The Intellectual Approach to Heaven-human Relationship

The intellectual or natural approach to heaven-human relationship can be examined from two perspectives.

The first was the respect to and reliance on objective laws, which were embodied in two important ideas, Properness (Yi) and Dependence (Yin).

The idea Properness (Yi) developed from agricultural activities and consisted of two sides: Properness in Time and Properness in Place. In Xia and Shang dynasties, Properness in Time and Properness in Place were recorded in such books as Books of Calendar in Xia Dynasty (Xia Xiao Zheng), Canon of Yao and Tribute of Yu of Book of Documents (Shang Shu), Sheng Min and Gong Liu of Classic of Poetry. In Zhou Dynasty, the idea Properness reached full development with practical use: "Properness in soil can be used to distinguish 12 constellations, tell the fortune or disaster in people's house, enrich people, confine bird and beast, cultivate grass and wood, and benefit farming." (Rites in Zhou Dynasty. Official of the Earth, Chief) In Spring and Autumn Period, the idea Properness further developed and improved. In Rites of Zhou Dynasty and Guan Zi, Properness in Place was expounded. In Guan Zi, Properness in Place was discussed with the ideas Category and Difference: "All herbs experience 12 months and then perish." (On Earth) Some ideas derived from the idea Properness in Time, such as According with Time, Complying with Time, and Considering the Situation: "A king should consider the situation and act in accordance with time, harmonize the Heaven and human and respect the natural law." (Discourses of the States, The Discourse of Zhou IT) These ideas indicated the importance of following natural laws. The idea Dependence (Yin) also formed. Properness (Yi) and Dependence (Yin) denoted similar meaning. For instance, in the line "The Heaven and Earth possess uniqueness." (Zuo Zhuan, The 25'1' Year of the Reign of Duke Zhao), to follow the uniqueness of the Earth implied the necessity of Properness in Place. The idea Dependence (Yin), however, stressed more on the obedience of natural law: "We must accept the disaster in nature." (Discourses of the States, The Discourse of Yue II) "To depend on the external environment." (Guan Zi, Economic Plan) The harmonious heaven-human relationship was simple and direct. In late Spring and Autumn Period, the idea Properness (17) was no more confined to heaven-human relationship. Rather, it extended to military (Sun Tzu's use in war), educational (Confucius's use in education), political (Legalism's political theory), medicinal (the cure of disease in The Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor), and philosophical (use in Commentaries on Book of Change) fields. Later on, the idea Properness (Yi) had been playing an important role in Chinese intellectual and ideological circles.

The second was the value of human's initiative spirit.

In Book of Documents (Shang Shu), it was recorded that "Human can undertake the Heaven's task." (Gao Taos Scheme) Xun Zi was the earliest philosopher that clearly elucidated human's initiative spirit. In his view, the heaven-human relationship was heaven-human difference: "A man who can clarify the difference between the Heaven and human may be called a sage." (Xun Zi, Treatise on Heaven). Here, the difference referred to the duties of the Heaven and human. By human's duty, Xun Zi meant the respect towards objective law or rule:

If human work hard on farming and reduce outgoing, the Heaven cannot impoverish them; if human prepare reserve and respect the season, the Heaven cannot disease them; if human follow the law and avoid deviation, the Heaven cannot bring them disaster... If human abandon farming and pursue luxury, the Heaven cannot enrich them; if human suffer deficiency and dislike farming, the Heaven cannot make them healthy; if human violate law and act wrong, the Heaven cannot bring them fortune. (Treatise on Heaven)

Meanwhile, Xun Zi highlighted that human must display their initiative spirit while respecting the natural law, as seen in the passionate remarks:

Human should master the natural law rather than worship the Heaven; human should use the natural law rather than admire the Heaven; human should control the natural law rather than expect the Heaven. Human should exert their talent to expand farming rather than expect it to grow; human should supervise things to maintain them rather than miss them after lost; human should know the growing rule of things rather than hope them to grow. Human would never understand the law of things and use it if he make no effort and worship the Heaven. (Treatise on Heaven)

Here Xun Zi cited six kinds of human's initiative spirit. With positive spirit, Xun Zi's lines, the famous assertion "to control and use natural law," in particular, had profound influence on later philosophers. For instance, Liu Yuxi developed Xun Zi's theory into Heaven-Human Rule.

It must be noted that the value of human's initiative spirit related to intellectual activities, which was expressed by the idea Force (Li). The idea Force (Li) countered the idea Fate and refuted fatalism. In addition, the idea Force negated Properness in Place and geomantic thought and contradicted the idea Properness (Ti). In some sense, the ideas Human's Initiative Spirit and Force (Li) marked a great progress via putting them in the context of intellectual activities rather than ideological activities.

As a matter of fact, the value of human's role in intellectual activities was valued as early as in Qin and Han dynasties. In Book of Fan Shengzhi, the method of furrow-titling (Qu Zhong Fa) was recorded. In Wei, Jin, Southern, and Northern dynasties, the conflict between Force and Fate intensified, with the development of alchemy and the rise of Taoist theory. In Bao Pu Zi, Ge Hong, a Taoist in Jin Dynasty, claimed that: "My fate is decided by myself not the Heaven./ When the elixir is made, I will be immortal." (Vol. 1, Huang Bai, Cited from Oracle Bone Inscriptions) Certainly, Ge Hong's view showed a pessimist outlook and challenged the traditional idea Fate.

In Song and Yuan dynasties, with the development of gardening technology, people had more variety of plant to choose, thus obtained deeper understanding of Human's Initiative Spirit and Force.

Human's force benefits the growth of plant. (Han Yanzhi, Records of Orange)

Human's force created masterpiece beyond the Heaven's power. (Wang Guan, Peony in Yangzhou)

The understanding of human's force impacted agricultural activity. In Key Points in Agriculture (Nong Sang Ji Yao), the geomantic thought was denied. In Ming and Qing dynasties, human's force wad further highlighted. The most representative view was held by Lii Kun, who said "It is certain that human can conquer nature." (Notes Taken while Reading [Shen Yin Yu Zhai], Vol. 1) Lii Kun observed that in winter, the flow of air was occluded, but in the old garden, flowers blossom and bear fruit. Lii Kun's view was common then and shared by many thinkers:

A plant adjusts to or disagrees with the soil. Human exert or abandon force. Human can conquer the Heaven if they use force, so can the soil. (Qiu Jun, Supplementation to Commentaries of Great Learning, Vol. 14)

To know the time is the first, to know the soil is the second. Learning what Properness means first, and then taking the advantages and avoiding the disadvantages, human can conquer the Heaven with force. (Ma Yilong, Knowledge on Agriculture)

If the plant adjusts to the soil, it will not vary. (Xu Guangqi, Encyclopedia of Agricultural Activities, Agriculture as the Root)

If human observe the dryness and humidity and avoid the cold and heat, flower will grow well. Even in the far and remote areas with different climate, human's force can change flower's living habit. (Chen Haozi, On Growing Flower, On Growing Flower)

Obviously, the deeper understanding of human's force arose from the advance in gardening and agriculture, and confirmed that intellectual progress contributed to ideological progress.

In short, the idea Force and its development provide us with a model, in which we can examine how philosophy impacts science and how science deepens philosophy. We may call this phenomenon scientific-philosophical thought.