Interpretation of "It is better to change the emperor and have a monarch than to die in the summer"

This language is from The Analects of Confucius, which is a common misunderstanding. First, understand that "Yi land" is a remote area outside China or other ethnic groups, the Han nationality. The second is to understand China's arrogance and think that other nationalities are inferior to China. This misunderstanding arises because I don't know that the "righteous emperor" in the Spring and Autumn Annals compiled by Confucius refers to places or some people who lack moral courtesy, which is different from other books besides Confucius' theory. Secondly, it's not because we don't understand the visual thinking mode of China culture, that is to say, "Yidi" and "Zhu Xia (China)" are not the concepts defined in western formal logic, but only the names used to represent a thing in China's thinking mode. If there is such a name, there must be a matching "reality" and its "reality". If there is no moral etiquette, then we can regard it as a barbarian; If there is morality and etiquette, we can regard it as summer. Even if there is a king where there is no moral etiquette, it is better than a place where there is no king. "That is to say, moral courtesy is more important than the existence of kings.

This involves a very important issue in China culture, that is, the "Debate on Foreign Countries and Summer". Judging from its origin, the word "Yidi" refers to ethnic groups outside the Central Plains. But in the Spring and Autumn Annals compiled by Confucius, it does not refer to these remote ethnic groups, but a moral and cultural term. In other words, the place with low level of moral etiquette is called "Yidi", and the place with high level of moral etiquette is called "Zhu Xia" or "Huaxia". If there is moral etiquette in the Central Plains, then this nation is an excellent one, even if it has no king, it is also excellent; If there is no moral etiquette, then this nation is not an excellent nation, even if there is a king, there is nothing to recommend it. Morality, propriety and righteousness are more important than kings. In the "Three Generations Theory" of Confucius, the one with a low degree of social civilization is "following the troubled times", and the level of moral etiquette is not high; The "Shengpingshi" with a higher degree of civilization has a higher level of moral etiquette; The highest state of civilization is "great harmony", the highest state of morality and propriety. The revival of Chinese culture is to establish such a "great harmony" society.