Mr. Feng Youlan, a famous philosopher and known as the "modern Neo-Confucian", was born in 1895 in Qiyi Town, Tanghe County, Henan Province. His father was a scholar of the Qing Dynasty, a wealthy family, extremely educational, and could be called a "poet family". Feng Youlan went to school at the age of 7 and recited the Confucian "Four Books and Five Classics" from beginning to end, laying a solid foundation for Sinology from an early age.
In 1915, Feng Youlan was admitted to the Chinese Philosophy Department of Peking University, studied in the United States in 1919, and received a doctorate from Columbia University in 1924. After returning to China, he successively served as a professor at Zhongzhou University, Guangdong University, yenching University, dean of the School of Liberal Arts and head of the Department of Philosophy at Tsinghua University. Since 1952, he has been a professor in the Department of Philosophy at Peking University.
During his teaching at Yenching University, Feng Youlan taught the history of Chinese philosophy, and completed the first and second volumes of the History of Chinese Philosophy in 1931 and 1934 respectively, and later as a university textbook, making significant contributions to the discipline construction of the history of Chinese philosophy.
In the seven years from 1939 to 1946, Feng Youlan published six books in a row, called "Books Written by Zhen yuan": "New Science" (1937), "New Shixun" (1940), "New Matters" (1940), "New Original People" (1942), "New Original Road" (1945), "New Zhiyan" (1946). Through the "Six Books of Zhenyuan", Feng Youlan founded the new theoretical system of thought, making him the most influential philosopher in China at that time.
Mr. Feng Youlan had an unusual relationship with the Marxist philosopher Mao Zedong, which began in October 1949.
On October 1, 1949, Feng Youlan attended the founding ceremony of new China, and when he listened to Chairman Mao solemnly proclaim "the establishment of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China" on the tower of Tiananmen Square, his heart fluctuated and his thoughts were full of thoughts. A few days later, on October 5, Feng Youlan wrote a letter to Mao Zedong. The letter says:
Chairman Mao:
Under the leadership of you and the Communist Party of China, the People's Republic of China was founded. You have opened up a new world for Chinese people and a new era in The history of China. This is a major event that affects the life and death of a quarter of all mankind, and of course it is a major event in the whole world.
I attended your inauguration at Tiananmen Square, and I felt the joy of the masses in recent days. The new atmosphere of everything and what I have seen and heard since the liberation of Beijing make me deeply believe what you said, that not only have the people of Chinese stood up, but a cultural upsurge is coming, making China appear in the world as a highly cultured nation.
When I participated in the celebration of these days, I felt very sorry in joy, because in the past I not only did not have a part in the revolution, but also had relations with the Kuomintang during the War of Resistance Against Japan. In terms of objective social impact, all of this is an obstacle to the revolution.
I fully accept my criticism from all sides, but I also want to express my willingness to work hard to transform myself and make a new beginning with the birth of New China, so that I can follow you and the Communist Party of China and make a contribution to the construction of New China.
...... Within five years, as instructed by the CPPCC Common Program, I plan to rewrite the History of Chinese Philosophy, which I wrote twenty years ago, as a new editor, from the point of view of scientific history. As you said, we must know not only China's today, but also China's yesterday.
I would like to use this work to usher in the coming cultural upsurge and to respond to your call...
Why did Feng Youlan write to Chairman Mao? He recalled in his later years: "At that time, many people wrote to Mao Zedong to express their position, and I also wrote one. ”
Before and after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chairman Mao was extremely busy every day, but he still quickly wrote a reply to Feng Youlan:
Mr. Youlan:
The letter dated 5 October has been informed. We welcome people to progress, and people like you, who have made mistakes in the past, are now ready to correct them, and if they can be practiced, it is good. There is no need to rush for results, you can change slowly, and it is always appropriate to adopt an honest attitude.
This complex. Praises
Teach you!
Mao Zedong
October 13
Feng Youlan later recalled that when he received Chairman Mao's reply, he had two very unexpected feelings: First, "I did not expect Mao Zedong's reply to come so quickly, and the letter was written by himself, which was quite unexpected at the time"; second, "The most important sentence in the letter is always advisable to adopt an honest attitude', which I do not understand." And there was a little disgust in my heart, I thought, what is honest attitude, what am I not honest."
It wasn't until many years later that Feng Youlan reflected: "After more than thirty years of training, I am now beginning to understand this sentence." Feng Youlan realized that it is "easy to talk about" in grasping the positions, viewpoints, and methods of Marxism, and that it is "even more difficult" to apply them to the research work of the history of philosophy, and that in order to truly study and apply Marxism, it is necessary to "transform Marxism into a'" and "how can such 'transformation' be accomplished in three years and five years?" There is no such degree, and to rewrite the History of Chinese Philosophy, it will not be new, and at best it will be just a rigid application of Marxist words."
As a result, Feng Youlan finally realized that what he said in his letter to Mao Zedong in 1949 that "we must rewrite a history of Chinese philosophy within five years with a Marxist standpoint, viewpoint, and method is really superficial and naïve," and "clear-eyed people will know at a glance that they are big words, empty words, and lies." Rhetoric, no practical content, this is not honest attitude."
From February 27 to March 1, 1957, the 11th Enlarged Session of the Supreme Council of State was held in Huairen Hall in Zhongnanhai, attended by more than 1,800 people from all walks of life. Feng Youlan attended the meeting as an observer as a member of the CPPCC National Committee.
Chairman Mao delivered a speech at the meeting on the afternoon of 27 July on the theme of "How to Deal with Contradictions Among the People." The speech was divided into 12 questions, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., he talked and laughed, spoke in a simple and simple way, and spoke many new views and new ideas, which deeply touched everyone present, and the atmosphere of the venue was very active.
Feng Youlan personally listened to Chairman Mao's splendid report, which made him think of Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang in the famous poems of "Between Talking and Laughing, the Trees Ashes Disappear" and "If the Commander Loses Xiao Cao". Feng Youlan said with admiration:
Of course, Chairman Mao's speech is one that has the whole country in mind and the world in mind, and is not comparable to Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang. But he was indeed in the middle of talking and laughing, commanding Ruoding, and although he bore the revolutionary burden of the whole country, he also had the atmosphere of lifting heavy weights and doing nothing. ”
From March 6 to 13, 1957, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held a national propaganda work conference in Beijing to study ideological trends and ideological issues, and conscientiously implement the "double hundred" policy. Feng Youlan attended the meeting and once again listened to Chairman Mao's important speeches on issues such as intellectuals and the "double hundred" policy.
On the evening of March 11, Chairman Mao invited some university leaders, including Feng Youlan, to a discussion at the Yinian Hall. Earlier, Feng Youlan published an article entitled "On the Inheritance of Chinese Philosophical Heritage", in which he made a new interpretation of the abstract meaning and concrete meaning of Confucius's saying that "learning and learning from time to time, not also saying it", believing that the abstract meaning of this sentence can be inherited.
At the beginning of the forum, as soon as Chairman Mao saw Feng Youlan enter, he took the initiative to greet him and said: "Don't you say anything about learning and getting used to it?" It can be seen that Chairman Mao has already read his articles. At the meeting, Chairman Mao invited Feng Youlan to speak. Feng Youlan raised some questions about the history of Chinese philosophy, saying: "According to the current method, some of them are difficult to understand. Chairman Mao said, "That is simplification." It cannot be simplified. When the meeting was adjourned, Chairman Mao took Feng Youlan's hand and said, "Sound well, a hundred schools of thought contend, you are one family." I read everything you write. A kind word made Feng Youlan deeply encouraged.
On April 11, 1957, Chairman Mao invited Feng Youlan, Jin Yuelin, He Lin, Zheng Xin, Hu Sheng, Zhou Gucheng, Wang Fangming and other philosophers and well-known scholars to lunch at his home in the Yinian Hall in Zhongnanhai.
Feng Youlan later recalled that the other guests arrived first that day, and only he was late.
"Mao Zedong asked me, 'I can't find you, you're in class,' I said, 'Not in class. Today is the anniversary of Comrade Ren Rui, and I went to her grave to visit her grave. Mao Zedong said: "Comrade Ren Rui is Sun Weishi's mother." I said, 'Yes. ’”
Ren Rui joined the revolution in his early years and was the second sister of Feng Youlan's wife Ren Zaikun.
Soon, Hu Rope also arrived. Chairman Mao said, "You are all people who have fought in pen battles. Mao Zedong asked Zheng Xin which province he was from, and Zheng Xin said it was from Anhui. Mao Zedong said: "You have produced Cao Cao in Anhui, cao Cao is a big man, and what makes him smarter than others is that he realizes the importance of grain." ”
Feng Youlan later commented with admiration:
"Cao Cao's emphasis on grain production is well known, but it boils it down to one sentence, thinking that this is a characteristic of Cao Cao, which has not been said before. This is 'reading a book', which is an inspiration for those who study history. ”
This was the first time Feng Youlan had eaten at Chairman Mao's house, and he sighed:
"Chairman Mao's life was simple. At that time, other places in Zhongnanhai, such as Huairentang, were remodeled and painted. The Yinian Hall is still very old... His living and eating, it seems that he is just like a professor with a relatively good life, which is really a bookish nature. ”
Chairman Mao and Feng Youlan shook hands cordially
In April 1962, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference held a meeting, at which Feng Youlan made a speech on his writing of the New Edition of the History of Chinese Philosophy. When the meeting was adjourned on the afternoon of April 15, Chairman Mao and all the leading comrades of the Central Committee received the members of the meeting and took pictures together. Feng Youlan happened to be standing behind the seats of Chairman Mao, Liu Shaoqi and Zhou Enlai.
When Chairman Mao was seated, he saw Feng Youlan and took his hand and said, "Your body is better than mine." ”
Feng Youlan said: "The chairman is older than me. ”
Chairman Mao said, "No, I have shown my old age." ”
Chairman Mao asked again about the progress of the New Edition of the History of Chinese Philosophy and said, "After you have written the history of Chinese philosophy, you should write a history of Western philosophy." ”
Feng Youlan said: "I can only write about China, and the task of writing the history of Western philosophy has been assigned to others." ”
Chairman Mao said, "As for Confucius, you and Guo Moruo are one and the same. ”
Liu Shaoqi said: "Your speech is very good, concise and concise. ”
Zhou Enlai also introduced to Chairman Mao: "At this meeting, he was in the same hall of three generations: Ren Zhiming ren was his father-in-law, and Sun Weishi was the granddaughter of elder Ren and the third generation. Chairman Mao nodded.
At this meeting, Feng Youlan felt very good and said: "In this conversation, whether in terms of the content of the conversation or the attitude of the conversation, Mao Zedong seemed to treat an old friend who had not been seen for many years. Therefore, when he returned home, he could not help but give a poem:
After Huai Ren Tang, there are hundreds of flowers, and the mighty spring breeze feels the fragrance of the people.
The old history of the new editor asked, and the speech phrase Xie Pingzhang.
One family tells a good story, and two schools of history need to be measured.
Do not mourn the boss before the honor, may you follow the sun and the moon to get the afterglow.