In the New Neo Confucianism system, Feng Youlan has always advocated that all ideas and all propositional forms are logical, so New Neo Confucianism is equivalent to the positive method. However, the proposal of the positive and negative methods shows that Mr. Feng Youlan attempted to reconcile the opposition between logic and philosophical rationality and irrationality to achieve the goal of connecting the East and the West, but he did not achieve complete success.
So our question is still left here because there is still no answer. We hope that not only me, but also we will continue to think about this issue. On the one hand, consider whether it is possible, and on the other hand, consider whether I have a method that can be different from this positive and negative approach.
The essence of this method of thinking is not to encourage people to think about methods every day, but to pay attention to when conducting philosophical research. If you have finished writing an article and look back, you can see what kind of method you used and whether there are any problems with this method that make your philosophical conclusions or viewpoints incomplete.
I believe that such inspections should gradually make your understanding of many issues more comprehensive and innovative.
Returning to the second question, it is about the concept of the realm of life.
Some people say that the future direction of philosophy is a philosophy of life. What is your current understanding of philosophy of life? Is it the expression of a philosophy of life represented by Zhou Guoping, or the series of expressions by Kierkegaard? What kind of discipline is philosophy of life, or what philosophical questions does it answer?
The realization of the meaning of life in Chinese philosophy has been expressed very clearly by Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Regarding the relationship between value and happiness, in terms of weight, compared to the metaphysical level, in fact, many Chinese philosophers discuss the issue of life every day. This is also a very distinctive issue in Chinese philosophy, which is the question of the realm of life.
Mr. Feng put forward his own views on the realm of life, mainly through three aspects: one is the issue of philosophy and the realm of life, the second is perception and realm, and the third is his four realms of life.
We need to answer two questions about philosophy and the realm of life: what is the function of philosophy, and what is the realm?
The function of philosophy, purely based on Mr. Feng's understanding, is that the philosophy he ultimately established is the most philosophical philosophy. This philosophy does not express opinions on the real world, does not help people solve practical problems, and does not particularly solve specific problems. Therefore, what should be the new theoretical system constructed by it? The biggest question people have about studying philosophy is, is there any use in learning this thing?
Mr. Feng's standard answer is that it is useless, and if it is really useful, it is just a useless use.
Mr. Feng's view of the universe is formed through abstract concepts and forms. He said that by observing the truth with a calm mind, we can have a rational and sympathetic understanding of the truth. The understanding of the truth and reason can serve as the basis for discussing "humanity"; The understanding of genuine sympathy can serve as a gateway to enter the "holy realm"... In this regard, philosophy is also of great use.
It says that in the end, whether it is a rational understanding of the truth or a sympathetic understanding, what we must ultimately establish is' establishing humanity and establishing the holy path '. He said that the philosophy of life is never just about people themselves, but about the ability and possibility that people always have to surpass themselves. This ability may be different from that of the West, such as the infinite transcendence of God represented by the Christian tradition, the rational transcendence ability, and the reflection on one's own original sin, which gives rise to this motivation.
He didn't explain this motivation, but he must have told you that there is a possibility for people to rise up, and this possibility is that people can become saints and sages. If you can't become Yao, Shun, and Yu, you can at least become Yan Hui. You have an impulse to become perfect, and this impulse is instinctive.
It is not through external education, such as the stick education given to you by parents, nor the moral education given to you by society, but rather through the innate goodness that comes from you. That is why Mencius said that people have goodness. When you see a child about to enter a well, you naturally develop a sense of compassion, fear, right and wrong, and so on. This is the natural possibility of human rationality.
In fact, what Mr. Feng Youlan is saying here is actually the same question, what is the function of philosophy?
The function of philosophy is that it is possible to hope for saints and sages. Therefore, the function of philosophy is to clarify why people should hope for saints and sages, and why people should practice benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith. This theoretical basis is the Western philosophy's concept of the Tao of Heaven, while Chinese philosophy uses the Tao of Heaven to understand humanity. This is the purpose of establishing a Tao of Heaven.
What is the function of the second philosophy?
Since you aspire to be holy and virtuous, you must speak the way of sages, establish a basic direction for life, explain its fundamental reasons, and set a direction. This is a fundamental question about the philosophy of life that Mr. Feng Youlan understands.
Mr. Feng said that according to the tradition of Chinese philosophy, the common purpose of philosophy is not to enhance positive knowledge, but to elevate the realm of the soul - to reach a state beyond reality and obtain values higher than moral values.
This raises a very important question, the issue of human value. He mentioned a moral value, or in other words, an ethical value. Humans have a value that transcends morality. What is this value?
In his view, this value is the direction to be achieved by elevating one's soul, and it is actually a value of "harmony between heaven and man". He believes that there is a natural value that transcends it, because in this state, morality itself is not fixed, not static, it is a value that naturally changes according to the way of heaven. Philosophy can give people a spiritual realm in which they can live comfortably, so he said that philosophy is for people to enjoy.
How many people have started to embrace or enjoy philosophy now?
Mr. Feng's philosophy here seems to have two different directions from the future philosophy we discussed before. One is outward oriented, and the other is inward oriented. He tends to be more inward oriented, saying that what is useful for everyone to enjoy can be lived comfortably here.
It provides a fundamental insight into human lifestyle, and the establishment of this personal way of life essentially witnesses a rethinking of the direction of human development. If our previous values about the direction of human development have always emphasized the need for humans to conquer nature and constantly innovate technology for their own survival, the value of humans is higher than that of all other animals and plants.
Now he tells you that people should reflect on this way of thinking and explore a new realm where they can feel at ease inside. In this sense, can the understanding of religious philosophy that many of our classmates have mentioned before also be included in Feng Youlan's theory of living a new life? For example, some religious figures feel that they are living a very peaceful and happy life, which can also be called his philosophy of life.
So it can be seen that in his construction of metaphysics and the future philosophy of this kind of person, he still hasn't denied the part about the creation of form. He also believes that the construction of form can help people improve their spiritual realm, and he believes that this is precisely the function of philosophy.
So the function of the philosophy he proposed is this kind of construction in form. The second is about the issue of our previous philosophy of life, so he included the entire form in his exploration of philosophy of life. So, he said that concepts such as reason, qi, Dao body, and Quanta in the new Neo Confucianism are not taught without reason in the Neo Confucianism system.
The second question is, what is realm?
He said that a person's behavior and attitude are different due to their different levels of realm. This different expression is a term used by Taoists, which is "weather". Observing their weather, one feels that this person's weather is very good. Your implicit meaning is that this person has a good cultivation of life. Different levels of realm lead to different psychological states, which are commonly referred to as concepts such as broad mindedness and broad mindedness.
Many times, we don't talk much about a person's realm anymore. Instead, we talk about a person's realm through a moral plot. For example, Comrade Lei Feng's realm is very high, and we should learn from him and his moral realm. So this is just a certain kind of realm.
What is realm?
Never equate it solely with a person's moral realm. What is the true realm?
It is a kind of mind, a kind of broad mindedness, a kind of embrace, and a kind of atmosphere. It is something that is cultivated both internally and externally.
Mr. Feng said that individuals have their own realm, strictly speaking, no two people's realms are exactly the same. Everyone is an individual, and each person's realm is also an individual's realm. No two individuals are exactly the same, so no two people's realms are exactly the same.
Each realm has its own particularity, but it has its commonality. Using philosophical thinking to explain the issue of life realm is the ultimate goal and purpose of Mr. Feng Youlan's entire philosophical system construction, which is to construct a life realm with Chinese characteristics.
