After the First Sino-Japanese War, Li Hongzhang went to Japan to sign a treaty with Prime Minister Ito Hirobumi. Li Hongzhang asked Ito Hirobumi, "I don't understand how Japan, a small island nation, could defeat our Qing Dynasty. Our population is many times larger than yours, and we have vast territory and abundant resources." Ito Hirobumi replied, "What we rely on is the large number of talents we cultivate." Li Hongzhang sighed deeply, saying, "Our Qing Dynasty is also cultivating talents, but why don't we have as many?" Ito Hirobumi smiled and said, "Your country does not lack talent; rather, when these geniuses, local talents, and skilled individuals encounter despotism, they all become subservient."
Confucius and Aristotle were roughly contemporaneous figures. Confucius said, "The ruler is the framework for the minister, the father for the son, the husband for the wife," and also spoke of fearing the words of great men and sages. Identity determines right and wrong; there is no need to discuss reason, present facts, or speak logically. In contrast, Aristotle's famous saying is, "I love my teacher, but I love truth even more!" You are my teacher, and I have no problem respecting you. However, if what you say is incorrect or illogical, I cannot go against my conscience to agree with you.
Thus, you will see that in Chinese history, with three thousand years of documented history, there has been no substantial progress. The change of dynasties resembles a cycle. Mr. Lu Xun said that the Twenty-Four Histories are the genealogies of emperors and ministers. We have also been glorious and have had the Four Great Inventions, but our common people have never been happy. The rise and fall are the suffering of the people; the prosperous age is merely a carnival for the emperors. Whether during the Zhenguan reign or the Kangxi and Qianlong eras, looking at the hundreds of millions of common people, they were either taken to work on projects or conscripted as soldiers. Being able to scrape a living from the land to barely support a family is considered a virtue inherited from ancestors.
In Europe, because it was not unified, each country had different management methods. This allowed philosophers and thinkers to have space for survival and development. From Plato to Aristotle, from Socrates to Rousseau, and then to Wittgenstein, there was almost no interruption. The Analects record that Confucius did not speak of strange powers or chaotic spirits. When Fan Chi asked Confucius how to farm, and Ji Lu asked him about ghosts and spirits, Confucius was very displeased. Confucius believed in "do not speak of what is not proper," placing the Zhou rites at the forefront, using "rituals" to constrain people's thoughts and behaviors, prohibiting the transgression of rituals and the disorder of society.
Confucius taught many students, but his goal was not to enhance their wisdom, nor was enhancing wisdom his primary aim; he was not committed to broadening their horizons, but solely focused on "self-restraint and returning to ritual," teaching students to learn, respect, and promote "ritual." As for how the sun rises, how the moon sets, and when wheat is sown, these matters, in Confucius's view, had nothing to do with the Zhou rites and belonged to "improper" matters. Confucius did not support his disciples in asking these questions, nor did he wish to discuss them. I recall an ancient text recording "Two Young Boys Debate the Sun," and Confucius did not provide an explanation. He required students to think and discuss topics limited to the scope of "Zhou rites," which is quite limiting.
Fortunately, at that time, Confucianism was just one of the many schools of thought, with Legalism, Mohism, and others also appearing across various social strata, bringing a flourishing of ideas and technologies during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Unfortunately, Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, in order to stabilize his rule, favored Confucianism, causing the land of Huaxia to lose its brilliance. In the subsequent history, it became difficult for independent thinkers who valued logic to emerge.
In contrast, figures like Aristotle and Socrates discussed a very broad range of topics, covering various disciplines and fields, from agriculture to child-rearing, from ghosts and spirits to extraordinary skills, with no taboos. Almost all topics had no restrictions, with no rigid frameworks; anything conceivable could be explored. Thus, Aristotle earned the nickname "encyclopedic thinker."
Aristotle proposed the "syllogism" of logic: a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion. The major premise is a general principle, while the minor premise is a specific statement. Logically, the conclusion is derived from applying the major premise to the minor premise. For example, "Metal is a conductor; iron is metal; therefore, iron is a conductor."
In fact, both Confucius and Aristotle, as the most renowned thinkers of the ancient East and West, are the crystallization of human wisdom. However, in the pursuit of truth, Confucius is clearly not on par with Aristotle. Truth itself is not limited by time; no era can fully articulate the truth, yet truth is the profound essence that every era of humanity needs to explore and seek.
For instance, Tang Bohu of the Ming Dynasty in China and Leonardo da Vinci in Europe were both figures of the 15th century and renowned artists. Influenced by Confucian thought, Tang Bohu's ultimate goal was to achieve success in the imperial examinations, gain official favor, and bring glory to his ancestors. However, he later fell into the rebellion of Prince Ning and spent his life in frustration. In contrast, da Vinci's lifelong pursuit was to explore the unknown; he sought to understand why birds could fly in the sky and whether humans could as well, and to clarify the origins and developmental space of humanity. Both had their merits in art, but in terms of benefiting the future of humanity, Tang Bohu is clearly just a beginner.
Imagine going back to before the Industrial Revolution. We were all at the same starting line, while talents in countries like England and other European nations were inventing, improving machines, and offering suggestions to the government, continuously optimizing products. Meanwhile, in the Qing Dynasty, a literati wrote, "The clear wind does not recognize characters; why does it randomly flip through books?" When this reached the emperor, it resulted in the execution of his entire family! The remaining two hundred million compatriots, upon seeing this, could only obediently scrape a living from the land. A group of numb individuals with queue hairstyles, how can you expect them to compete with powerful nations for resources? It would be good enough if they didn't provide a ladder for the invaders.
So, what is the difference between Confucius and Aristotle? Or what is the difference between the East and the West? I believe it lies in independent thinking and logical reasoning! A culture and civilization that restricts thought is like a pair of wings that are broken; it cannot fly, let alone fly high!
Following the path of independent thinking and the pursuit of truth, Aristotle is Aristotle, Newton is Newton, and Einstein is Einstein. The ability to think independently determines how far a person can go and also determines the direction of a nation's rise and fall. When there are more and more people in a society who can think independently and reason logically, ignorance and barbarism will naturally recede, and civilization and freedom will arrive. A person with independent thought will not care about others' misunderstandings or societal prejudices. They will not blindly follow nor will they be superstitious about authority, and they will not become a soulless replica or a mere mouthpiece.