the final say, I can make decisions, and everyone has to listen to me.In this way, everyone only speaks good things and does not speak critical words. How can society be improved?In the end, I'm afraid everyone will be in trouble. Mencius had a student named Lezhengzi who went to be a high official in the state of Lu. Mencius was so happy that he couldn't sleep at night.Someone asked, what are the advantages of you as a student? Are you so happy that he is an official?To be honest, Le Zhengzi's ability is not very strong, and his virtue is not very high, but he has an advantage, he likes to listen to other people's suggestions.If a person is very humble and able to listen to different opinions, others are willing to give him advice and help. People all over the world will tell him how to do better. Effect.相反，如果你认为官大学问大，官大道德高，只要有了官位，说什么都是对的，就很容易让一个国家走上衰亡之路。后来孟子见梁惠王、齐宣王这些国君，经常提到类似的观念。有一次孟子直接告诉齐宣王说，你当国君，不要随便指导别人该怎么做。Why?因为古代国君是世袭的，他父亲是国君，他也是国君，但他不见得懂得怎么治国。懂得治国的是一些专业的知识分子，这时候你要信任这些专业人士。孟子举了一个例子，假设这里有一块原始的玉石，就算它价值二十万两，也一定要找玉匠和专家来雕琢。治理国家也是一样，越是重大的任务，越需要专业人士。别人学了一辈子只有这么一个专长，为什么不让他去发挥呢？ 我们今天在一个团体中也是一样。你要能领导别人，首先要设法从每一个人身上学到一些长处，要能敞开心胸听取有价值的言论。千万不要听到别人讲自己的过失，就很生气，找借口去辩护，这样一来怎么会改善呢？我们应该学习古人的态度，譬如子路听到别人说他的过失就很高兴，大禹听到有价值的言论会向别人拜谢，舜更了不起，他从别人身上选择某些优点，自己来加以实践，到最后变成天下最伟大的一个圣人。