(The concrete answer of the thinking guides:
1. Kant's conception of freedom can be divided into two parts:
Autonomy: to act freely, to act according to a law, I give myself
Heteronomy: to act according to desires I haven't chosen myself.
According to Kant's philosophy, free action is self-discipline, and self-discipline is acting according to the laws I have set for myself - rather than following the instructions of nature or social traditions.
2. Why does the traditional Chinese society's economic and political structure need "Ritual"?
In the governance model of ancient China, etiquette and law were closely combined, playing a regulating and restraining role in social order. The system of rule of etiquette plays an important role in education, while law and punishment play a restraining and disciplinary role in violating social norms within the framework of rule of etiquette. Especially after Emperor Wu of Han "deposed hundreds of schools of thought and worshipped Confucianism alone", successive dynasties basically adopted a political framework of complementary etiquette and law based on the Confucian "ritual" culture. Decorate the benevolence of politics with propriety and the authority of politics with law, thereby promoting the effective operation of the national machinery and maintaining social stability and orderly development. "Rites" are the principles and laws used to govern the country, stabilize society, and maintain stable social relations among the people, thereby safeguarding the interests of future generations. The various laws and regulations, political thoughts, and governance policies of various dynasties in our country are closely related to the culture of "propriety". Many rulers often refer to the Book of Rites as the criterion and authoritative basis for their actions and governance. Many rulers often use "etiquette" as a basis for institutional construction or reform. All of these reflect that the "ritual" culture advocated by Confucianism is an important feature and tone of ancient Chinese politics.
3. Maritime Countries and Continental Countries
A continental country is a landlocked country, which refers to a country without an ocean area and whose territory is protected by other countries. A maritime country refers to a country surrounded by the ocean around its territory. A country with both land and sea resources refers to a country with a predominantly land area and adjacent to the sea. The difference between continental and oceanic countries is that they mainly rely on agriculture and animal husbandry as their production methods, while oceanic countries mainly rely on commercial trade as their production methods.
Continental countries are relatively conservative and have strong cohesion due to their high demand for land. Marine countries have a more adventurous spirit and a strong sense of external development.
4. Why did the Hellenistic tradition in Western culture give rise to metaphysics and monotheism?
Metaphysics: Ancient Greek metaphysics is an important concept in the field of philosophy, mainly exploring issues related to the essence of existence and the nature of reality. The term metaphysics was coined by the Greek philosopher Aristotle and widely applied in subsequent philosophical developments. The origin of ancient Greek metaphysics can be traced back to the thinking of early philosophers on the "first cause". They attempt to explore the origin and essence of the universe and existence, surpassing the focus solely on the world known through perception. Metaphysics involves the exploration of the ontology, teleology, and causal theory of existence, aiming to understand the fundamental structure and truth of the world.
Monotheism: The emergence of monotheism is not only a requirement for the development and changes of religion itself, but also a process of social development in selecting ideological ideas. In primitive society, each clan religion had its own gods, and even within a clan, there were various gods. Primitive beliefs evolved from the initial concept of soul, worship of ghosts and gods, totem worship, ancestor worship, and polytheism, to the transformation of being the supreme god and one god in class society. However, overall, before the emergence of monotheism, human society experienced a long stage of polytheism. This polytheistic belief reflects the scattered and chaotic situation in primitive society where there were numerous clans and tribes, and human ideology was not yet unified. Various ethnic groups and tribes engage in mutual plundering and blood revenge, and society is in a stage of integration of ethnic integration and cultural collision. In the field of ideology, people unconsciously yearn for the emergence of powerful and inspiring ideological beliefs, which play a role in uniting, calling for, unifying clans and tribes, and stabilizing social order. Monotheism breaks the bloodline characteristics of traditional religion, allowing people of different bloodlines, clans, and tribes to reunite under the influence of a single god.)
Can we draw the conclusion that Confucius is in line with inhumanity?
Based on the above questions, we cannot draw the conclusion that Confucius was inhumane. Firstly, according to Kant's philosophy, free action is self-discipline, and self-discipline is acting according to the laws I have set for myself - rather than following the instructions of nature or social traditions. Secondly, etiquette is a binding rule on society, playing a regulatory and restrictive role in social order. The "ritual" culture advocated by Confucianism is an important feature and tone of ancient Chinese politics. Finally, in monotheism, God created humanity, time, and all things in heaven and earth. God is omnipotent, possessing all the advantages of God in a polytheistic system without any shortcomings. For humans, it is a higher moral standard and a better paradigm to execute. So the rules, laws, moral standards, or principles formulated by the gods under the monotheistic system for humanity are almost perfect. The characteristics of monotheistic authoritarianism are reflected in politics, which can be manifested in Western culture and institutional systems, where the West finds it difficult to accept the advantages of other systems. However, China's polytheism is reflected in cultural politics as harmony but difference. Chinese culture has a strong inclusiveness and is good at borrowing the advantages of other institutional systems.
In short, we should not consider Confucius to be inhumane. Although ritual in some cases limits human instincts, we have freedom beyond our instincts. Confucius' ideological system not only advocates the maintenance of social order and moral norms, but also advocates respecting human emotional and spiritual freedom. Therefore, we cannot unilaterally understand Confucius' thoughts.