Studying things to gain knowledge
Interpretation: Explanation: Ge: reasoning; Zhi: seeking. Study the principles of things to gain knowledge. From: "Book of Rites·Da Xue": "The way to know is to study things, and to know after studying things." Example: Gu Bi in the West regarded ~ as the foundation of learning. This is not the case in China. How can it be so based on the wisdom of the people? Yan Fu's "Yuan Qiang" Grammar: linked forms; used as predicates; refers to the study of the principles of things to obtain knowledge explanations
Studying things to achieve knowledge
1. Calligraphy
Zheng Xuan of the Eastern Han Dynasty He was the first to annotate "investigating things to achieve knowledge". Since the Song Dynasty Confucian scholars separated "The Great Learning" from the "Book of Rites" and became a part of the "Four Books", the meaning of "investigating things to achieve knowledge" has gradually become a hot topic of debate among later Confucian scholars. Until now. The popular interpretation in society today about "investigating things to achieve knowledge" is based on part of the views of Zhu Xi's theory in the Southern Song Dynasty. It is believed that "investigating things to achieve knowledge" means studying things to obtain knowledge and principles.
Seeking truth from facts
"Seeking truth from facts" includes what is now called the spirit of "seeking truth from facts", but its connotation is far richer than "seeking truth from facts". The difference between today's popular views and Zhu Xi's views lies in the explanation of "zhizhi". Zhu Xi's so-called "knowledge" refers to intelligence - including wisdom and knowledge - while in the modern popular view, "knowledge" only refers to knowledge. This change in concept may be due to the influence of the popular materialist views in today's society.
2. Pseudo-study
Although Zhu Xi was a great Confucian in the history of Confucianism, the reason why his view of "investigating things to gain knowledge" became mainstream in later generations was not because of the success of later generations. Confucian scholars generally agree. In fact, Zhu Xi's teachings were denounced as "pseudo-science" during the Southern Song Dynasty due to political partisanship. Many Confucian scholars in later generations also vigorously criticized Zhu Xi's theoretical views on "investigating things to achieve knowledge." However, because Zhu Xi's "Collected Commentary on the Four Books" was officially adopted as the criterion for selecting scholars in the mid-Yuan Dynasty, and since Ming Taizu began to respect Zhu Xi's theory as the only official ideological authority in the "Four Books", Zhu Xi's theory became even more important in the Ming Dynasty. The official dogmatic views on imperial examinations lasted for more than 500 years during the Qing Dynasty. Therefore, Zhu Xi's views on "investigating things to achieve knowledge" became a generally popular view in later generations under the authority of official dogma for hundreds of years. Therefore, in the Westernization School in the late Qing Dynasty, subjects such as physics and chemistry were called "Gezhi", which is the abbreviation of "Studying things to achieve knowledge".
Historical Doctrine Views
Overview
The true meaning of "investigating things to gain knowledge" has been an eternal mystery in the history of Confucian thought. From Zheng Xuan of the Eastern Han Dynasty, who first wrote annotations for "The Great Learning", to modern Confucian scholars, they have been arguing for more than a thousand years, and there is still no conclusion. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Liu Zongzhou said: "In the theory of investigating things, there are seventy-two lawsuits in ancient and modern times!" ”; and over the past three hundred years from Liu Zongzhou to the present, many different opinions have been added. Scholars throughout the ages in China have debated the concept of "investigating things to gain knowledge." The following is an example of the main interpretations of the original text by major Confucian scholars over the past one thousand years, and a brief description of the main ideas of each school in bold text:
Eastern Han Dynasty
Zheng Xuan: Things come and go according to people's knowledge, habits and preferences. "Ge, come." Things are still things. If he knows the depth of goodness, then good things will come to him. He knows that if evil is deep, evil things will come. It's good to speak and do things that suit people. Sincerely, maybe. 』
Tang Dynasty
Kong Yingda: Things come and happen according to people's knowledge, habits and preferences. "The way to know is to study things. If you can learn, you will know." Ge, come. If you already know something, then you can rely on what is coming; if you know the goodness deeply, then good things will come; if you know the depth of evil, then evil things will come. It is said that good deeds will follow when people do good deeds, and evil deeds will follow when people do evil deeds. It is said that good and evil come according to what people like. If you observe an object and then know where it is, once the object comes, you will know where it is good or evil. When something good comes, you know it is good; when something bad comes, you know it is evil. Since you can know it, you can do good and not do evil. Li Ao: Everything is felt, and the heart is clear and unconfused. "Things are all things." The grid person means coming and arriving. When an object arrives, one's mind clearly distinguishes it and does not respond to the object, which is the way to know. 』[9]
Northern Song Dynasty
Sima Guang: Resist the temptation of external things, and then know the ultimate virtue.
Because the traditional Confucian view believes that there is unchanging truth in the world, and truth is understood from the heart by "sages". After the sage knows the truth, he spreads it to ordinary people. Therefore, the principles in the scriptures can be "extrapolated to the four seas and spread throughout the ages." This view, experience tells us, cannot be applied to the current world. I am a person who studies science, so let me first talk about the importance of experimental spirit in science. The history of scientific progress tells us that new knowledge can only be obtained through field experiments, not through self-examination or philosophical talk. The process of experiment is not passive observation, but active and planned detection. For example, if we want to know the properties of bamboo, we must plant bamboo trees to study its growth process, and we must cut off the leaves and take them to a microscope for observation. Knowledge cannot be gained by just standing by and watching. The process of experimentation is not a random measurement, it requires careful and specific planning. It is particularly important to have an appropriate goal that serves as a guide throughout the exploration process. As for how to select this target, it depends on the experimenter's judgment and inspiration. A successful experiment requires vision, courage and perseverance. From this we can understand why breakthroughs in basic knowledge are rare. We can also understand why academic progress in history has only relied on the critical discoveries of a few people. Today, Wang Yangming’s thoughts continue to dominate the minds of some Chinese scholars. Because of this cultural background, most Chinese students prefer theory and despise experiments, and prefer abstract thinking rather than hands-on practice. Chinese students often do very well in their homework and score nearly 100 points in exams, but when faced with research work that requires ideas, they often feel at a loss. In this regard, I have personal experience to prove it. I grew up with a traditional education. When I studied physics at an American university, I initially thought that as long as I "worked hard" and followed the teacher's instructions, everything would be smooth sailing, but this was not the case. As soon as I started doing research, I immediately realized that I couldn’t just rely on teachers, I needed to make my own decisions and come up with ideas. I didn’t know how much hardship I suffered because I wasn’t prepared in advance. What made me most hesitant and panicked was that the only way at that time - to immerse yourself in reading to cope with everything, was of no help to the actual needs. I feel that the true spirit of studying things to achieve knowledge is not only indispensable in academic research, but also indispensable in dealing with today's world environment. In today's general education, we need to cultivate the spirit of experimentation. That is to say, whether we study science, humanities, or personal actions, we must retain a skeptical and truth-seeking attitude and rely on practice to discover the truth of things. The world and social environment are changing rapidly now. The exchanges between different cultures in the world are also getting closer and closer. We cannot blindly accept what was believed to be the truth in the past, nor can we wait for instructions from “academic authorities.” We need to make our own judgment. In today's era of drastic changes in the environment, we should re-understand the true meaning of studying things to gain knowledge as stated in scriptures thousands of years ago. This meaning has two aspects: first, the only way to seek the truth is to explore things objectively; second, the process of exploration is not a passive stand-by, but an imaginative and planned exploration. I hope that our generation will have new understanding and thinking about investigating things and improving knowledge, so that the experimental spirit can truly become a part of Chinese culture.
Others
The original texts of the above views are just excerpts and brief introductions by important scholars. In fact, there are many different views in history.
Today's "Gewu Zhizhi"
"Gewu Zhizhi" is a phrase that expresses the relationship between cause and effect. The original text of "Book of Rites·University" says, "Things have their origin and end, and things have their beginning and end" (the end and beginning are the cause and effect), "Knowing the order of things is the shortest way", "...the object is organized and then the destination is known." (Wisdom can only be obtained when things are differentiated and differentiated), "...it is originally chaotic and cannot be managed at the end. What is thick is thin, and what is thin is thick and does not exist. This is called knowing the origin, and this is called knowing. "It can be seen that [Ge] refers to analysis and discernment. Therefore, "investigating things to achieve knowledge" refers to discerning the importance, sequence, cause and effect, good and evil of things, etc., in order to guide one's words, deeds and thinking.