Why is the relationship between heaven and man a fundamental issue in traditional Chinese philosophy?

On the idea of "the unity of man and heaven", the most widely interpreted is the content of man and nature living in harmony. In fact, such an interpretation does not fully reveal the profound and rich philosophical connotation and significance contained in the idea of "unity of heaven and man".

△ "The unity of heaven and man" thought and the Chinese primitive culture of nature worship (to heaven and earth as the basis of living things), as well as ancestor worship (to ancestor as the guardian of the world's "emperor" "God"), and other concepts, have the same meaning as the "unity of heaven and man" thought.

The Chinese culture of nature worship (with heaven and earth as the basis of living things) and ancestor worship (with ancestors as the guardians of the world, "Heaven" and "God") are closely related.

△ The meaning of the sky has multiple: a, heaven and earth (nature) of the sky, b, things endowed with nature (nature, fate) and its own law (heaven, heaven), c, things with the function (heavenly officials, heavenly duties) and the nature of the relationship between each other (Tianlun), d, the ancestor of the gods (heaven, God) and a variety of gods in general (such as "the sky, a hundred gods of the great ruler") e, the ancestral gods (heaven, God) and a variety of gods. (e) a force that cannot be resisted by human beings (natural disasters, heavenly destiny) (f) the most fundamental and important things (e.g., "the king takes the people as the sky", "the people take the food as the sky"), and so on. Among them, the most important are the meaning of "the way of heaven", "ancestor God", "heavenly destiny" and so on.

△ Chinese traditional culture, "the ancient law of heaven" is an important concept, so pay great attention to the "study of heaven and mankind, through the changes of the past and present", which should be "to the sky as a rule! The key is to "take the sky as the rule" and "take history as a reference".

※ "The unity of man and heaven" idea of the main purpose, first of all, is reflected in the "heaven as a rule" - "humane" and "heavenly".

※ The essence of the idea of "unity of heaven and mankind" is, first of all, the "rule of heaven" - the unity of "humanism" and "heavenlyism".

△ Confucian expression: "Sincerity is the way of heaven; sincerity is the way of man." In the Middle Ages, "Sincerity is the way of Heaven. Sincerity is the way of man." Mencius - Heaven (Tao) and man (Tao) are united in "Sincerity".

△ Taoist expression: "Taoism is based on nature" (Laozi, Chapter 25), "Taoism is always doing nothing" (Chapter 37). " (Chap. 2) "to complement the nature of all things without daring to do anything." (Chapter 64) - Heaven (Tao) and man (Tao) are united in "natural inaction"

△ Xunzi synthesized Confucianism: "Heaven and earth is great, but if it is not sincere, then it can not be transformed into all things; the saint is a knowledge of it, but if it is not sincere, then it can not be transformed into all the people. ". "The sincerity, the gentleman's guardian also, and the basis of government also." ("Xunzi - Bu Gou") "Therefore, the benevolent person's practice of the Way is also, without doing anything; the sage's practice of the Way is also, without being strong. (Xunzi - Xiezhi)

※ The ideology of "unity of heaven and mankind" and "taking heaven as the rule" contains the thinking mode of "natural and reasonable". --Respect for nature and individuality.

△ "There is no such thing as a delusion, but there must be a reason for it"; "There is an origin for the meeting, and there is an ancestry for the unification" (Wang Bi, "Zhou Yi's Brief Examples - Ming Tuan"

△ "There is no such thing as a man who destroys the heavens, or who destroys his life, or who gets a martyrdom for his name. ." (Zhuangzi - Qiushui)

△ "Therefore, in all learning, it is not to be able to benefit, but to reach the nature of heaven. Can the whole day's birth and do not defeat it, is called good learning." (Lu Shi Chun Qiu - Meng Xia Ji - Respect for Teachers)

△ Zhu Xi also said later, "I say, the reason of things, nothing is not natural. Shun and follow it, it is a great wisdom, if you use a small wisdom and chiseling to selfishness, it is harmful to the nature of the opposite is not wise." (The Four Books, Chapter and Verse Collected Notes)

* "Sincerity" is the virtue of heaven, "natural inaction" is also the virtue of heaven, "the unity of heaven and man" is also the The "unity of heaven and man" is also the "unity of heaven and man", that is, "heaven and man are in harmony with virtue" - man takes "heaven's virtue" as an example ("to be the rule"), and has to "Virtue to match heaven"; heaven is "human virtue" to act, the so-called "the emperor has no relatives, only virtue is auxiliary" ("Shangshu - Caizhong's life") Thus, leading to a fundamental feature of Chinese culture: the promotion of humanism - the spirit of humanism, which is a fundamental feature of Chinese culture. This leads to a fundamental characteristic of Chinese culture: the exaltation of humanism - the worship of gods ("If you cannot serve man, how can you serve the devil?"). The Analects of Confucius - Advanced, "The righteousness of the people, honoring ghosts and gods and keeping them far away, can be said to know what is going on." The Analects of Confucius - Yongya), the lower defense against materialism ("The gentleman serves things, the villain serves in things" Xunzi - Cultivation of the Body) - and advocate moral self-improvement ("From the Son of Heaven to the common people one is to cultivate the body as the basis. "

※ The idea of "unity of heaven and man" also contains some very profound and important concepts:

△ Such as part of the whole is part of the whole and is subject to the whole - everything (including human beings) is born of heaven and earth, "the heaven and earth are the source of life," and "the heaven and earth are the source of life. "Heaven and earth are the origin of birth." (Xunzi - Rites of Passage) "Heaven is the ancestor of all things, and all things are not born without heaven," (Dong Zhongshu: "Spring and Autumn Fanshou - Shun命"). All things are subject to the dominion of heaven, and must follow the way of heaven and heaven's reasoning.

△ The part and the whole can not be separated, and interact with each other - people and the whole of heaven and earth are associated with all things, the human body is a small world, directly or indirectly accept the influence of the operation of heaven and earth, and the operation of heaven and earth together. Conversely, human activities will also directly and indirectly affect the operation of heaven and earth - "heaven and man induction".

△ part of the whole relationship, contains the whole of the reason - "reason a point of difference", "everyone a Taiji", "things a Taiji", "everything is one Taiji", and so on.