Yin and Yang are the philosophical concepts of ancient people's understanding of objective things. They divide everything in the universe into two categories: Yin and Yang: Yang represents light, upward, growth, positive, external, dynamic, hot, strong, male, male ...; Yin represents darkness, downward, death, negative, inner, quiet, cold, weak, female, female ... In order to explain this classification of natural phenomena, the ancients gradually formed a set of yin-yang theories.
Yin and yang first appeared in the book Yi Zhuan, which read: "One yin and one yang is the Tao"; "Infinity gives birth to Tai Chi, and Tai Chi gives birth to two instruments". The Taiji diagram in the Book of Changes is a summary of Yin and Yang and a symbol. The ancients believed that the essence of Yin and Yang is the unity of opposites, and the formation, change and development of everything lies in the movement and transformation of Yin and Yang, which runs according to a certain trajectory. The theory of Yin and Yang is widely used in China, such as the Book of Changes, astrology, geomantic omen, medicine, numerology, physiognomy and so on. The core of their theory is the theory of Yin and Yang.
1, the relationship between yin and yang and "unity of opposites"
Yin and Yang have a special relationship with "unity of opposites", because Yin and Yang embody the principle of "unity of opposites" and combine the opposing nature of Yin and Yang into a whole, with the ultimate goal of setting up a bright and dazzling banner of "unity of opposites". The word "unity of opposites" is a foreign philosophical vocabulary. In a sense, "unity of opposites" is a philosophical view full of scientific thoughts. It embodies individuality with opposition, unity with unity, and clearly opposes it in unity. Opposition and unity complement each other. Through a comprehensive summary of "unity of opposites", the basic relationship of everything is expressed concisely.
If we carefully analyze the literal meaning of "unity of opposites", we will find that there are some unsatisfactory places in it. We always feel that this concise expression has a kind of fuzziness. If you sort it out in detail, you will sort out some incomprehensible problems:
The first point: Although opposition is a fact that exists in everything, who is against whom? Who's opposite? Why are there voices of opposition? What are the conditions for confrontation? These basic conditions cannot be clearly reflected in the modern viewpoint of "unity of opposites".
The second point: What are the conditions for reunification? Why should we be unified? What is the necessary basis for reunification? These conditions are completely invisible in the literal sense of "unity of opposites";
The third point: What kind of bilateral relations will happen between the opposing sides in the process of unity of opposites? What are the characteristics of this relationship? This problem is not reflected in the "unity of opposites";
The fourth point: What will happen after the reunification of the two sides? What kind of regularity will this change produce? These problems cannot be reflected in the "unity of opposites".
It seems really a strategic move to express the view of "unity of opposites" with Yin and Yang. The relationship between opposition and unity can only be fully contained and clearly expressed through the mutual combination of two opposing yin and yang. Yin He clearly stated "unity of opposites" because in the process of unification, both sides of opposites have their own nature expressions, so that people can know at a glance who is the opposite and what is the basis of unity.
At the same time, it can also produce an association of mutual changes in natural relations, which only occurs in yin and yang with nature as the main body and is reflected by the contrast of opposing nature. This is not in the expression of "unity of opposites". "Unity of opposites" has no clear nature or performance regulations, and it is a general term for emptiness, and it is impossible to give people associations of specified nature.
Through association, Yin and Yang made a detailed confession of the nature, principle, relationship and law of "unity of opposites", which was clearly embodied in these two very simple words:
The first point: Yin and Yang show that the basic condition of opposition is the opposition of nature, and the opposition with one's own nature is opposition, which is embodied in two aspects: negative nature and positive nature. Only when the opposite nature of * * * co-exists, the opposition will occur;
The second point: Yin and Yang show that both opposites are produced by different quantitative changes on the same basis. Therefore, unity must be a combination of opposites. The purpose of unification is to combine the opposites with different quantitative changes into a whole. On the whole, the yin and yang of the opposing sides are clearly reflected, and complementary cooperation is reflected in the opposition;
The third point: after the unification of Yin and Yang, the opposing sides are still in a state of opposition, although they become a whole in appearance. Both sides of the opposite nature use each other's existence to reflect the basis of their different characteristics; Yin reflects the essence of Yin in comparison with Yang, and Yang reflects the essence of Yang in comparison with Yin.
The fourth point: Yin and Yang show that because of the opposite nature of the opposing sides, there will inevitably be incompatible struggles in the process of reunification between the two sides. Where there is struggle, there will be change, and the process of change is determined by the ups and downs of both sides, and there will be mutual changes.
Fifth point: Yin and Yang show that the unity of the two sides of nature depends on the strength of both sides. When yin dominates, the whole is negative, when yang dominates, the whole is positive, and when both sides are balanced, the whole reflects balance.
Comparing Yin and Yang with "unity of opposites", we can think that Yin and Yang are two opposites closely combined, which fully expresses all the contents of the principle of "unity of opposites" and is the concrete embodiment of "unity of opposites". That is to say, the opposite nature of Yin and Yang creates a new image of "unity of opposites", concretizes and visualizes the relationship of "unity of opposites" that was invisible originally, and simulates the empty theory into a combination of tangible properties. This clearly shows that Yin and Yang are the concrete images to express "unity of opposites" and the substantive relationship between them.
"Unity of opposites" is only a philosophical concept, and there is no specific expression image. Yin and Yang are visible concrete images, which not only express the idea of "unity of opposites", but also show the nature, principle, relationship and law of "unity of opposites", making "unity of opposites" more clear and concrete. Because the expression of Yin and Yang has variable associative function, the movements of Yin and Yang Can are also shown through the conception of different proportions of Yin and Yang.
Although Yin and Yang are abstract images composed of two specific attributes, they can be expressed in more concise images and more concretely embody the theory of "unity of opposites". Because of this, when the ancients in China knew that "unity of opposites" was the most basic relationship principle in the universe, they did not preach the abstract thinking view of "unity of opposites", but created an abstract image of Yin and Yang with specific opposites to express it. This is the real reason why the ancients didn't say the word "unity of opposites" in practical application although they understood the principle of "unity of opposites".