The first is the life ideal of "valuing oneself" and "rebirth"
"Give priority to yourself" and "for me" mean "rebirth", which are the main ideas of Yang Zhu and Yang Zhu. Although the Yang Zhu School has been lost, its views are still thought deeply by later generations. Contemporary researchers believe that for individuals, the interests of Yang Zhu School are various. And the biggest and most precious thing is life. Other interests can only serve and should not be detrimental to "life". In other words, saving my life is the maximization of my personal interests. Taoism in the pre-Qin period also used the principles of "doing" and "doing" to demonstrate the principle of "ignoring things for rebirth". They believe that life is a "doer", a subject and an end; "Things" or "benefits" are people who "do whatever they want" and serve "life" as a means.
Second, "rebirth" and "the way of whole life"
Although, of course, Yang Zhu School's life goal is of great benefit to me, what it does for life cannot be separated from what it does for health. Contemporary researchers believe that Yang Zhu fully affirmed people's material desires and that "people's innate greed" is a human fact. In order to realize the ideal society of "valuing oneself" and "rebirth", Yang Zhu put forward a method. Desire must be "lightly reborn", and based on the principle of "valuing life", desire can be satisfied in a limited way. In a word, Yang Zhu's "life" is a double-edged sword. Without the satisfaction of desire, he can't live. Without the satisfaction of desire, "there is no choice but to die." The excessive satisfaction of desire will inevitably lead to a chaotic situation in which everyone's material desires cross-flow, social atmosphere is corrupt and moral discipline is lax. The loss of Yang Zhu's theory makes it impossible for us to know how Yang Zhu bridged the tension between desire and morality. According to the legend of "light things and rebirth", modern people believe that as long as the satisfaction of desire is beneficial to "whole life", it can avoid the infinite expansion of desire, and if it exceeds it, it will "control desire" Cherish your body and your health. A sick body is not as good as a short life. A legitimate desire should not aim at the desire itself. You can make "infinite essence", so "long life, happiness and peace."
Third, the ideological essence and historical significance of "valuing oneself" and "rebirth"
It is true that Yang Zhu and Yang Zhu's thoughts of "valuing oneself" and "rebirth" are not hedonism and sensualism, but rational thinking about desires.
And it is strictly controlled under the doctrine of "light things and rebirth". Because they despised wealth and wealth, the "masters of the world" at that time "cherished their wisdom and did their best". There was also a lot of praise at that time. However, its essence has to become a unique "egoistic" philosophy of life. The "egoism" essence of Yang Zhu School in treating individual life value is very obvious. As a kind of egoism, "value yourself" and "rebirth" are certainly undesirable dross. However, as some arguments of this life theory, it contains some historical significance worthy of affirmation. Yang Zhu School's theory of "rebirth" fully affirmed the natural rationality of individual desires. Since the Han Dynasty, thinkers have emerged constantly. In order to safeguard justice and eliminate human desires, the existence and attempt of desires are completely prohibited. Practice has proved that many distorted and arrogant behaviors have occurred in this process, which is worthy of self-criticism and self-reflection. Yang Zhu School advocates abstinence of desire and "abstinence of desire", that is to say, they do not completely deny the role of reason, but affirm the conscious rational restraint of perceptual desire and the pursuit of personal interests, thus avoiding sentimentalism. In this respect, it is not unreasonable.
In terms of taking self-protection as the purpose and significance of life, Yang Zhu School is indeed consistent with Taoism of Laozi and Zhuangzi, especially Zhuangzi's thought. It can be said that Yang Zhu School belongs to a school of Taoism. However, they realize "whole life" in the proper satisfaction of realistic perceptual desire, which has the characteristics of utilitarianism.
2. Debate between Yang and Mo: Laozi advocates "treating yourself lightly and doing nothing". Yang Zhu developed this idea of Laozi, formed the academic proposition of "valuing oneself" and "doing for me", and became the earliest academic master who advocated personal attention in China. It is said that during the Warring States period, perhaps Yang Zhu had a great influence. When Mencius was alive, he complained that people at that time expressed their opinions, either supporting Mozi or Yang Zhu. His thought can be described as madness, which is not the same as Mohism.
Yang Zhu believes that only by knowing when to live and when to die can we "live happily" and "save me". We can neither "benefit the world at the expense of a dime" nor "know all about the world", so "the world is the rule" You can't get tired of the envy of longevity, fame, position and goods, so that you can be "whole-born" and achieve "safety for both the monarch and the minister, and everything is beneficial to me" (Liezi Yang Zhu). How to be "all true, not complicated" (on Huai Nan Zi) is the ideological core of Yang Zhu School.
Because the idea of "for me" is just the opposite of Mozi's idea of "universal love", Yang Zhu's ideas were severely criticized by Mencius. Mencius said that Yang Zhu advocated "doing things for me", not even for the benefit of the world (in Mencius). Describing Yang Zhu as a completely selfish person actually misinterprets Yang Zhu's original intention of "doing for me" and "valuing himself".
Since then, Youzi Huazi and zhanhe are the inheritors of Yang Zhu Thought. They advocate abstinence, pay attention to health preservation, prevent diseases and make full use of life. Think that life is more precious than "being an emperor" and "being rich in the world" (Lu Chunqiu, emphasizing himself); "The truth of the Tao is to hold the body; The rest of the thread, for the country (Lv Chunqiu Guisheng), puts personal interests above national interests.
Zi Huazi advocates that the six desires are in their proper places. He believes that all six desires should be in their proper places, and only some of them should be in their proper places. As for death, they just returned to the state of ignorance before birth. If the six desires are not deserved, wronged, insulted and still alive, this is called "forcing life." In the world, the best life is "whole life", followed by "death" and "death", and "forced life" is not as good as "death" (Zi Huazi quoted from Lv Chunqiu Guisheng).
War and peace advocate "rebirth" and "light profit" (Lu Chunqiu is a great power). They are not indulgent hedonists, but want to achieve the goal of inaction through "all truth". The chapters such as "valuing oneself", "valuing life", "valuing nature" and "valuing desire" in Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals are directly quoted from Zi and Zhan's theories.
Strangely, 2,500 years ago, China people's thoughts were either Yang Zhu's individualism or Mo Zhai's socialism, and they were divided into two opposing factions. Until now, human beings in the world are either individualism or socialism.
In the Strategic Research of Taoist Merchants, the core theory of "five diagrams" of Taoist Merchants is based on the "infinite diagram" representing nothingness (whatever is empty in Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi) and the "extreme diagram" representing reality (Yang Zhu's theory of valuing oneself), and whether they coexist and merge. Therefore, Taoism finally produced the theory of "learning from foreigners" by Emperor Huang Lao.
3 ? The founder was Yang Zhu (about 395 BC-about 335 BC) who introduced Yang Zhu. Speaking of about 450 BC-about 370 BC, Yang was a native of Wei (about Qin) and a great thinker and philosopher in the early Warring States period in China.
Yang Zhu advocated the ideas of "valuing oneself", "rebirth" and "not losing a cent". He is the founder of Yang Zhu School of Taoism. His opinions on dissolution can be found in Liezi, Zhuangzi, Mencius, Everything is Wrong, and Lv Chunqiu. During the Warring States period, there was a phenomenon that "the words of the world did not belong to Yang, but to Mo", which showed the great influence of his theory.
Yang Zhu is also known as Yang Ziju or Yang Sheng (Zhuangzi has Yang Ziju and Lv Chunqiu has Yang Sheng, which is generally considered as another name for Yang Zhu). Wei Guoren is a hermit, and his life and works are not known in detail at present. However, the Yang Zhu School founded by Yang Ziju objectively and realistically expounded the significance of people-oriented development and influenced and inspired various schools. To this day, Yang's works are still used in many things in our lives. However, just as any learned theory can't be completely quoted but can only be used for reference, knowing its essence, making good use of it, choosing it and developing it will definitely patronize today.
Mencius said that "Yang Zhu's words spread all over the world, and the people of the world did not belong to Yang, but to Mo", but it can be inferred that this school would be very influential at that time. No writings circulated, but his words and deeds were scattered in Mencius, Han Feizi, Zhuangzi and Lv Chunqiu. Due to the lack of historical materials, it is difficult to grasp its ideological system and development overview;
But what is certain is that its main purpose is to advocate "valuing oneself", "doing for me" and "neglecting things to be reborn" from the perspective of individual standard, and to regard the material interests of individual senses above everything else.
Mencius compared Yang and Mo, saying: Take it for me, and pull out a dime, which will benefit the world and not benefit others; Mozi loves everything, keeps his feet on the ground and benefits the world. "
("Mencius") attacked "Yang is for me, there is no gentleman; Mohist school loves without father; Without a father and a gentleman, it is an animal "(Mencius Teng Wengong).
Han Fei also criticized this school as a "person born again after being despised" (Han Feizi's fairy school). It can be seen that this school has serious differences with Confucianism and Mohism in ethics and education. Later, I learned how to have a son, Hanako and Zhan.
Zi Huazi once said: "The whole life (all six desires are suitable) is the highest, followed by death, followed by death, and forced life (humiliation) is the next." (Lushi Chunqiu Guisheng) Zhan He asked the king of Chu "for the country" and said, "I don't know if it is a country." (Lu Chunqiu Zhiyi) Their speech "Zhuangzi" is also recorded.
Critics say that "it is their characteristic that Yang Zhu's post-school students can move freely between Zhuang and Yang" (Hou Wailu's General History of China's Thought History 1, page 348). The example of Yang Zhu, supported by later generations, does not represent Yang Zhu Thought.