Chapter 34 Learning and Virtue

Reading is for understanding; understanding is for being a man.If you don't understand the reason even though you are reading, you have not read the book well.Another example is that although you are successful in reading, you still lack the principles of being a human being, that is, you only have knowledge and ability but no Taoism. As far as the effect of education is concerned, if we only focus on imparting knowledge and neglect the cultivation of virtue, we will not be able to cultivate complete citizens.The success or failure of a country's education can be seen from the performance of a country's citizens' public morality.

Ren Decheng, a Confucian of the Qing Dynasty, said by Mr. Xiangyuan: Study hard and be kind, and it is enough to keep these two words.This is to teach people that both knowledge and virtue should be given equal importance, without one, nothing is enough.This is exactly what Mr. Mingxian Lu Kun said, the key to learning is only eight words, cultivate virtue and change temperament. (Ren's family is from Wujiang. He is devoted to Confucianism. He was regarded as a virtuous founder in the Yongzheng Dynasty, so he can't say anything.) In today's world, there is only knowledge but no virtue.For example, those who study politics do not pay attention to integrity; those who study law are ignorant of justice; those who study money neglect public welfare; The knowledge he acquires facilitates his evil intentions and misuses the knowledge for criminal techniques.Therefore, it can be seen that whether knowledge can be a disaster or a blessing depends on the existence or non-existence of human virtue.

Therefore, there are also a few warnings in the Western world that say: Knowledge is like medicine. In the hands of famous doctors, it is a powerful and useful thing in the world; but in the hands of quack doctors, it is the most harmful thing. Learning without virtue will do more harm.As big as ganging up to disrupt the country and society; as small as personal behavior is immoral, they are all thieves of knowledge.Did knowledge kill him?Or does it contempt knowledge for its immorality?How can he allow his demonic words to confuse the public, clever words to deceive people, and confounding black and white to deceive others.

Some people argue with their so-called new ideas and concepts that knowledge belongs to knowledge, and virtue belongs to virtue.Therefore, it is believed that on the one hand, it is possible to impart knowledge, and on the other hand, it will not hinder his private life as he pleases, claiming that these are two different things.But think about it, whether it is for others or yourself, should it be divided into two different things? It is better to hand over to a duanren who can't read a single word than to hand over to an evil scholar who has read thousands of books.Based on this, if a scholar has no character, not only is he not a real scholar, but he is even worse than an ignorant person when he does bad things, and he is not as good as an ordinary decent person.Like attracts like, think carefully about it.It is said that the good and evil of a person can be inferred from the friends he has with him, and can also be known from the books he reads.

Learning is originally to benefit the world, but although one has knowledge and skills but has no character or virtue, it is enough to deceive the mind and harm the world.The first foundation of education is to establish one's personality.Knowledge is the branches and leaves, and virtue is the roots. If there are branches and leaves but no roots, since there is no way to regenerate, it is just a few fallen leaves.