加密数字货币交易所-《论语》详解：给所有曲解孔子的人-子曰：盖有不知而作之者，我无是也。多闻，择其善者而从之；多见而识之；知之次也。

Confucius said: “There are those who act without knowing; I have no such person. Listen extensively, select the good ones and follow them; see more often and recognize them; this is secondary to ‘innate knowledge.’”

Yang Bojun: Confucius said, “There is probably a kind of person who acts without understanding, relying on nothing but empty assumptions. I do not have this problem. Listen more, choose the good and accept it; see more and remember it all in your mind—this is just below ‘innate knowledge.’”

Qian Mu: The master said, “There is probably a kind of person who acts rashly without understanding! I do not have such a thing. Being able to listen and hear more, selecting the good to follow; seeing more and remembering it, this is a secondary level of knowledge.”

Li Zehou: Confucius said, “There are those who act without understanding, relying on nothing but ignorance. I do not have this. Listen more, select the good and follow it; see more and remember it—this is the order and process of knowledge.”

Detailed explanation:

This chapter continues from the previous ones, and the difficulty lies in the character “次” (cì). Both the above and usual interpretations are incorrect. “次” originally means to temporarily station and stay. In ancient times, an army staying at a place for more than three nights was called “次.” “知之次” can be directly understood as the temporary stationing and lodging of wisdom. Here, the process of seeking wisdom is metaphorically compared to marching, with “listening extensively and selecting the good” akin to temporary stationing during a march, but neither is the ultimate goal of wisdom. The ultimate purpose of practical wisdom is only one: to turn “people not knowing” into “people not being annoyed.” This is true at the societal development level, and also at the level of personal cultivation. A person who “does not know” cannot be “not annoyed”; even for an individual, “not being annoyed” is a very high realm of life.

However, wisdom, like a raft crossing a river, cannot be without it; relying on wisdom as a gain or a reliance is also not feasible. Truly wise people do not regard wisdom as a gain or reliance, nor do they treat superficial knowledge—what is often called knowledge—as a gain or reliance. Yet, throughout history and reality, there exists a kind of pseudo-scholar, now more often called intellectuals, who gnaw on the corpses of their predecessors, believing that by gnawing on a few books, they have gained wisdom, and thus think they are superior. This is even more laughable and pitiful.

“盖有不知而作之者” (there are those who act without knowing): the phrase “盖有” (gài yǒu) means “probably exists,” similar to Confucius’s attitude towards “those born knowing,” not absolutely denying their existence. “不知而作之者” (those who act without knowing) refers to people who have no wisdom but still act based on ignorance. Confucius suggests such people probably exist. But do they really? In reality, the possibility is almost negligible. Some might argue, “What about Wei Xiaobao?” From the perspective of intellectuals or pseudo-scholars, Wei Xiaobao is definitely just a rogue, how could he have wisdom? But from another angle, did Wei Xiaobao not have some wisdom? In reality, those who can accomplish something, if not wearing colored glasses, all have a bit of cleverness. Of course, cleverness does not equal wisdom, but if even cleverness is absent, then what about wisdom? Great wisdom appears foolish on the surface, which refers to its appearance, not its inner essence, nor does it mean that the more foolish someone appears, the more wise they are. The so-called upright gentleman loves to speak of those “byways,” but many who take these byways succeed, and without “knowledge,” they cannot do well in these byways; and without “knowledge,” the so-called righteous path cannot defeat the byways. Relying on hollow justice to boost oneself or deceive others into risking their lives is useless. History repeatedly proves that many byways eventually become broad avenues, and all so-called righteous paths have a history of byways. What explanation can the upright gentleman give for this?

“我无是也” (I have no such): Confucius says he is not like this, not “those who act without knowing.” So, what is he like? “Listen extensively, select the good ones and follow them; see more often and recognize them,” which relates to the earlier discussion of “liking, keenness, and seeking.” “Listen more” and “see more” include “liking” and “keenness.” Without “liking,” it is impossible to “listen more.” Both “listening” and “seeing” are verified by experience and are inseparable from “keenness.” “Select” and “recognize” are about “seeking.” The result of recognition and selection is to “follow,” which means adopting certain methods or principles based on the choice. True “following” involves analyzing and solving problems from the perspective of real-world logic, ultimately transforming and revolutionizing reality and its logical relationships. It must be emphasized that “善者” (the good ones) should not be understood from a moralist perspective. “善者” (the good ones) are not necessarily “good people,” and “good people” are not necessarily “善者.” What is a “善者”? Those who have insights or abilities beyond their own knowledge in any aspect are “善者.” From this perspective, all people are “善者.” But no one is omnipotent, no one is a so-called god; everyone has their “not good” aspects. Therefore, one must rely on their insights, not on the person, which is “following”—following the “good way” of the “善者.”

The previous chapter discussed “learning and knowing,” and “listening extensively” is the most important prerequisite for “learning.” Without “listening extensively,” one can only be a narrow-minded person. But more importantly, society must provide an environment conducive to “listening extensively.” If the entire society only holds one viewpoint or idea, how can there be “listening extensively”? The diversification of viewpoints and ideas actually prevents people from being at a loss; it is the most fundamental starting point for ultimate wisdom. Note that diversification of viewpoints and ideas does not necessarily mean there are conditions for “listening extensively.” For example, in capitalist societies, behind all viewpoints and ideas, there is an invisible hand controlling them. Any discourse that contradicts capitalism is difficult to amplify through channels fully controlled by capital. This so-called diversity is actually just the emperor’s new clothes. A society where “people do not know” is fundamentally characterized by a lack of “listening”—not enough “listening.” To change a society where “people do not know,” one must start with “listening extensively,” not only eliminating all tangible controls over “listening” but also resisting all intangible controls. Otherwise, in a society controlled by capital and markets, all “listening” is just a show.

Only after “listening extensively” can there be the possibility of “select the good and follow it.” Only then can there be “seeing more,” which is not superficial knowledge but insights formed through thinking, comparing, researching, and practicing. A noisy era may be “listening extensively,” but it is unlikely to be “seeing more,” because “seeing” in this context is just parroting others, copying and pasting. A society or era that “sees less” lacks creativity and cannot be separated from “not knowing.” Insight does not equal knowledge; only when insight is thorough can there be understanding. Otherwise, it is just blind people describing elephants or making things up.

With one’s own insights, and after deepening them, one can then “recognize.” Here, “recognize” does not only refer to one’s own understanding; that is just theoretical. True “recognition” requires going out into the world, discerning with real effort, and most importantly, correcting errors through engagement in worldly affairs. Only then can there be genuine “recognition.” Otherwise, pseudo-scholars and intellectuals’ so-called insights are just superficial and useless, more like blind men describing elephants—just blind guessing.

Cangzhong’s plain translation of Zen:
Confucius said: “There are those who act without knowing; I have no such person. Listen extensively, select the good ones and follow them; see more often and recognize them; this is secondary to ‘innate knowledge.’”

Confucius said: “There probably exists a kind of person who acts without understanding, relying solely on ignorance. I am not like that. In a society where everyone can freely see and hear, one should expand their knowledge as much as possible, choose insights beyond oneself, and study and absorb based on those insights—not based on the people or groups who hold them. Only then can one deepen their understanding and better discern and correct the authenticity and depth of various knowledge. But these are just temporary resting points of wisdom, not wisdom itself.”