Brief Introduction of Several Views on the Relationship between Heaven and Man in Ancient China

Generally speaking, there are three kinds: the theory of harmony between man and nature; Heaven and man are separated; The theory of heaven and man winning. In the history of ancient philosophy in China, the theory of harmony between man and nature has always occupied a dominant position.

The theory that heaven and man are separated is Xunzi's view of nature. Xunzi affirmed that "heaven" is a natural day. The changes in nature have their own laws, which are independent of human will. At the same time, heaven can't manage personnel. This argument that "heaven" has nothing to do with the chaotic control of human society distinguishes man from god and nature from society for the first time in theory, which is a powerful criticism of the theory of destiny. The relationship between heaven and man is an important topic in traditional Confucianism. The sky here has two meanings: first, it refers to nature, and second, it refers to some laws and truths that people have learned from nature, which is called "sky". The former refers to nature itself, while the latter refers to the spirit of nature. When it comes to the relationship between heaven and man, "heaven" sometimes refers to the former, sometimes refers to the latter, and sometimes the two are mixed, regardless of each other, depending on its content. For example, in Zhouyi, heaven and earth are nature, dryness and Kun are its spirits, the main roads are vigorous and Kun is supple.