Those Who Ruin Nations Are Often Gentlemen; Those Who Harm the People Are All Rotten Confucianists -- Let This Confucius Worship Farce End!
The Girl Who Loves Math
Just got back from a business trip to a major central province to discuss a project. I just posted something about Marx, and now I discover -- why has this Confucius worship fuss started again? Too many idle people love making trouble -- they've gone crazy from boredom. Those who ruin nations are often gentlemen; those who harm the people are all rotten Confucianists -- the grime of Confucius and dust of Confucians has been drifting for over two thousand years. Still making a fuss -- apart from proving that this so-called "culture" is no different from bedroom arts, it's nothing at all.
Actually, my elders have deep connections with Liang Shuming, so I shouldn't be so averse to Confucianism. But now the so-called New Confucians and some old Confucians keep flipping through their old almanacs endlessly, and figures of such poor character as Xiong Shili are still worshipped as their idols. My aversion to them has only grown. May I ask: how many people today can match Liang Shuming? And what kind of people are those who now preach Confucian doctrine?
For Confucians, ordinary people (in their minds actually riffraff) will never be those they truly wish to understand or help. Even their so-called "saving the masses from fire and flood" comes from a savior's perspective. Of course, following their logic, they'll have endless arguments, but what meaning does any of it ultimately have?
In plain terms, the ultimate so-called political ideal of Confucian grime and dust is no different from elitism -- only differing in specific form. To put it more directly: your model has been played for over two thousand years -- haven't you had enough? You still want all 1.3 billion Chinese to keep playing for another two thousand years because of your special fondness for the so-called Sage Confucius? History won't give this chance again. It's been played far too long. Probably everyone except a small minority is already sick of it. This is already history's choice, so give up the dream!
Confucianism as culture naturally has its irreplaceable value -- just as bedroom arts also have irreplaceable value. But the grime of Confucius and dust of Confucians will never return to the monopolistic status of over 100 years ago. For China to ultimately dominate the world, it must open its heart and absorb the world's finest cultures that have already been created for its own use, rather than clinging solely to what it had before. If practice is the sole criterion for testing truth, those things have long been tested -- but relying on them alone doesn't work. That's history's conclusion. Trying to come back with a new face? No way!