"Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's continue talking. Where did the sermon just come from?"
Su Jing shook her head and threw away the messy thoughts in her mind.
Now I am trying to explain things to Old Liu, so I have to explain it properly.
"Master Su, you just said that revolutionary changes in industry are the cause of changes in social form."
Liu Bowen replied.
"Um."
Su Jing nodded and said: "Yes, the surplus value created by simple agriculture is no longer enough to promote social change."
"Then industry is the next direction of development. Old Liu, think about it. If one day, some kind of implement appears, such as a textile machine, the current textile machine requires human power to drive, although it is faster than pure manual work. Quite a few, but in the end it’s human power that does it.”
"The textile machines of the future do not need people to step on them. They can weave non-stop for 12 hours a day, and the fabrics weaved are fast and good. One textile machine can be equivalent to the production efficiency of dozens of textile workers. , what will happen when that time comes.”
Su Jing briefly described the phenomenon during the European Industrial Revolution.
After all, our land in China was directly bombarded by ships and cannons during the transformation of feudal society.
It is not a normal transformation path, nor is it suitable for explanation.
"Such a loom?"
There was a look of surprise in Liu Bowen's eyes.
Because the textile machine described by Su Jing is simply a divine object!
Is there really such a thing?
Liu Bowen was suspicious in his heart, but seeing Su Jing's indifferent expression, he felt that no one could say for sure what would happen in the future.
He has personally experienced the power of the imperial examination.
These two thin lenses allowed his eyes to see clearly again.
If it can continue to develop, maybe there will be a textile machine like what Su Jing described.
"Old Liu, don't worry about whether you have the textile machine I mentioned, but think about what will happen if you have it."
Su Jing knew that it was not easy for the people of the Ming Dynasty to understand and accept modern textile machines.
But Su Jing's focus is not on this, she just needs to treat this as a known condition.
"Okay, Mr. Su."
Liu Bowen nodded and said after thinking for a moment: "By then, there should be a large number of female textile workers unemployed."
"If I were the owner of a textile factory, I would naturally choose such a textile machine instead of a textile worker."
Su Jing smiled and said: "Oh, I didn't say the cost of this kind of textile machine. Are you so sure, Old Liu?"
Liu Bowen said: "Mr. Su, although I have never done business, Old Liu, I still know some business knowledge."
"Even though this kind of textile machine is very expensive, as long as this textile machine works long enough, I can naturally make money back. More importantly, with this kind of textile machine, I can lower the price when I recruit textile workers. ”
"At that time, these textile workers will have to face competition with textile machines."
Speaking of this, Liu Bowen suddenly understood something.
He frowned and said to Su Jing: "Mr. Su, are you saying that when a large number of items like textile machines appear, there will be an industrial revolution?"
He didn't know how to describe it, so he used the word revolution mentioned by Su Jing before.
"Lao Liu, that's great. You have begun to understand."
Su Jing nodded, feeling quite shocked that Liu Bowen directly said the word industrial revolution.
But Liu Bowen was confused and said: "Mr. Su, the Ming Dynasty is based on agriculture. Scholars, farmers, industry and commerce, farming is the first priority."
"What Mr. Su said is that he is a businessman. Businessmen are the lowest class. Businessmen have no success since ancient times."
The current situation of Ming Dynasty is that there is no capitalism yet.
In other words, very far away from capitalism.
The thinking of the people is farming!
Land is always the most important.
When it comes to doing business, you are mentally inferior to others.
If modern textile machines were introduced to the Ming Dynasty, there might not be much trouble.
Liu Bowen still thought deeply. Peasant uprisings have existed since ancient times, and there are successful precedents.
Zhu Yuanzhang is a ready-made one!
According to Su Jing, revolution must be an earth-shaking change.
Businessman, unworthy.
Su Jing looked at Liu Bowen and said: "This is the current situation of the Ming Dynasty, or the current situation of our unified dynasty in China."
"Old Liu, why do you think there are scholars, farmers, industrialists and merchants talking about it?"
Su Jing asked Liu Bowen.
Liu Bowen thought for a while and replied: "It is said in "Guanzi·Xiaokuang": Scholars, farmers, industry and commerce are the four common people of the country."
"Huainanzi Qi Su Xun" says: This is why people do not hold official positions, and officials do not hold concurrent jobs. Scholars, peasants, industry, and commerce are different from each other in their hometowns and states. This is why farmers and farmers have different words and deeds, and workers and workers are skillful in words and deeds. , Shang and Shang Yanshu."
“Since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, scholars, farmers, industry and commerce have been prevalent.”
Liu Bowen read a lot of books, and he remembers them all clearly.
Su Jing smiled and nodded: "Then why do you think farmers are at the front and business at the end?"
Liu Bowen was stunned, as if he didn't expect why Su Jing would ask such a question, but he still said: "Food is the most important thing for people, and filling their stomachs is always the most important. Farmers cultivate the land and produce food, which naturally ranks first. The first one."
"Businessmen pursue profit, buy low and sell high, and do not engage in production, so they will naturally be ranked at the bottom."
A very standard answer, and the answer in most people's minds.
Su Jing shook her head and said: "Old Liu, that shouldn't be the case. With your brain, you won't think so superficially!"
At the beginning, Liu Bowen continued to give wonderful remarks, which raised Su Jing's expectations for him.
This led to Liu Bowen's answer at this moment, which made Su Jing a little disappointed.
"Well, Mr. Su, am I right?"
Liu Bowen said a little strangely.
Su Jing immediately said: "Not really, it's just that it's too simple."
"Please Mr. Su, please help me clear up my doubts."
Liu Bowen said seriously.
Just a scholar, farmer, industrialist and businessman, Liu Bowen really didn't think of too many things.
Su Jing paused and said, "Old Liu, remember what I said yesterday about productivity and surplus products."
Liu Bowen nodded immediately.
Su Jing continued: "The fundamental reason why the peasants, farmers, industry and commerce were implemented is not the lack of productivity."
"Farmers work hard, produce food, and feed the entire country is the limit."
"There can't be too many people in other industries, because if there are more people, the food production will not be enough."
"But what if there is overcapacity? There are too many surplus products, we don't need all the land, we don't need so many farmers, and what about when the food production is enough?"
“At that time, can farmers still be ranked first?”
Su Jing's rhetorical question made Liu Bowen stunned.
He really hasn't thought about this problem, because since ancient times, there has never been a time when food was completely enough.
Even during the heyday of the Han and Tang Dynasties, famines still occurred from time to time in various places.
How is this possible?
What Su Jing said was somewhat beyond his common sense.
"Master Su, if it is true as you said, wouldn't it mean that no one will starve to death?"
Liu Bowen asked Su Jing.
No one will starve to death.
this.
Su Jing suddenly thought of her past life. The world's food production was completely enough to feed the entire population, but there were still many hungry people in the world.
"No, Lao Liu, no matter how much food we have, some people will still starve to death."
Su Jing shook her head and said.
Liu Bowen reacted quickly and immediately knew that what he just said was a little too naive.
Not long ago, there was a disaster relief grain corruption case in Ming Dynasty.
If no one wants to starve to death, food production alone is not enough.
Su Jing continued: "Productivity determines production relations. With the continuous development and advancement of society and the advancement of science and technology, productivity will continue to improve, which will lead to changes in production relations."
"Just like the future textile machines I just mentioned, as well as the future surge in food production, are all the result of the development of science and technology."
"But for the Ming Dynasty, or for the entire feudal dynasty, this was not inevitable."
"Old Liu, do you know why?"
Su Jing asked Liu Bowen again.
Liu Bowen frowned, thought for a while, and replied: "Because there was no science in Ming Dynasty?"
Hit the nail on the head, quite accurate.
Su Jing nodded and said: "That's right, Old Liu, because in feudal society, rulers not only have to rule territory, but also thoughts."
"The Ming Dynasty was a unified dynasty. In other words, since the Qin Dynasty, all the unified dynasties in China have been born."
"Such a dynasty naturally has a vast territory and strong national power, but it is also extremely powerful in restricting the minds of the people."
"There is also Confucianism, which is an ideological shackles that is extremely suitable for rulers. It is simply a unique blessing!"
"Science is difficult to develop when thoughts are imprisoned."
Speaking of this, Su Jing was filled with indignation.
He has also studied history, and now he has traveled through the Ming Dynasty and knows that our ancestors have made many awesome discoveries and the seeds of science.
But in the end, they were all killed.
On such a road of governing people, we go further and further.
In Su Jing's view, Confucianism is the first major issue.
When Liu Bowen listened to Su Jing's words, he was shocked by the contents of those ideas of ruling the territory.
"Master Su, isn't Confucianism bad?"
Liu Bowen asked Su Jing. Liu Bowen was also a Confucian master, and he still felt that Su Jing's evaluation was a bit biased.
"Then let me know what you think is good, Old Liu."
Su Jing said calmly: "In terms of managing people, Confucianism is the right path, but in terms of science, Confucianism is the wrong way."
Governing people.
science.
Liu Bowen was a little confused when Su Jing said this.
Su Jing continued: "The development of science is a process from scratch, which requires the innovation of thoughts and thinking. Confucianism only allows us to learn the theories of the sages and understand the meanings of the sages, without thinking about innovations or innovations. .”
"With Confucianism as the leading factor, there can be no scientific development."
“To put it simply, Confucianism emphasizes conservatism.
What the Patriarch said is right, and we must learn from what the Patriarch did.
Unlike the words of the Patriarch, you cannot say anything, and you cannot do things that the Patriarch has not done.
Thoughts will always stay at the time of birth, and future generations will always look backward.
And science, the most important thing is innovation!
We must keep moving forward and keep looking forward.
It requires exploration and creation of the unknown world and a spirit of adventure.
This is contrary to traditional Confucian thought. Everything should be done step by step according to the arrangements of the ancestors, and nothing can go wrong.
For example, Confucius has always advocated the restoration of the Western Zhou Dynasty, which is clear evidence! "
Su Jing talked freely and let go of her chatterbox.
This was actually a very bold thing to do in the Ming Dynasty to belittle Confucianism.
But Su Jing's interest was so high that she didn't care about that much.
Liu Bowen listened carefully to Su Jing's complaints, from being confused at the beginning to slowly understanding.
Su Jing seemed to be right.
Liu Bowen was not the kind of Confucian scholar who could only read dead books. Although he respected the sages, he did not regard them as faith.
Anyone who can advise Zhu Yuanzhang in his fight for the world is naturally not a stickler for the past.
So this time, I felt quite a sense of identity with what Su Jing was talking about.
Confucianism is a great suppression of science.
At this time, he thought again about the imperial examination that Zhu Yuanzhang had asked about before.
When choosing an official position with stereotypes, you can only use the words of the sages to answer, and you are prohibited from having your own ideas.
"Master Su, does this imperial examination also hinder the development of science?"
Liu Bowen asked Su Jing.
Su Jing was stunned. She didn't expect Liu Bowen to be able to pass the imperial examination right now.
"So be it."
Su Jing nodded and said: "But the imperial examination itself is not a mistake, but the core of the imperial examination today, which is to unify thinking."
“Under certain historical conditions, the imperial examination was undoubtedly a great initiative and a huge innovation in itself.”
"It's a pity that this innovative product is used to be conservative. It's really ironic."
Regarding the imperial examination itself, Su Jing actually didn't think it was a bad thing.
Selection of talents allows ordinary people to have a channel for class transition, and the country's talents can be better discovered.
At the same time, it also makes people willing to study and learn knowledge.
However, the imperial examination, the eight-legged method of selecting officials, is undoubtedly a great ideological harm.
"Innovative things are used to keep things old-fashioned"
Liu Bowen murmured to himself, thinking carefully about the imperial examination regulations that Zhu Yuanzhang told him not long ago.
It is exactly the same as what Su Jing said. It is entirely to instill Confucian thoughts into the minds of scholars.
Everything is solved with the words of the sages, and the thoughts are always the thoughts of the sages.
The sky is vast and the earth is vast, and our ancestors are the greatest.
The laws of the ancestors are immutable.
"Master Su, Old Liu has learned a lesson."
Liu Bowen cupped his hands towards Su Jing with a solemn expression.
He really learned a lot and had deep insights.
Su Jing waved her hand and said, "That's different. Let's talk about the transformation of social form."
"If science cannot develop in our land, new productivity tools will not appear, productivity will not improve, and new social forms will not naturally appear."
"It's nothing more than the continuous cycle of the rise and fall of dynasties. Of course, the premise is that there is no external force to break it."
(End of chapter)
