Chapter 134 The most enlightened person

The decoration inside the house is very simple and the furniture looks old. It is obvious that Ma Guodong's family has lived here for many years. But the house was kept spotlessly clean and the items were neatly arranged. When it comes to objects, there aren’t really many objects, mainly books. There are two simple bookshelves on both sides of the sofa, and the TV cabinet is also filled with neat books. The whole living room is filled with the strong aroma of books.

"The mountain people are coming."

Ma Guodong walked out of the study with a smile on his face and an open book in his hand.

Lu Shanmin quickly stood up and said, "Hello, old professor."

"Sit, sit, sit, this is not in class."

Grandma Chen walked out of the kitchen carrying a plate of washed fruits and said with a kind face, "Mountain people, don't be cautious when you get here. If you don't teach, we are just two empty nesters." As he spoke, he put the fruit plate on the coffee table, "It doesn't matter what kind of professor he is, he sounds very powerful. Other professors are all over the world and welcome distinguished guests every day. We here can be considered as a handful."

Ma Guodong coughed twice in embarrassment, "Don't listen to your nonsense, Grandma Chen. There are many people coming to see me, but they are not here to discuss knowledge. They are all people who want to use my fame to make money for them." Money merchants, I don’t bother to meet them.”

Grandma Chen smiled and said to Lu Shanmin, "You guys chat slowly, I'll buy some food and try Grandma Chen's cooking in the evening."

"Thank you, Grandma Chen." Lu Shanmin nodded and said.

"Let's go and sit in my study." Ma Guodong got up and walked towards the study.

When he walked into the study, Lu Shanmin was stunned. The study, which was about thirty square meters, had bookshelves on all four walls except for a window.

Ma Guodong said proudly, "Hey, this is my life savings."

Lu Shanmin couldn't help but stroke the antique bookshelf and look at the book. This was the first time in his life that he had seen so many books.

"Do you like these books?"

Lu Shanmin nodded and shook his head. In fact, for him, he did not have much desire to read, just because Bai Lingkao When I went to college, I developed a latent curiosity about scholars. Later, because of Zhang Li's long-term plan and her promise that Zeng Yaqian would work hard to become a person with enough capital to become her friend, I came up with the idea of ​​studying hard.

"Old professor, have you read all these books?"

"Well, I have read almost all of them."

Lu Shanmin looked at the room full of books and marveled, "How much time do you have to spend reading books?"

Ma Guodong nodded, "It took almost a lifetime."

"Ah, then you have spent your whole life reading, do you still have time to do other things?"

Ma Guodong was stunned for a moment. He is an economist and also As a teacher, it is natural to spend time on books. I never thought about what else I should spend my time on.place. Lu Shanmin's question made him somewhat confused as to how to answer.

Ma Guodong coughed dryly, "The book has its own Yan Ruyu, and the book has its own golden house, haven't you heard?"

Lu Shanmin nodded in confusion.

"Old professor, I have read the two books you gave me."

Ma Guodong sat on the Taishi chair behind the desk, nodded with satisfaction, pointed to the stool next to him, "Sit down and talk."

Lu Shanmin sat on the stool, "Adam Smith's economics is based on the premise of human selfishness and absolute egoism. Isn't this contrary to the original goodness of human beings?"

Ma Guodong originally thought that Lu Shanmin would put forward some specific economic principles, but he did not expect that such a question would be raised.

"What you are talking about no longer belongs to the category of economics, but to the category of philosophy. Traditional Chinese Confucianism pays more attention to moral guidance and often avoids talking about the weaknesses of human nature. Economics It is not a study of what kind of person one should be, but a study of what kind of economic behavior a person will make. Although many people are secretive about the selfishness of human nature, in fact, human nature is selfish, and there is nothing shameful about it."

Lu Shanmin frowned, "You mean, from an economic point of view, human nature is inherently selfish."

Ma Guodong nodded, "Many people talk about selfless dedication, especially some Taoists, and even try to change the selfishness of human nature into selfless dedication. This is completely deceiving and is very ridiculous." .

Lu Shanmin asked in confusion, "But there are indeed many selfless people in this world. There are not so many entrepreneurs and rich people who donate money every year. There are also some city people who give up their superior life." They go to remote mountainous areas to support teaching, and for example, the party secretary and head of our village often use their own money to help the lonely elderly people in the village. Their humanity is full of selflessness."

Ma Guodong shook his head and said, "Entrepreneurs donate money to expand the company's reputation, gain public favor, and seek greater benefits. Most of the people you mentioned who go to teach are not for real reasons." To improve the education level in remote mountainous areas, to improve the education level in a region, it is simply impossible to rely on a few teachers who volunteer to teach. This requires intervention at the national level. They go to teach more for the purpose of Realizing one's own ideals and values ​​is essentially for oneself. As for you, the party secretary and village chief, it is their responsibility to help the lonely elderly. They do this to better meet the burdens on their shoulders. So you said. Selflessness, in fact, the essential starting point is selfishness."

"Ah" Lu Shanmin stared at Ma Guodong in disbelief, "Then you are selfish in teaching me economics without asking for anything in return?"

Ma Guodong nodded, "I am a Teacher, my responsibility is to cultivate talents, but I have never taught a decent student in my life. I feel very ashamed and uneasy. I am not teaching you without asking for any responsibility.How to repay is to seek peace of mind, which is essentially selfish."

Lu Shanmin lowered his head with some disappointment. What he learned from his grandfather since childhood was the benevolence and righteousness of Confucius and Mencius, which emphasizes the inherent goodness of human nature. In the morning, Zuoqiu He told himself that there is no good or evil in human nature. Now when Leng Buding heard the old professor's words, he felt that he was telling himself that human nature is inherently evil. For him who had received Confucius and Mencius' education for 20 years, he was once again shocked. I think what the old professor said makes sense, but I don’t know how to refute it.

“According to what you say, there are no good people in this world.”

Ma Guodong chuckled, “You. Yeah, like most people, our thinking is fixed by traditional standards of good and bad. Who says being selfish is not a good person. On a larger scale, if there were no selfish mentality of the working people who want to stand up and become masters, would we have such a good society today and the re-emergence of China today? On a smaller scale, no migrant workers from all over the country would want to make money in the East China Sea. Selfish mentality, can the high-rise buildings in the East China Sea rise from the ground? Also, babies know how to hold on to their milk bottles right after they are born. If anyone snatches something from them, they will burst into tears. These are all manifestations of selfishness. Could it be that the same is true for newborn babies? Are you a bad person? It’s understandable to think about yourself. Why do you have to make a distinction between black and white? "

Lu Shanmin said oh, feeling a little more comfortable, "It turns out that human nature is not divided into black and white."

Ma Guodong nodded, "You just need to realize that human nature is inherently gray. , you won’t care so much about good and bad.”

After figuring this out, Lu Shanmin smiled easily and said, “Old professor, I have another question to ask you.”

"Well, you ask."

"Economics is a discipline that studies how to make money and how to spend it, and economists are experts in it. Why never? Have you ever heard of an economist who founded a big company or an economist who can become a rich man? "

"Hiss" Ma Guodong took a breath, why does this kid always ask such sharp questions. This question is a big slap in the face for an economist like him.

Seeing that Ma Guodong's face was not very good, Lu Shanmin said sheepishly, "Isn't this question a bit abrupt?"

Ma Guodong coughed dryly, "What economists do is. Summarize the economic phenomena that have occurred and find patterns from them to provide reference for economic development. We are all academics, and you have seen a few academics who are rich." He paused and then said, "Of course, you can also think of us as an afterthought. It's okay to be pretentious. I still lack the courage to fight in the market with real swords and guns. Scholars are just piss-poor and talk a lot, but few dare to be serious about it."

Hahaha, Ma Guodong continued, "You asked me just now, how can I still have time after reading so many books in my life? Doing other things really made me wake up from a dream. After studying all my life and teaching others how to do things, I actually did less. Mountain people, so I hope you won’t study hard, nor will youYou should devote your whole mind to books, try your best to verify what you have learned in action, and in turn improve your knowledge, knowledge and action. If you lack knowledge, you cannot act, and if you lack action, how can you know?" .

Lu Shanmin nodded, and then asked the old professor about a series of economic theories that he did not understand, such as consumption theory and value theory. Ma Guodong explained everything he knew.

Ma Guodong was satisfied after dinner. Going downstairs for a walk, the two of them walked in the quiet community. Ma Guodong said meaningfully, "Zeng Yaqian's grandfather had tea with me not long ago."

Lu Shanmin frowned, thinking of last night. The man in the trench coat.

Ma Guodong smiled, "Zeng Guoqiang was unreasonable when he was young, but his temper has changed a lot as he got older."

Ma Guodong patted Lu Shanmin. Shoulder, "He is now considered the most enlightened person in the Zeng family."

The decoration in the house is very simple and the furniture looks old. It is obvious that Ma Guodong's family has lived here for many years, but the house is clean and tidy. The objects are arranged neatly. There are not many objects, mainly books. There are two simple bookshelves on both sides of the sofa, and the TV cabinet is also filled with neat books. The strong smell of books.

"The mountain people are here"

Ma Guodong walked out of the study with a smile on his face and an open book in his hand.

Lu Shanmin quickly stood up and said, "Hello, old professor"

"Sit, sit, sit, this is not in class."

Grandma Chen was holding a plate to wash. The fruit walked out of the kitchen and said with a kind face, "Mountain people, don't be formal when you come here, there are no professors, we are just two empty nesters." As he said this, he put the fruit plate on the coffee table, "Don't look at him as a man. What professor? He sounds very powerful. Other professors are all over the world and welcome distinguished guests every day. We here can be regarded as having few people."

Ma Guodong coughed twice in embarrassment, "Don't listen to your nonsense, Grandma Chen. , there are many people who come to see me, but they are not here to discuss knowledge, they are all businessmen who want to use my reputation to make money for them, so I am too lazy to see them."

Grandma Chen smiled Then he said to Lu Shanmin, "You guys take your time and I'll buy some food and try Grandma Chen's cooking tonight."

"Thank you, Grandma Chen."

" Let's go and sit in my study." Ma Guodong stood up and walked towards the study.

When he walked into the study, Lu Shanmin was stunned. The study of about thirty square meters had only one window. , all four walls are covered with bookshelves.

Ma Guodong said proudly, "Hey, this is my life savings."

Lu Shanmin couldn't help but stroke the antique bookshelf and look at the book. This was the first time in his life that he had seen so many books.

"Do you like these books?"

Lu Shanmin nodded and shook his head. In fact, for him, he did not have much desire to read, just because Bai Lingkao When I went to college, I developed a latent curiosity about scholars. Later, because of Zhang Li's long-term plan and her promise that Zeng Yaqian would work hard to become a person with enough capital to become her friend, I came up with the idea of ​​studying hard.

"Old professor, have you read all these books?"

"Well, I have read almost all of them."

Lu Shanmin looked at the room full of books and marveled, "How much time do you have to spend reading books?"

Ma Guodong nodded, "It took almost a lifetime."

"Ah, then you have spent your whole life reading, do you still have time to do other things?"

Ma Guodong was stunned for a moment. He is an economist and also As a teacher, it is natural to spend time on books. I never thought about where else I should spend my time. Lu Shanmin's question made him somewhat confused as to how to answer.

Ma Guodong coughed dryly, "The book has its own Yan Ruyu, and the book has its own golden house, haven't you heard?"

Lu Shanmin nodded in confusion.

"Old professor, I have read the two books you gave me."

Ma Guodong sat on the Taishi chair behind the desk, nodded with satisfaction, pointed to the stool next to him, "Sit down and talk."

Lu Shanmin sat on the stool, "Adam Smith's economics is based on the premise of human selfishness and absolute egoism. Isn't this contrary to the original goodness of human beings?"

Ma Guodong originally thought that Lu Shanmin would put forward some specific economic principles, but he did not expect that such a question would be raised.

"What you are talking about no longer belongs to the category of economics, but to the category of philosophy. Traditional Chinese Confucianism pays more attention to moral guidance and often avoids talking about the weaknesses of human nature. Economics It is not a study of what kind of person one should be, but a study of what kind of economic behavior a person will make. Although many people are secretive about the selfishness of human nature, in fact, human nature is selfish, and there is nothing shameful about it."

Lu Shanmin frowned, "You mean, from an economic point of view, human nature is inherently selfish."

Ma Guodong nodded, "Many people talk about selfless dedication, especially some Taoists, and even try to change the selfishness of human nature into selfless dedication. This is completely deceiving and is very ridiculous." .

Lu Shanmin asked in confusion, "But there are indeed many selfless people in this world. There are not so many entrepreneurs and rich people every year."There are also some city people who give up their superior living environment and go to remote mountainous areas to support education. For example, the party secretary and head of our village often use their own money to help the lonely elderly people in the village. Their humanity is full of selflessness.

Ma Guodong shook his head and said, "Entrepreneurs donate money to expand the company's reputation and gain public favor, so as to seek greater benefits. Most of the people you mentioned who go to teach are not really there to improve the educational level in remote mountainous areas. To improve the educational level in a region, it is simply impossible to rely on a few teachers who volunteer to teach. That requires the state. It can only be solved by level intervention. They go to support education more to realize their own ideals and values, which is essentially for themselves. As for you, the party secretary and village chief, it is their responsibility to help the lonely elderly people. They do this so that they can better meet the burden on their shoulders. So when you talk about being selfless, in fact, the starting point is selfishness."

"Ah" Lu Shanmin stared at Ma Guodong in disbelief, "Then you are also selfish for teaching me economics without asking for anything in return?"< /p>

Ma Guodong nodded, "I am a teacher, and my responsibility is to cultivate talents, but I have never taught a decent student in my life. I feel very ashamed and uneasy. I am not teaching you. Not asking for anything in return is asking for peace of mind, which is essentially selfish."

Lu Shanmin lowered his head in disappointment. He had learned Confucius and Mencius' benevolence and righteousness from his grandfather since he was a child. In the morning Zuoqiu told himself that there is neither good nor evil in human nature. Now that Leng Buding heard the old professor's words, he felt that he was telling himself that human nature is inherently evil. For him who had received the education of Confucius and Mencius for twenty years, he was once again shocked. But I think what the old professor said makes sense, but I don’t know how to refute it.

“According to what you say, there are no good people in this world.”

Ma Guodong chuckled. "You, like most people, have been shaped by traditional standards of good and bad. Who says being selfish is not a good person. On a larger scale, if there were no selfish mentality of the working people who want to stand up and become masters, would we have such a good society today and the re-emergence of China today? On a smaller scale, no migrant workers from all over the country would want to make money in the East China Sea. Selfish mentality, can the high-rise buildings in the East China Sea rise from the ground? Also, babies know how to hold on to their milk bottles right after they are born. If anyone snatches something from them, they will burst into tears. These are all manifestations of selfishness. Could it be that the same is true for newborn babies? Are you a bad person? It’s understandable to think about yourself. Why do you have to make a distinction between black and white? "

Lu Shanmin said oh, feeling a little more comfortable, "It turns out that human nature is not divided into black and white."

Ma Guodong nodded, "You just need to realize that human nature is inherently gray. , you won’t care so much about good and bad.”

After figuring this out, Lu Shanmin smiled easily and said, “Old professor, I have another question to ask you.”

"Well, you ask"

"Economics is the study of how to make money.How money is spent is a subject, and economists are experts in it. Why have I never heard of any economist who founded a big company, or who in economics can become a rich man? "

"Hiss" Ma Guodong took a breath, why does this kid always ask such sharp questions. This question is a big slap in the face for an economist like him.

Seeing that Ma Guodong's face was not very good, Lu Shanmin said sheepishly, "Isn't this question a bit abrupt?"

Ma Guodong coughed dryly, "What economists do is. Summarize the economic phenomena that have occurred and find patterns from them to provide reference for economic development. We are all academics, and you have seen a few academics who are rich." He paused and then said, "Of course, you can also think of us as an afterthought. It's okay to be pretentious. I still lack the courage to fight in the market with real swords and guns. Scholars are just piss-poor and talk a lot, but few dare to be serious about it."

Hahaha, Ma Guodong continued, "You asked me just now, how can I still have time after reading so many books in my life? Doing other things really made me wake up from a dream. After studying all my life and teaching others how to do things, I actually did less. Mountain people, so I hope you don’t study too hard, and don’t focus on books. Try your best to verify what you have learned in action, and in turn improve your knowledge, knowledge and actions. If you don’t know how to do it, how can you know if you don’t know how to do it?”

Lu Shanmin nodded, and then asked the old professor about a series of economic theories that he didn’t understand, such as consumption theory and value theory. Ma Guodong knew He talked about everything.

After teaching in a financial college for so many years, this was the most heartfelt time Ma Guodong gave a lecture. Often when Lu Shanmin raised a question, he would explain it and let Lu Shanmin understand. The teacher and the student listened attentively and taught each other. The whole afternoon passed quickly until Grandma Chen urged them to finish their meal two or three times before they walked out of the study with satisfaction.

Ma Guodong had the habit of going downstairs for a walk after dinner, and the two of them walked in the quiet community. Ma Guodong said meaningfully, "Zeng Yaqian's grandfather had tea with me not long ago."

Lu Shanmin frowned, thinking of the man in the trench coat last night.

Ma Guodong smiled, "Zeng Guoqiang was unreasonable when he was young, but his temper has changed a lot as he got older." /p>

Ma Guodong patted Lu Shanmin on the shoulder, "He is now the most enlightened person in the Zeng family."