Chapter 978: Apostle Taurinus
The Confucian School fell due to their insistence on adhering to the old ways. Thus, the Daoist Order used this as a learning example and made many changes, like replacing rigid social hierarchies with equality and emphasizing the expansion of resources before cutting expenditures.
Expanding resources essentially meant development, which was divided into two aspects—material and intellectual.
One could not work behind closed doors nor remain in a stagnant pool. There had to be movement, like flowing water. Outsiders had to come in, and those inside had to go out. This was not just about the movement of people or money, but more importantly, the flow of ideas and concepts.
Since the time of the Holy Xuan, the Daoist Order had advocated unbinding one’s thoughts from the heavy restraints imposed by the Confucians for centuries past. However, a problem arose. How could a man whose hands and feet were bound possibly untie his own ropes? In most cases, new thoughts could not develop on their own.
That was why an exchange was needed. When someone brought in new ideas from the outside, they could mesh them with existing ones—this was progress.
The exchange of ideas was not about who was superior or inferior, but about choosing to follow better ones and correcting what was flawed. During the tenure of the fourth-generation Grand Master, such collisions of thought, even if intense or excessive, remained within the bounds of discussion and brought more benefit than harm. Even if people’s opinions differed, they should still be exchanged and debated in a peaceful manner.
Though this tendency regressed under the fifth-generation Grand Master, it returned to its original path by the sixth-generation Grand Master’s tenure.
Thus, the Daoist Order developed the concept of Western studies to refrain from arrogant self-importance. They wanted to study the strengths and virtues of the West and heed the warnings from its flaws.
Like the Confucian saying, among three who walked together, one could always be the other’s teacher. This meant that one must not be ashamed to ask and learn.
The Daoists did not turn a blind eye to the West’s strengths simply because the latter had many flaws. Nor did they imagine the West to be the best simply because of their many merits. The West must be viewed dialectically.
One must be skilled at learning, especially from one’s enemies.
Thus, Western studies flourished, which brought many changes to the Central Plains. These changes included adjustments in calendrical systems and the improvement of ironclad warships. Undoubtedly, it spurred both development in the Central Plains and greater exchange among the East and West, but it also allowed the Holy Court to catch a glimpse of the Eastern world.