The phrases "learned in literature" and "doing one's own behavior with shame" come from the "Yan Yuan" chapter and the "Zi Lu" chapter of The Analects of Confucius respectively. They were put forward by Confucius on different occasions when he answered questions from his disciples. two propositions. Gu Yanwu combined the two and gave them new content of the times, which became his academic purpose and way of life.
Gu Yanwu said: "What do you think of the way of a saint? It is said to be 'learned in literature', and it is said to be 'shameful in one's own conduct'. From one's own body to all the countries in the world, they all learn things; It is a shame for ministers, brothers, and friends to come and go, accept, accept, and interact with each other." (Volume 3 of "Collected Works") It can be seen that his understanding of "being knowledgeable in literature" is related to the affairs of "family, country, and world". , so it is not limited to documentary knowledge, but also includes practical social knowledge gained from extensive knowledge and investigation.
He accused Wang Xueliu of "talking about his heart and nature, giving up much to learn in order to seek a consistent method, ignoring the difficulties in the world and talking about dangerous and subtle theories all day long", which shows that what he cares about is still In the affairs of the world and the country where "the world is in poverty", what is naturally focused on is "practical learning that can be applied in the world". This is also the purpose of Gu Yanwu's "knowledge in literature".
"Behave with shame" means to use a sense of shame to restrain your words and deeds. Gu Yanwu regarded the way of dealing with others, such as "from his subordinates, ministers, brothers and friends, to coming in and out, refusing to accept and receive gifts", as belonging to the scope of "doing one's own behavior with shame".
In view of the fact that some scholars and scholar-bureaucrats in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties were shameless, followed others and lost their national integrity, he combined "being knowledgeable in literature" with "being shameful in one's conduct" and emphasized the relationship between the two. He said: "If a scholar does not express his shame first, he is a person without roots; if he does not love the ancients but is knowledgeable, he has empty learning. If a person without roots teaches empty learning, I think he will be engaged in the work of a sage. But it will be far away." (Volume 3 of "Collected Works") Therefore, he believed that only those who know how to be shameful and pay attention to practical learning can truly conform to the "Way of the Sage." Otherwise, you will be far away from the "way of the saint". Therefore, "being knowledgeable in literature" and "having shame in doing one's own business" are not only Gu Yanwu's academic goals and the way he conducts himself in life, but also the starting point of his practical and pragmatic style of study.
In addition, a major feature of Gu Yanwu's academic purpose of "being knowledgeable in literature" is that he not only emphasized reading, but also advocated going out of the study and investigating in society. He said: "As a person of learning, if you don't make progress every day, you will retreat. If you study alone without friends, you will be lonely and difficult to achieve. ... It is like being a scholar and interrogating. ... If you neither leave home nor study, you will face a wall. Although the scholars are wise, they will not be of any use to the world." (Volume 4 of "Collected Works") He advocated the method of combining reading and investigation, which is what we call today the method of combining theory and practice. The proposal and application of this method created a new trend of practical learning in the early Qing Dynasty.