Please make a fair evaluation of Wang Shouren.

Like many outstanding figures in Chinese and foreign history, Wang Shouren has been praised as well as praised since he became famous in the world. At the same time, his contemporaries accused him of being ignorant of the past, saying that he was not a teacher and focused on innovation, but he had to admit that he had made outstanding achievements. Today, people say that he inherited Zhu's modest thoughts and advocated the study of mind in order to save the ruling crisis of the Ming Dynasty and find another way out for the rulers' ideological rule, but he cannot but admit the internal positive factors. We have to admit that he is far-reaching in thought and capable in handling affairs. This paper attempts to extract several fragments from Wang Shouren's political activities to see the unique personality of this great psychologist.

The year of Zheng Deyuan (1506) was a decisive moment for Wang Shouren. Zhu Houzhao is a romantic monarch. He was only 16 years old when he succeeded to the throne. He is intelligent, alert and active by nature. He doesn't like to stay in the court and listen to the platitudes of ancient sages and wise kings preached by Hanlin officials. He also hates pretending to listen to ministers' endless statements about the national economy and people's livelihood that he doesn't understand. However, he likes to dance and wrestle with the warriors in Yuma Prison. He likes to sneak out of the palace, have fun with his wife and have parties. In this regard, officials of foreign dynasties focused their attacks on several eunuchs close to Wu Zong-the Eight Tigers headed by Liu Jin, which set off a massive struggle against eunuchs and actually attacked the emperor. The result of the struggle was a fiasco of the Westernization School: except Li Dongyang, three cabinet college students, Liu Jian and Liu Jian were forced to be officials, Han Wen, the minister of household affairs, was dismissed, and Dai Bo, the science and technology officials who supported South Beijing, were punished with sticks.

Wang Shouren was in charge of the Ministry of War. He thought that being reasonable was the duty of the branch, and the court should not blame the branch officials for being reasonable, so the court staff also fined him forty times for "speaking against the chapter" and demoted him to the post office in Longchang, Guizhou.

But no one could have imagined that this 30-year-old Longchang Yicheng realized a shocking truth in the wild land and created Wang Shouren's mind theory, which has influenced China's history for hundreds of years.

Luo Hongxian, a famous figure of Jiangyou Wangmen, explained Wang Shouren's "Dragon Field Enlightenment" like this:

And he refused to exile in a secluded place in Wan Li, a barren land, a jackal tiger. He is alone, no one can hire him, and he is sick and close to his relatives. Love is forced to forget; The situation is limited to the outside, so it is necessary to go. Toss and turn, for the benefit of patience. My body is not mine, but why is it outside my body? Even so, if you wake up from a big dream, the strong are soft and the floating is real. People who rely on self-improvement on weekdays can not rely on them often, but can increase my machinery and steal my intelligence. (Wang Wencheng Public Rights Book, Volume 35, Four Annexes of Chronicle)

Although this analysis is reasonable, the objective environment cannot replace Wang Shouren's personality. Among the Taoist officials rescued by Wang Shouren, some died of injuries and some were demoted and reinstated, but none of them had original opinions in adversity. Only Wang Shouren put the stick and relegation behind him and went to "enlightenment" alone. Even if I get forty sticks, I'll be worthy of your father. As for Yao Shun, it has nothing to do with me!

According to Qian Dehong's Chronicle of Kings and Huang Zongxi's Ming Confucian Case, when Wang was demoted to the capital and exiled to Guizhou, Liu Jin sent his eyes to assassinate him on the way, but he was "thrown into the water to win the Dragon Field". If this is true, it is even more obvious that Wang Shouren's personality is extraordinary. No matter whether he was psychologically prepared before "throwing himself into the water", his potential consciousness is undoubtedly a contempt for the pedantic concept that "the monarch and the minister want to die, and the minister will not die and be unfaithful". Without this awareness, Wang Shouren could not have reached the Longchang Post Station, let alone understood the way of Wan Li.

The downfall of Liu Jin brought a turn for the better for Wang Shouren's career. Within a year, the magistrate of Luling County was promoted to the position of director of punishments, director of official departments and director of selected works of official departments. In the 14th year of Zheng De (15 19), Wang Shouren was Zhang Ting, the right deputy governor of Gannan.

In June this year, Wang Shouren was ordered to go to Fujian to investigate the mutiny, and went to Fengcheng. However, he learned from Gu Tuo, the magistrate of a county, that Ning Hao had rebelled in Nanchang, and immediately returned to Ji 'an to send troops to conquer Nanchang with Wu, the magistrate of a county. Today, when we read this record in Ming History, we won't have any other thoughts. As a government official, Wang Shouren learned that Ningfu rebelled and should be punished. But the problem is not that simple.

Since the third year of Hongwu (0370), when Ming Taizu punished the Song and Yuan Dynasties for isolation and enfeoffment, most ministers who talked about separatist princes and participated in the struggle for imperial power did not have a good result. First of all, Ye Boju, a discipline official in Pingyao, opposed the enfeoffment system. The final performance was fair and reasonable, but Ming Taizu thought it was "alienating" his own flesh and blood, and he died in prison. Kai Tai, Huang Zicheng, Lian Zining and others all tried to persuade Wen Jian to cut down, and they were all exterminated after Chengzu ascended the throne. Jie Jin just talked about the high fever in Hanwang, and it was abolished. In the first year of Xuande (1426), Gao Xu rebelled, and Yang Rong invited Xuanzong to make an expedition himself. Xuanzong was very reluctant. Xia Yuanji, the head of the household department, immediately pointed out: "When I saw what I sent yesterday, my life changed color, and I knew what was going on." (Biography of Xia Yuanji in Ming Dynasty) At that time, Gao Xu's rebellion had been confirmed by the imperial court, and the generals ordered to go to war were still timid, showing the sensitivity of the imperial clan issue.

According to Zheng Xiao, who was then an imperial minister and minister of punishments in Jiajing, he recalled: "Fan Ning moved against the times. When I was twenty-one, I was in the Hangkao. Reading Lu Yu's book, I dare not name Chen Hao's rebellion, dare not say that the provincial capital of Jiangxi Province has changed, dare not say that the provincial capital of Jiangxi Province is in a hurry, dare not say that the governor of Jiangxi Province was badly killed, dare not say that Nanchang suddenly assembled military forces, and rumors abound. However, Yangming (Wang Shouren) reported that King Ning of Jiangxi rebelled and respected the secret order, and he must fight it. " ("Today's Words" Volume 4) Various feather books dare not say that Wang Ning has rebelled. First, the situation is unknown, and he dare not make a fuss. Second, at that time, the Chaogang was in chaos, Wang Ning was absent for a day, and there were many companions. If he became the second prince, wouldn't it be a broken retreat? Wang Shouren dared to say that King Ning's rebellion was an enemy of the world, and declared that "he was ordered to conquer soldiers", leaving no room. Therefore, Zheng Xiao thinks this move is really "disregarding the disaster of the nine clans". Compared with those generals whose lives have changed color, the momentum is not reduced.

Since Zhu Houzhao learned that Yuan Geng was fighting, he was not shocked, but very excited. He felt that this hero had a position, so he called himself a mighty general, led tens of thousands of Beijing border guards south, and decided to follow Mao's example and fight alongside Marco in the Yanghu War. But just arrived in Zhuozhou, Wang Shouren captured Chen Yuan's good news in the woodshed. General Wu was disappointed when he saw the newspaper. He put aside the good news and went south, and ordered Ambambo Xu Tai, Zhong Zhang, the military eunuch of the prefect, and others to lead the capital army to Nanchang. Xu and Zhang, in order to cater to Wu Zong's aggressive temper, let go and let Wu Zong personally taste the taste of fighting and catching prisoners. Wang Shouren took Chen Haoxian to Yushan. On the one hand, he persuaded Zhang Yong, a powerful eunuch, not to go south to Jiangxi. On the other hand, he rewrote a successful document, saying that only by following the general plan set by "mighty generals" could the rebellion be put down and the vanity of Wu Zong be satisfied. This practice, in the eyes of ordinary scholars, is indecent, but in Wang Shouren's view, only in this way can Jiangxi be spared from being trampled.

Sejong acceded to the throne, named Wang Shouren as a special doctor, a pillar of talent and a new doctor. However, due to feud and factional struggle in officialdom, Wang Shouren failed to enter the highest decision-making circle, but was sent to Guangdong and Guangxi to suppress the Tusi rebellion and the riots of the Yao people. After several campaigns and appeasement, the matter finally settled, but it was accused by political opponents of "collecting money without ignorance", and the retribution was not good.

At this time, Wang Shouren was seriously ill. He can't stand such unfair treatment. He asked to resign and recommended Fu Lin, governor of Yunyang, as his peer. It was a little impulsive, but he was still unconvinced and left without waiting for the court's approval. But he failed to return to his hometown Yuyao, so he went to Nan 'an, Jiangxi, and died.

After Wang Shouren's death, Gui Zun, a college student, went AWOL illegally. Ming Shizong thought that Wang Shouren's resignation without approval was a contempt for the imperial court and allowed courtiers to discuss crimes. The conclusion of the court discussion is: (Wang) is not loyal to the past, and his words are not called teachers. If you want to innovate and think high, it is not Zhu's theory of understanding things; If you don't talk about the world, it will be the conclusion of Zhu's later years. Call on believers to reconcile with each other. Talented people are willing to do whatever they want, while vulgar people use empty voices. It is ridiculous to pass on the lessons and turn them into mistakes. "(Biography of Wang Shouren in the Ming Dynasty) If the attack component is excluded, this is a very appropriate evaluation.

Wang Shouren is indeed a "teacher", but he doesn't say he is a teacher, but he also has reasons. The case of Ming Confucianism said that he "began to flood the ci chapter." Then read Kao Ting's books over and over again. Despite physics, the heart was finally sentenced to two, with no income and a long time in and out of Buddha. When it comes to being trapped in a foreign country, it is patience. Because I miss the sage's way here, I suddenly realized the purpose of the governor, the sage's way, I am self-centered, and I don't want to ask for it. " ("Yao Case" Volume 10) If you call it a teacher, Confucius, Mencius, Han Oucheng and Zhu Folao are all teachers. Unlike some scholars, Wang Shouren didn't just respect a teacher and stick to his legacy. Instead, I learned from others' strengths, used everything for me, and started Wangmen psychology with "I" as the center. Some people accuse Wang Shouren of being influenced by Chen Xianzhang's lofty ideals, but he never talked about Chen Xianzhang in his life. Huang Zongxi also thinks: "Knowledge begins in Baisha (Chen Xianzhang). Its tight work is self-cultivation. Love is not empty, but mixed, until Yangming rises. The knowledge of these two gentlemen is the most similar. I wonder why Yang Ming never talked about it again. " (Case-solving of Confucianism in Ming Dynasty and Case-solving of Baisha Studies) People have been talking about this case-solving for hundreds of years, which is not solved by this short article, but at least one aspect of Wang Shouren's personality can be seen from it, that is, being brave in innovation and not ashamed to lag behind others. In fact, although Baisha and Yaojiang are quite similar, the difference is also obvious. If Wang Shouren prostrated himself at Baishamen, Wang Xue, who has been popular for generations, would not appear, and even Wang Shouren as we know it today would be greatly inferior. It is precisely because of Wang Shouren's "no learning, no words as a teacher" and "learning in silence" that he advocates independent thinking and practice that he becomes a master of thought and a politician with far-reaching influence. At the same time, there are not only extreme idealist thinkers, but also unknown scholars like Luo Hongshen, and "heretical" thinkers like He, Luo Rufang and even Li Zhi.

Wang Shizhen, a scholar in the Ming Dynasty, commented on Wang Shouren: "I have always seen the people in Shouren Township and the places where their soldiers marched, and their wisdom is unpredictable. ..... Its solidity is not as complete as Zhu's, but it is also gratifying and profound. Scholars embellished it and planted the party in different schools, thinking that Zhu would win. However, this is not a crime of benevolence and righteousness. It's hard to be bold and straightforward, not to carve, not to dance, and to see it alone. " Wang Shizhen's argument excused Wang Shouren from objectivism, arguing that the so-called "abuses" that appeared after Wang Xue had nothing to do with Wang Shouren itself, but did not see the relationship between them. In fact, no matter how deep Wang Xue's "abuses" are, no matter whether he is a "genius" or a "mediocrity" among Wang's scholars, we can all see the influence of Wang Shouren and Wang Xue's unique personality, which is what Wang Shizhen said: "Only when you are bold and unrestrained, you can be unique." Huang Zongxi summed up Wang Shouren's personality in the Confucianism case of Ming Dynasty with the word "bold and unconstrained". As mentioned above, we can see that this oneness is at work from Wang Shouren's achievements, the inner spirit of his theory and his relationship with the Ming government.

Wang Shouren's personality is not only the result of his southern tour to study, the ups and downs of his career, but also the result of the influence of literati in the Ming Dynasty.

Ming Taizu punished the leniency of the Yuan Dynasty, ruled the world with severe punishment and severe laws, established an extreme autocratic monarchy political system, and also caused a severe political situation for a generation. Interestingly, Ming Taizu himself is often impulsive and likes to argue with the scholar-officials. Once he is untenable, he will be happy to admit his mistake or increase his court staff. This style can also be found in other monarchs of the Ming Dynasty, such as Chengzu, Renzong, Xuanzong, Xianzong, Wuzong, and even Sejong and Zongshen. In this way, among the scholar-officials, an atmosphere of daring to say and do things and wanting to argue with others has gradually formed. Throughout the Ming Dynasty, it is rare for the monarch to kill and humiliate scholar-officials at will in the history of China, but the integrity of scholar-officials is also rare in previous dynasties. The more he gets hit by the board, the more beautiful he feels and the more famous he is. After Tianshun and Chenghua, with the activity of commodity economy, the extreme monarchy system established in the early Ming Dynasty was gradually relaxed, the civic class and civic consciousness rose again, and the traditional concept of ethics was also strongly impacted. The wind of giving lectures and refuting among the scholar-officials is gradually rising. After being imprisoned by thoughts for a long time, people feel a free and relaxed atmosphere. In the period of Wang Shouren, a group of scholars and artists with innovative spirit and the pursuit of personal freedom emerged. Yang Shen announced the arrival of a new era with his poems, essays and Sanqu, and Tang Yin, Zhu Yunming and Wen Zhiming with their books and paintings. It was in this atmosphere that Wang Shouren formed a unique personality and attacked the dogmatic rule of Zhu Cheng Neo-Confucianism in the field of philosophy, which had a great influence on the ideological emancipation in the middle and late Ming Dynasty.