Critique of Rational Thinking

Xuefeng

June 27, 2024

Using a large number of facts and phenomena as a basis to observe, compare, analyze, and summarize things or issues, then finding patterns through synthesis, and subsequently abstracting, generalizing, and determining the development direction or solving problems is rational thinking.

Rational thinking is the thinking of wise people and belongs to advanced human thinking. Most humans do not possess rational thinking. Most people think based on instinct, focusing on wealth, power, reputation, and status. The reason humanity has not yet entered a civilized society is that the masses' thinking is too materialistic, while the wise's thinking is too rational. One could say that rational thinking is a significant obstacle to humanity's entry into a civilized society.

Rational thinking, as a human thought process, has its limitations. No matter how meticulous and objective a person's thinking is, their understanding of the vast world and human nature is still like viewing a leopard through a narrow tube—it is not comprehensive and can easily neglect one thing while attending to another. Therefore, relying on human intelligence alone cannot establish a civilized society.

Hence, planned economies are bound to fail. The stronger the government, the deeper the disaster. The core reason is that human rationality is limited and cannot consider the universal interconnectedness of things, which involves 64 factors. Just like scientists attempting to establish a unified field theory of the universe, it cannot be done because science only acknowledges four types of forces, ignoring the other four. How can a unified field theory of the universe be established? Humans do not know what will happen tomorrow, so how can they plan?

Locke regarded life, liberty, and property as the three main elements of natural human rights. Hayek believed that property rights are the core of market order and individual freedom. The primary reason countries like the UK and the USA have become relatively civilized and powerful is that they legally guarantee the sanctity and inviolability of private property. Even a thatched cottage is sacred and inviolable: "The wind can enter, the rain can enter, but the king cannot enter."

The essential characteristic of capitalism is to ensure the sanctity and inviolability of private property. It is almost impossible to build a system superior to capitalism based on human rationality or ideals. Therefore, the pursuit of communism and utopian ideal societies cannot be achieved; not only that, but it will also cause disasters.

Thus, the sanctity and inviolability of private property are a very just principle in human society. Ensuring the property of people like Musk is inviolable is certainly a blessing for the entire human society.

However, the sanctity and inviolability of private property do not conform to the standards of the Heavenly Kingdom, nor do they meet the psychology and needs of the proletariat. This means that to elevate human character, soothe the minds of the proletariat, and lead humanity into a more advanced state of civilization, the sanctity and inviolability of private property cannot become a legal principle. However, infringing on legitimate private property is absolutely wrong and cannot be justified under any pretext.

To make 99% of people live happily, freely, and joyfully, it cannot rely on a planned economy or a market economy. Relying on human rational thinking is definitely not the way; it is absolutely impossible to design an ideal social system with human wisdom alone. The so-called invisible hand of the market regulating things would mean returning to a jungle society where the strong prey on the weak and only the fittest survive.

Can humanity enter a higher state of civilization by abandoning rationality and the market?

Yes, it can. This can be achieved by simply copying and pasting the heavenly life mechanism. The Second Home created by Lifechanyuan is a copy of the production and living model of the Thousand-year World of the Heavenly Kingdom. This copying model avoids human rational intervention and the jungle law mechanism of the animal world.