In this case, the theory of revenge falls into an awkward position.
As a theory, the broader and simpler it is, the easier it is to promote. And if a lot of "exceptions" or even "exceptions of exceptions" are added, it will definitely affect the persuasiveness.
When you encounter a topic that really cannot be explained clearly, you can cover it up with "horse liver theory". But everything is horse liver, which is obviously not an option.
In the final analysis, the great Confucian scholars simply did not dare to say directly like the Greeks, "You should also take revenge on your own mother." So we can only cover it up and create such a loophole.
Guo Kang felt that this was the side effect of multiple "gangchang" mentioned before.
Those Greek scholars were actually right. Unlike the Greek and Roman culture where there was only one "patriarchal authority", there were multiple basic rules existing at the same time in Seris. The advantage is that the social structure there can be more complex and complete. The downside is that there are too many things to worry about, and fights are inevitable.
Not to mention the narratives of other schools, even within the basic Confucian classics, they are all contradictory. Confucian scholars brag all day long that the Celestial Dynasty is an orderly society of etiquette and justice, but Zhou Li has been doing it for three thousand years, but it has not solved the power represented by the role of the mother.
Everyone knows that in the Spring and Autumn Period, the "three obediences" and "filial piety" of a woman began to fight, as did the "respect" of the king and the father and the "love" of the biological mother. These problems are actually more serious than the "revolutionary" issues discussed by the Horse Liver Society, and involve Confucianism, and even basic ethical issues behind Confucianism and the classical Seris civilization.
Most Han Confucians dare not judge this, and the reason is very simple: if you say that revenge should not be taken, you will be criticized, because this is tantamount to opening a loophole in the universal axiom of revenge and destroying the foundation of the doctrine. .
But if you say you should take revenge, you will also be criticized by others, because it is generally believed in society that killing one's mother is unacceptable no matter what the circumstances. Not to mention proposing this conclusion, even if we analyze the two sides of mother-killing revenge to evaluate its justice, we will be questioned.
For more than two thousand years, no one can explain this question clearly. In the end, the topic itself became a forbidden area that could not be touched. No wonder the Greeks laughed at them.
It was not until the Eastern Han Dynasty that He Xiu, the master of Gongyang Studies, clearly put forward his own views. He believes that revenge is still necessary, but killing is too much, and the correct solution is to banish. Similarly, coercing the temple is just a way to deal with changes. The purpose is to maintain the balance of yin and yang. It does not mean that the mother goddess of the earth is really destroyed for the sake of the heavenly father.
His reason is "Zhu Bu Jia", which means that the mother is still superior to the son. Therefore, as a son, he cannot ethically kill his mother. The same should be true for mortals and the Earth Mother Goddess.
He Xiu was a very prestigious person at the time, and it may be because of this that he dared to openly discuss such topics and explain and teach. But even so, not surprisingly, he was criticized by many people, who felt that his Gongyang theory was too harsh and unsuitable for society.
And it is actually wrong not to add this reason. There is no need to look for arguments from great Confucianists. Anyone who has read the books of Mencius and Xunzi will know that these two important Confucian giants support the killing of "documentary men".
The relationship between monarch and minister is also an important basic principle. Single-husband tyrants like Jie and Zhou were still "superior" compared to their subjects. But because of their poor performance, the subjects had the power to kill them - when Shang Tang overthrew Xia Jie, he used the banner of revenge for ordinary people. It can be seen that "lower" can obviously kill "upper".
In the same way, in the relationship between mother and son, the mother who has a grudge is indeed ethically superior to her son. Just like Jie and Zhou's throne, it is an innate relationship. So if the mother behaves badly, why can't the son kill her?
Confucians often make analogies between various general relationships, but this time a problem was discovered.
——No matter what you say, Xia Jie is still a descendant of Dayu, and he is among the monarchs with the highest innate legitimacy. As a result, why is his priority of "high status" not as high as that of a woman? Could it be that the shelter provided by Dayu to control the floods was not as good as giving birth to a child?
If he knew this kind of comparison, Xia Jie would have to exhale and tremble. When will we, the one-husband tyrant, stand up...
Therefore, the results of this theory can be imagined. He Xiu's point of view did not put an end to the debate. On the contrary, as Han Confucianism declined, the concept of great revenge gradually faded.
Greek scholars accurately captured this point and questioned that the Seris civilization was not a patriarchal society at all. Because this kind of "untouchable topic" has obviously touched on the core ethics. Only basic settings of this level are "axioms" that cannot be discussed.
-For example, in Greece, philosophers could analyze and discuss the topic at will, make judgments and give advice to others. In this way, the difference between the two sides will become clearer.
After the Han Dynasty, the situation in Serris did not change much. On the contrary, as the vigorous Han Dynasty doctrine gradually fell into silence, the power to support revenge became weaker and weaker - of course, there was no way around it. After all, if you mentioned "revenge" and "unification" during the Wei and Jin Dynasties, it would be a bit embarrassing...
During this period, as the imperial court vigorously promoted "filial piety", the status and power of mothers in the family were actually improved. The first is the change of "stepmother is like mother".
For well-known reasons, the imperial court not only encouraged filial piety, but also tried its best to broaden its scope of application. Originally, during the Han Dynasty, there were differences in treatment between stepmothers and biological mothers, but now they are completely the same. On the whole, those who used to be filial need to be filial now; those who didn’t need to be so filial now also need to be filial. The whole world is in this state of full filial piety...
In this process, even the traditional principle of "father respects mother" has been shaken or even subverted, and a new view has even appeared publicly, believing that mother is more important to children.
Because Confucianism also emphasizes the relationship of "kinship" and believes that the entire society, starting from all individuals, is organized according to the hierarchy of affinity. Therefore, the level of importance must also refer to the positioning of the individual. For example, in Confucian etiquette, the very important part of mourning is based on this.
And after such calculation, you will find that the mother is closer to the children than the father - because people believe that the relationship between father and son is acquired, and the relationship between mother and child is innate; the relationship between mother and children is understood by both primitive people and animals. The type is obviously more primitive and basic. This will lead to the fact that in terms of etiquette rules for children, the mother should be declared to be higher than the father...
Scholars in the Wei and Jin Dynasties were greatly puzzled by this, and related debates even took place seriously in the court...
If a patriarchal system is set up like this, it would make even the Greeks laugh out loud.
(End of chapter)
