Chapter 19 19 equality

We often use some words, but when we ask what is going on, we will feel at a loss. "Equality" is such a word.Now we often say that everyone is equal before the law, not to mention that our not-too-distant ancestors would be surprised when they heard it, because at that time, they could not be sentenced to doctors, and we ourselves were used as catchphrases. If someone asks, what is the so-called equality? What does it refer to, theory or reality, if it is theory, why, if it is reality, what phenomena can testify, we will also be very troubled.But the belief that everyone is equal before the law still cannot be given up, why?This is a difficult question paper, so try to answer it below.

As stated above, the belief in equality is an import.In our native land, some fantasies contain such or close to such meanings, such as "Heaven and earth live side by side with me, and all things are one with me", as in the Song Dynasty scholars' "People and my fellow countrymen, and things and I are with each other".But leaving Xuanxiang is not like this, but "God blesses the people, the king who works, the teacher who works", "those who work hard govern others, and those who work hard govern others".This is still what we say; what we do is even more blatant. Using the living to sacrifice the dead is a prominent example. There were a large number of them in ancient times, but a small number in later generations.Why is this possible?Because those with high status are still high status even after death, so living people with low status have to follow them to serve in the underground. In short, it is unequal.In the late Qing Dynasty, a large number of European styles spread eastward, and the belief in equality followed.However, the power of tradition is great, and mutation is very difficult.Gradual change is like "a hammer of one foot, take half of it every day, and it will last forever", even if it goes on for a long time, it will inevitably leave some tails.Even if it is easy to kneel down to bow, some elders firmly oppose it. The reason is that if kneeling is abolished, what is the use of natural knees?Such old people, of course, can’t be found even if they want to find them now, but the old ones with intangible cultural heritage, for example, a pair of married hair left first, the female left, and the male had the intention of building a new nest. It is male and female, which means to build a new nest, and the hindrance is strong.It can be seen that even if the belief has been accepted, it is still not easy to carry it out.This is not easy to come from incomplete, not firm belief, even if it is unintentional.If you fully accept your beliefs and cannot reflect them in practice, the situation will be more complicated and more obvious, such as the differences between power and position, treatment, rich and poor, honor and disgrace, even big differences, that's it.But in any case, this belief in equality, though an import, like all other imports, entered the minds of the descendants of the Chinese people without much hindrance.Even the three-foot boy is like this. When going to school, some classmates in the same class will be picked up by car, some will walk, some will wear good clothes, and some will wear bad clothes.The situation indicates that the living conditions are different, but they believe that they are walking on the same road, are equal, or at least should be equal.

We should accept this "should".Then you should ask why.It seems difficult to find a reason from perception.Let me say it is natural.As the saying goes, the raw materials of the sky are not uniform, and this is the fact.It can be seen from two aspects of form and spirit.Shape, content is almost infinite, tall and short, fat and thin, strong and weak, complete and lacking, etc., will all become the conditions for determining the superiority, such as height, below a certain size cannot be a fashion model, below a certain size cannot be a waiter in a luxury hotel, That is its proof.What is more serious than this is the distinction between beauty and ugliness. In the past, Xi Shi could enter the baby palace, but without salt, it would be impossible. Today, some people can put it on the calendar, and some people cannot. The unevenness of the sky will have a greater impact.Besides, God refers to qualifications.Some people object to the idea of ​​a genius, but they allow him to describe himself, which shows that in this respect, there is indeed a lack of talents in heaven.The inconsistency in this aspect can be divided into two aspects: talent and virtue.There is a difference between superior wisdom and inferior stupidity, virtue, virtuous and unworthy, and they are also grades. Although the differences vary in size, they are different for everyone.That said, people are not created equal.Adding social components will create new patterns of inequality.Not to mention the influence of tradition, different people will have different roads in front of them, only the necessary division of labor, clothing, some people only wear but not make, food, some people only eat but not grow, live, have Some people only live but don't build, travel, and some people only take cars and don't drive.To cite another outstanding point, if everyone wants to live, someone must clean up the garbage; if everyone is bound to die, someone must dispose of the body.This is a division of labor. In theory, or in appearance, there is no distinction between high and low, but some people can show up on the headlines and on the TV screen, and some people can't; while countless people are working hard to get promoted. , This mountain looks at the height of that mountain.This means that the unnatural half of life is not equal either.Natural and unnatural are not equal, but why should they be equal?Or, what is the basis for the belief in equality?

My thoughts, on a superficial level, come from "virtue".The essence of morality is the thought and feeling of promoting oneself and others, or loving others and benefiting others.This can take the form of multiple sayings or thoughts.Mencius said that all people have the heart of not being able to bear others, and the heart of concealment is benevolence. I believe that benevolence is the ultimate good, so I no longer ask why benevolence should be.Song Confucian so-called "our compatriots of the people" also have this kind of thought and feeling, I think so, so it should be like this.In fact, this kind of thoughts and feelings are ordinary people's, but they come out of the mouth of a nerd, and the smell of reason is more serious.From the mouth of philosophers, the smell of reason will be even stronger. For example, Kant said that "we should treat people as people because they are people", that's it.This kind of thinking and feeling can also be extended to other people, such as the Buddhists, they vow not only to save people, but to sentient beings.So killing life became the first major precept. You can't eat prawns and the like, and you can't even let the lice go, so that they can eat the pomegranate peel.Letting it go is acknowledging that it also has the right to live, or that it also has Buddha nature.The same is true, people are not different, they are equal.Just saying that everyone is equal without expanding the scope, the source of this belief is virtue, that is, faith and action, and I think it should be so.In other words, the basis is not a natural phenomenon, but a moral law.

Moral laws don't just come out of thin air.All scholars in Chongli will agree with this view, the difference lies in where they come from.Taking Song Confucianism as an example, although the principles of heaven that are opposed to human desires can be in people's hearts, they cannot be born in people's hearts.Kant's awe-inspiring object is the starry sky juxtaposed with the moral law, which shows that this law cannot be born in humans.What is it other than people?It can be called Heaven, Reason, God, Absolute, etc. In short, it is the mystery above human beings.Talking about all kinds of things related to life, I am a humanist, and I am happy to bring the mysteries of heaven and benevolence to my side, and become a tiny hair.Take the most magnificent brand of goodness and beauty as an example. Goodness is to comment on (human) behavior, and beauty is to comment on perceived images or images. It is good to save people, but not good to punish people. After all, it is just a difference in "benefiting students".Therefore, there is a deeper basis for the belief in equality. Comparing this way and not doing this way will bring more benefits and less harm, and vice versa will result in more harm and less benefit.This is the plan.The situation is naturally different from the specific dialing of the abacus beads.There are several major differences: First, it must be gradually developed in the habits of life, that is, as mentioned earlier, if you leave others, you will feel (even if it is unintentional) that you cannot live; in order to live, you must respect others .Second, this will produce feelings such as "being able to draw an analogy from a close friend" and "not being able to bear the heart of others". In Kant's words, it is to regard people as human beings.Three, it develops slowly, manifested as love and dislike, right and wrong, and trade-offs, all of which are unintentional.Fourth, people’s hearts are different, each is like its face, and there are bound to be exceptions, that is, a few people may also benefit themselves at the expense of others, and even believe that they are the chosen people of heaven and superior to others.In the era of feudalism and heavy hierarchy, such auspicious characters are not only a few, because there are many passive people who live in the lower class.I also believe that the person whose official history is written in this epoch is the son of heaven, who was full of red lights when he was born, and other nonsense.

Now, at least in name, the death of a person is determined, and they are not put into two piles of biography and biographies.This is also an aspect of the belief in equality.Will there be so-called obsolete like fashion?I don't see it that way.One of the reasons is that this belief, whether it is believed or just said, is not yet timely, so naturally it cannot be said to be outdated.The second reason, which is more far-reaching, is that whether you look at it from the perspective of individual life or collective (including all kinds of) life.Equality is a sine qua non of rational advantage, so that, if life is not obsolete, it is not obsolete.In the following, equality can be justified and beneficial, and let me talk about some reasons that can be thought of.

One is considered from the aspect of "opportunity" and imagined for individuals. Equality can be guaranteed, which benefits a lot; inequality has the danger of bad luck, which benefits a small one.Naturally, luck cannot be ruled out when talking about opportunities. For example, in the later years of the Qing Dynasty, it was possible to be born as the Empress Dowager Lafayette; If there is a royal family next to him, the fate can be imagined, that is, he was lucky enough to read and understand and stand out, such as Tan Sitong, but in the end he was dragged to Caishikou and beheaded.Therefore, in order to be more secure, everyone is equal, and it is better not to take a chance.The second is to consider the prosperity of the society. Equality means that everyone has the opportunity to develop, and the speed will be fast; otherwise, it will lead to slowness.Third, for the sake of social stability, equality means that the vast majority of people will be calm, and the possibility of turmoil is small; otherwise, many people will be dissatisfied, and the possibility of turmoil will increase.Fourth, as far as the relationship between people is concerned, under the cover of the belief of equality, facing each other with an amiable attitude and a calm mood is much better than some people showing off their power while others are humble, right?In this way, human society, or in other words, different countries have successively discarded the ideas and systems of Jiupin Zhongzheng, and admitted, or temporarily verbally, that equality is taken for granted.