A Man of Science and Engineering in Troubled Times Wandering in the Late Qing Dynasty

Chapter 211 Humanities Without Science Are Sentimental
In Li Yu's understanding, Confucian classics can be regarded as a Chinese subject. No matter how poor his Confucian classics are, Chinese is always a major subject in the college entrance examination, and it is impossible to be really bad.

It's just that he used vernacular Chinese at school, so he was really not proficient in classical Chinese.

Moreover, he didn't even know how to give more than a dozen explanations for a certain word in ancient scriptures, or even couldn't understand it.

Li Yu said: "According to the establishment principles of the university, we want to learn the educational system of Europe, America and Japan, and the style of my writing is vernacular. This is the future trend, because it can be better combined with science."

"Baihua?" Gu Hongming laughed. "Vulgar and simple, it's hard to be elegant. How can it be compared with classics?"

Li Yu said: "Great elegance is great vulgarity, and great vulgarity is great elegance. With the advancement of the current school system, I think universities will replace imperial examinations in the near future. By then, how many people do you think will study those scriptures again?" ?”

Unlike Gu Hongming, who was rewarded as a Jinshi, Zhu Zumou retorted: "It's nonsense! The imperial examination has been passed down for thousands of years. How can you, a yellow-mouthed kid, be able to refute it with a few words?"

Li Yu mocked: "Everything must look forward, otherwise you will be a frog at the bottom of the well. Vernacular is closer to the public, easier to spread, and easier to combine with modern disciplines. Adults, open your eyes and look at the world! Not only Confucianism, in addition to mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, history, geography, politics, measurement, economics, finance, materials, engineering, etc. If everyone only studies the so-called high-level Confucianism, then it will be stagnant It will only make us continue to be beaten and forced to sign traitorous treaties."

What Li Yu said is naturally reasonable, but as a debate or sophistry, Gu Hongming must insist on his own point of view. He said: "After 2000 years of experience, we still can't understand it. Science is only a few hundred years old. I don't think I need to know which one is better. explain."

Li Yu said with a smile: "The history of science is very long. If you don't know, sir, don't draw such a conclusion. Humans began to study mathematics thousands of years ago. As for your claim that the study of classics has not been done for more than 2000 years, I would like to ask." , Is it really impossible to study it?"

Stereotyped scholars have been selected for so many years, the Four Books and Five Classics are so thick, and the research has long been rotten. Later, the questions for the imperial examinations were really a bit ridiculous, very far-fetched, and almost divorced from the origin of Chinese studies.

Gu Hongming is not really a master of Chinese studies, he can only say: "Even so, you can't pass because you are good at the vernacular Chinese that the ordinary people love most."

Li Yu understood that the point of contention was actually whether vernacular could pass as a Chinese subject.

Anyway, Li Yu's biggest problem now is failing in Confucian classics.

Therefore, Li Yu wanted to connect the vernacular to science as much as possible. If it had a great effect, it would naturally be eligible to be listed as "literature" and pass the pass.

Gu Hongming, on the other hand, is trying his best to belittle science, proving that Confucian classics are still orthodox, so articles written in "vulgar" vernacular cannot pass the test.

The thinking of the two is clear.

Li Yu said: "Mr. Gu, you know so many Western languages, and you must have read many Western classics. In your opinion, are the literary works of Tolstoy, Maupassant, Hugo, and Balzac classical Chinese or Chinese? Vernacular?"

Li Yu immediately picked out some of the most powerful Western writers.

Gu Hongming naturally knows that the expressions of Western characters are actually very straightforward, which is the so-called category of vernacular.

But Gu Hongming certainly couldn't just admit it like this, so he said: "Western characters can't be compared with our Chinese. When it comes to Western countries, their strength is nothing more than strong ships and guns, and these can be bought, but our Chinese culture Can't lose it!"

Gu Hongming really knew how to argue, and wanted to deliberately mislead Li Yu with seemingly correct words.

But Li Yu also understood his intentions, so he said: "Mr. Gu, don't put the two in opposition. Science and Confucian classics are not the same. Every culture has its own Chinese studies and history, but this does not hinder the study of Chinese studies at the same time. Study science with your heart. Imagine that gunpowder, as the four great inventions, was invented by us, but now it has become a weapon used by the great powers to bully us, why do you think?"

Gu Hongming said: "Gunpowder was just a trivial craft back then, and it should be because we didn't pay attention to it."

Li Yu said: "Okay, what you said is trivial! Let's look at our four great inventions. The great powers spread scientific knowledge by printing and paper, then used the compass to open up sea routes, and then used ammunition made of gunpowder to smash the country. Forcing us to sign the land cession treaty, do you think it’s still a trivial matter?”

Gu Hongming was at a loss for words for a while.

Gu Hongming organized his thoughts for a while before continuing to change the topic and said: "Even so, your current research is mostly focused on theory, and you can't come up with anything useful. What's the use?"

Li Yu said: "If Mr. Gu had studied Western science, he would not have said such things. Theoretical science is the foundation of applied science. It is the relationship between father and son. Without theory, there is no application."

Li Yu picked up a piece of paper on the table, "For example, this thin paper, how do you think this book can be propped up?"

This is a truth that all students in later generations will understand, but Gu Hongming was a little stunned, "How can a piece of paper support a book, and a gnat shake a tree?"

Li Yu rolled the piece of paper into a tube, put the book on it, and stood it firmly, "Why not?"

Gu Hongming said awkwardly: "You are just opportunistic."

Li Yu said: "This is the force analysis in physics, the basic knowledge of mechanics."

Gu Hongming is still stubborn: "If this is the so-called physics, then street children can easily learn it."

Li Yu said: "If children on the street can learn it, do you know how to use force analysis to design and build high-rise buildings? Not to mention that there are not only physics, but also mathematics and materials science, engineering, surveying, Mechanics and more."

Li Yu saw that Gu Hongming and the others were a little confused, so he quickly continued to bring his own rhythm: "If these are difficult to understand, I can even tell you a short story about the four great beasts of physics. I don't know if the children on the street can understand it. "

Gu Hongming snorted: "Sacred beasts? When did science have religious overtones?"

Li Yu said: "You will understand after listening to me. Everyone knows that the tortoise runs very slowly, but I think Mr. Gu will not be able to catch up with it after a distance of 100 meters."

Gu Hongming said: "Joke! Will I not be able to catch up with a turtle?"

Li Yu said: "Because if you want to catch up with the tortoise, you must first come to the 100-meter position where the tortoise was just now. But at this time, the tortoise has already run forward for a short distance, and then you have to continue to run to the position where the tortoise is at this time." But at that time the tortoise ran a little further, if this goes on, wouldn’t you just keep getting close to it, that is, you can’t even catch up with a tortoise?”

"I, I really can't catch up with a turtle?"

How could Gu Hongming understand the profound mathematical truth behind Zeno's paradox, and he couldn't get around it at all.

After all, Zeno's tortoise is also one of the four great beasts of physics.

Zhang Baixi and the students below also laughed, "It's so interesting. In this way, Mr. Gu really can't outrun a turtle."

Li Yu picked out a paradox that is the most famous in history and the easiest to understand, but it is not easy to understand.

Of course, Zeno's paradox itself was originally a kind of sophistry, but the best thing to defeat magic must be magic.

"This... this..." Even if Gu Hongming was good at sophistry, he couldn't explain why.

He could only skip this paradox and say: "I lost this round, but you can't deny that science is indifferent, cold and inhumane. You can see how they bully us with strong boats and guns. Therefore, science cultivates Those who come out must also not know benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness, if they become courtiers in the future and rule the people of one side, how dangerous it will be!"

Li Yu didn't expect that Gu Hongming was still using sophistry theories with himself, although the research on infectious diseases and bacteriology in Japan has really gone on a cold scientific path since then.

But that's also because Japan is really too inhuman.

Li Yu said: "Mr. Gu is still deliberately separating science from Chinese studies. I emphasize again that the two complement each other. Humanistic sentiments in Chinese studies are naturally very important, but I also want to send a word to Mr.: Humanities without science are humanities. Sentimental; science without humanity is arrogant."

This sentence comes from Bo Shining's "Medical General Education Lecture Notes", which is summarized very well.

Yan Fu couldn't help clapping his hands and said, "How can you fail in Confucian classics if you can say such delicate words! Mr. Zhang, Mr. Gu, I think this sentence alone can give Li Yu full marks in Confucian classics."

There are many things that became famous in ancient times with one or two exquisite poems.

When Yan Fu said this, Zhang Baixi also agreed very much, "This sentence can almost be used as an aphorism, engraved in the classrooms of our university."

Before that, he was worried that Li Yu's national studies were too poor, but now, he is still very talented and level.

Li Yu also said: "The former is due to ignorance, or because of ignorance. Regardless of ignorance or ignorance, neither can be called a qualified graduate."

Li Yu's words were once again deafening, and the students present cheered for him: "That's great!"

Zhu Zumou, a former student of politics in Guangdong, Jinshi and the first degree, saw that Gu Hongming was speechless and ignored him. He said bluntly: "Don't talk so much, I don't understand science at all, and I have become a dignified student of politics in Guangdong. It shows that science is not It is useful everywhere, at least it is useless in the eyes of scholars who care most about being an official!"

Li Yu said: "Master Zhu, I'm afraid you don't understand what is called survivorship bias in mathematics. It's not what you see. As a so-called scholar in your mouth, you should look more at the common people and see more. Just look at the world."

Li Yu continued:
"From counting knots to the Pythagorean theorem;
From geometric primitives to elliptic hyperbolas;
From the Fibonacci sequence to the drop test of the Leaning Tower of Pisa;
From calculus to Taylor expansion;

From analytical mechanics to Euler's identity;

From Fourier Transform to Electromagnetic Theory…

Whether you understand it or not, the reality is like this.Ladies and gentlemen, science has developed beyond your imagination. If you still sit here and think that science is useless, I am afraid that we will really become the dust of history! "

Li Yu's speech was so exciting that after a pause for a few seconds, Zhang Baixi led everyone to applaud.

Gu Hongming let out a long sigh, and applauded Li Yu a few times at the end.

"I admit that if you put the last words into the essay, even if it is because the vernacular can't give you a high score, I will let you pass."

After all, Gu Hongming is a madman, and when it comes to this, he has admitted defeat.

Li Yu smiled slightly: "The topic you gave is not like this. If you go off topic, I'm afraid you won't pass."

(End of this chapter)