Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 274 In my heart, there is a Confucian scholar

"Since you know a lot about the Ming Dynasty, let's continue." Theodora said, "Why do you think they will change their habits immediately?"

"Because you are not enough for the Central Plains." Guo Kang said with a smile: "People like me who think very deeply about the Central Plains can understand the reason without thinking about it."

"People in the Central Plains don't have any consistent 'traditional thinking habits'. In other words, their traditional habits are pragmatism."

"To sum up, they pay attention to practicality, while ignoring the impractical 'skills and tricks'. It can be said that their advantages and disadvantages are actually all in this trait."

"Fantastic and obscene..." Theodora began to think about the word.

"Yes." Guo Kang explained: "This word comes from "Shang Shu Tai Oath". The original text said that King Wu of Zhou condemned King Zhou of Shang, saying that he used strange skills and excessive skills to please women. This is a word In fact, it is a very good generalization, which can describe the general thinking of people in the Central Plains.”

"Then, does this count as a skill?" Theodora pointed to the scaffolding-like corset: "I think this technique is quite strange..."

"The key to strange skills and ingenuity lies in 'excess'." Guo Kang didn't care at all: "It's all technical skills. The ancients often thought that the technology used for entertainment was strange skills and ingenuity, but no one ever talked about improving farm tools and researching water conservancy equipment. It's a strange skill. Because there is only such a thing as 'overplaying'. For the improvement of agricultural technology, no one has ever considered 'excessive'."

On this point, Guo Kang is very sure.Agriculture in the Central Plains belongs to an industry that has never stopped developing and progressing for thousands of years.Even in the middle and late Qing Dynasty, tools and technology continued to be upgraded, and there may have been a large-scale regression during the Republic of China.It can be seen that what is excluded is never technology and innovation itself, but the part that is considered meaningless or even harmful.

"The thing I made for you is not to provide excessive entertainment to please women, but to solve problems and alleviate the inconveniences in life. Therefore, it is not considered a miracle." He said to himself concluded.

"So that's what it means." Theodora probably understood.

"To be honest, this way of thinking is really not conducive to encouraging people to think about natural philosophy. Because for a long time, this kind of discipline cannot provide much practical value." Guo Kang said.

"In many aspects of life, production, and even military affairs, the level of ancient science is enough. New inventions, including steam, are basically breakthroughs in the field of technology and craftsmanship, and have nothing to do with natural philosophy itself."

"That's it..." Theodora suddenly realized: "No wonder you said that the church is the most suitable for studying these things."

"Hey, the Central Plains people are too down-to-earth." Guo Kang shook his head: "Only religious organizations can persevere in research and investment for such a 'fake' thing."

"But on the other hand, once they discover the value in it, they will adjust it immediately. Although this process will take time, it is already a big adjustment for a civilization, especially a civilization of such a large size. This is a very difficult thing. Even compared with those civilizations with a shorter history and smaller size, this reaction speed is amazing."

According to the experience of previous lives, it may only take one generation, or even less, for the Central Plains people to make overall adjustments.The changes in the late Qing Dynasty appeared to be "slow". Rather than saying that they did not want to change, it is better to say that they have not realized the crisis for a long time.

Before the Sino-Japanese War, the entire Seris was actually quite "classical".Although there are foreign guns, guns, and even foreign religions, and many people have learned about Western ideas, the practical needs in this area are not very urgent.

Beginning in the 19s, the Qing army first performed well in the process of recovering XJ.In the subsequent Sino-French war, although it suffered a lot, it also caused the French army to retreat at a strategic level in Beiqi.Facing the top powers at the time, this performance was already good.So at that time, many people didn't realize that there was still a problem, but felt that the Qing Dynasty was doing it again...

It was not until the defeat to Japan in 1895 that it brought a huge psychological impact to people, which triggered a sudden change in thinking.In the next three to forty years, various trends of thought surged up and down, and those who could try almost tried a circle.Compared with most civilizations, this speed is already amazing-at this time, other people basically can't even try one.

Looking at this period of history from later generations will certainly leave a deep impression on Guo Kang.

"The people of Seris will tell you that there are 'business' and 'skills' in the world, but they will not tell you that the two can change at any time." He told Theodora with emotion: "I I didn’t even notice it at first, but I gradually discovered the pattern here.”

"For example, natural philosophy. In ancient times, this kind of knowledge was really not very useful, so the people of Seris didn't have much interest in it, and some of them dismissed it as strange skills and obscenity, thinking that it was a waste of time and energy, and a delay in business."

"If you only look at this time, the judgment of the ancients is actually correct. As we said before, Seris has been a very competitive place since ancient times. Waste of property and energy is undoubtedly a kind of waste to your camp. Vandalism, so others have an incentive to stop it."

"On the contrary, in that era, the knowledge of society and management was the most important. The people of Seris are quite mature and advanced in this area, and a lot of relevant content has been taught in the Four Books and Five Classics."

"Using this advantage, they successfully established a very large, efficient and stable country at the time. In other civilizations, it is almost impossible for a state machine of this level to exist. With the help of this powerful order, Seris Civilization can crush almost everyone around them. For them, this is the housekeeping skill to settle down, and of course it is 'business'."

"That's why some people think that reading the Four Books and Five Classics is a serious matter, and studying natural philosophy is an obsession with strange skills."

"Then if the 'useful' things change, they will change with them." Theodora said: "After all, their true belief is pragmatism."

"Yes. On the surface, the people of Seris believed in the Four Books and Five Classics before, but in fact they only believed in practical value." Guo Kang nodded: "Once they find out that natural philosophy can bring huge benefits, they will immediately abandon it." Four Books and Five Classics, taking natural philosophy as a 'business'."

"It's not because they believe in science, or because they desire truth. For most people, it's just because 'science' is more usable and easier to fight. Their belief is still the supremacy of practicality itself."

"Although on the surface, I have 'converted', from reading the Four Books and Five Classics to reading scientific works, but in fact nothing has changed. Even the position of 'unique skills and obscenities' has not disappeared, but the original Four Books and Five Classics are now strange. Skillful."

"If this is the case, you can rest assured that they will not even change the way of criticizing 'unique skills and obscenity'." Guo Kang said: "But at this time, it becomes condemning the Four Books and Five Classics as having no practical value, purely pure It's a waste of time and energy, and delays the business."

"The people who criticize Confucius at this time are essentially the same kind of people as the Confucian scholars who pursued Confucius and criticized the craftsmen at the time, but their positions are just reversed. It's okay to even regard them as the ninth school of Confucianism. Anyway, the basic thinking The method is the same." He laughed and said, "Actually, each of you has a Confucian scholar in your heart."

"So I understand." Theodora nodded: "This is the same as various heresies in Europe. Some heresies even deny the existence of God, but they still demonstrate within the theoretical system of philosophy and theology .The point of view may change, or even be the opposite of what it was before, but the core way of thinking of civilization will not change."

"Yes, that's what I think." Guo Kang said.

That is, there is no magic in this world.Otherwise, if the people of Seris one day find out that reading the Four Books and Five Classics can summon the Great Demon Kong Yu to help them hack the enemy to death, then it is estimated that everyone will read the Four Books and Five Classics as a "business" every day.In the final analysis, for them, these beliefs are nothing more than tools.

(End of this chapter)