How Sun Yat-sen thought about Confucianism?

  20250315

How Sun Yat-sen thought about   Confucianism?

An old article:

"What Kind of Psychological Construction Do Chinese People Need?"

The most brilliant aspect of Sun Yat-sen's philosophy is that it recognizes the urgent need for psychological construction among Chinese people: the importance of valuing knowledge.

In his "Principles of State Building," the first chapter is dedicated to "Psychological Construction." He believed that the most crucial psychological construction for Chinese people is to break free from the Confucian shackles of "easy to know, difficult to act." Sun Yat-sen opposed Wang Yangming, as the saying "easy to know, difficult to act" represents a fatal flaw that has long held back China. Confucianism asserts that knowledge is not important; action is what matters. This is because Confucianism believes that knowledge is already contained within its classics, and one merely needs to memorize them. Confucianism holds that behavior is paramount. What kind of behavior is most important? It is obedience, compliance, and following orders. Sun Yat-sen placed psychological construction as the first chapter in his state-building strategy because he believed it is more important than material construction.

What is surprising is that today in Taiwan, although Sun Yat-sen's photo still hangs, Wang Yangming's philosophy prevails, and there is even a whole mountain named Yangming Mountain, completely disregarding Sun Yat-sen's earnest opposition to Confucianism.

Even more astonishing is that in present-day Hong Kong, the statue of Sun Yat-sen in the Sun Yat-sen Museum is depicted with a queue (braided hair). Sun Yat-sen opposed feudalism throughout his life, yet the people of Hong Kong have erected a statue of him with a queue, placed right at the entrance of the museum. Perhaps they truly have a fondness for queues, finding them beautiful. Additionally, among the books sold in the museum's gift shop, there are even those suggesting that Sun Yat-sen had some "Confucian complex."

Sun Yat-sen's three major principles—"The world belongs to the public," "Universal love," and "The pursuit of knowledge"—are all directly aimed at Confucianism, yet it seems that people overlook this.

中國人需要何種心理建設？

中國人需要何種心理建設？
……………………………………….*李察
(問到底No.7998 2011 0108 Saturday)
　
　　孫中山學說最精彩的地方，就是看到了中國人所迫切需要的心理建設：必須重視求知。
　
　　孫中山在《建國方略》中，第一章就是「心理建設」。他認為，中國人最需要的心理建設是：擺脫儒家的「知易行難」枷鎖。孫中山反對王陽明。所謂「知易行難」，是儒家令中國長期落後的致命點。儒家主張知識不重要，行為才重要。因為儒家以為，知識都已經在儒家經典裡備妥了，只要背熟就是。儒家認為，行為最重要。甚麼行為最重要呢？就是服從、聽話、照辦。孫中山把心理建設作為建國方略的第一章，就是認為，心理建設，是比物質建設更重要的。
　
　　令人驚訝的只是，今日台灣，雖然仍掛著孫中山的照片，但陽明哲學大行其道，還有一整座的陽明山。無視孫中山反對儒家的一片苦心。
　
　　令人更加驚訝的還有：今日香港，在孫中山博物館中的孫中山像，竟是留辮的。孫中山一生反對封建，但今日的香港人，為他造了一座留辮像，放在博物館的正門前。或者他們真是對於辮子情有獨鍾，覺得美麗的。而館中小賣部所販賣的圖書中，竟有認為孫中山是有甚麼「儒學情結」的。
　
　　孫中山的三大主張，包括「天下為公」、「博愛」、「求知」，都是完全針對儒家的，但這些人們，好像看不見。