Gong-sun Long 哲學一智 493032208 黃玉寧

Gong-sun Long

(There is no picture of Gongsun Long.)
Once time, was I watching TV programs, I saw a strange call-in show. The host was somebody I didn’t know and the visitor, really surprised me, was Gongsun Long. Because of curious, I locked on the channel and wanted to know what they will talk about in the interview.
The following is some parts I can still remember in this interview.

Host --- We’re so appreciated that we can get Mr. Gong-sun come here to talk about his theory. But I think many of our spectators doesn’t really know much about you, so maybe we can start our program in introduce, Mr. Gongsun?
Gongsun Long --- I’m willing to. Where we start?
Host --- Well, maybe we can proceed by question and answer? It’s easier to let our spectators understand.
Gongsun Long --- Sure!
Host --- Can you tell us your name and your birth first?
Gongsun Long --- My name is Gongsun Long, another name is Gongsun Zi-bing(子秉). I was born in 320B.C in a country name Zhao. (Captions supplement: And died in 250B.C.) I had written a book name “Gongsun Long” (or call “Gongsun Long Zi” or “Shou Bai Lun”).

Host --- Wow, it’s quite a detailed self introduce! But I’m still having a question in your self introduce. What kind of the background you lived and made your theory?
Gongsun Long --- Well … let me think … it was almost the end of the Warring Stages. Every country wanted to made themselves stronger so that they can swallow up other small countries. In the condition like that, commoners like me can use our scholarship to do many things, even get famous. That why we always though lot things others never think.

Host --- thank you Mr. Gongsun. By your self introduce, we can more easily understand with you and your theory.
I believe every our spectators before TV has more understand about Mr. Gongsun Long than before, but I think there must has more questions they didn’t understand. So now, we get the call-in starting.
Mr. Gongsun, before we get the first call, do you have any expect to our phone call questions?
Gongsun Long --- Well, expect… maybe more questions from my theory, I hope I can let every one know my theory.
Host --- So… you hope it’s a specialized question, right?
OK, now we’re getting our first call-in. Mr. Zhao?

Call in (1) --- Mr. Gongsun, I heard you just said that you were born in a disorder age, and it’s also an age everyone has the chance. So I want to ask you: How did you use this chance and what did you do?
Gongsun Long --- Well…I canvass the rulers in many countries, especially for those who wanted to attack others. And I also devastatingly refute and disprove them and advised them don’t send soldiers abroad. For example, once time I showed up Zhao’s ruler’s conspiracy. It’s not an easy job, but for me, it most important in my life.

Host --- Thanks for Mr. Zhao. Next call is Mr. Li.
Call in (2) ---Yes. At the beginning of the program, Mr. Gongsun said he expects there has more questions about his theory, but before that, can you make a description for your theory? What is the point in it? Thank you, Mr. Gong-sun.
Gongsun Long --- About the point in my theory, I think maybe it better we call it “main point of view”. I put my point on the “same” of things. And I attached importance to the general come into view. The general of things are never change, so my theory can also call “Philosophy in Never Change.”

Host --- OK, thanks Mr. Li. Next call we have Mr. Chen.
Call in (3) --- Hi, Mr. Gongsun. I …I want to know more about your theory of “堅白論”. Ca… can you explain it general idea for me?
Gongsun Long --- Of course, “堅白論” is one of the important idea in my theory. Now, let me explain it with white stone.
When you watching a stone, you can only know its color but didn’t know it hardness. The same, when you touch a stone, you can only know its hardness but no idea about its color. We can know many things, and those things are come from our different feelings. It make by every organ’s different sensation. So when we say “the white stone is hard”, it’s means we use both our two sensation --- eyes and fingers. The conclusion is integrating senses.

Host --- Thank you Mr. Chen. Next call is a lady, Miss Lin.
Call in (4) --- Yes. Mr. Gongsun, if my memory is right, you had more than one point in your theory. Can you explain the others for us?
Gongsun Long --- The others? You mean…?
Call in (4) --- I think its “指物論” and ”白馬非馬”. Is that right?
Gongsun Long --- Yes, you are right! I’m so happy you ask me this question. I love to explain it for you. The first is “指物論”, it talking about the different between reference and sense. For example, we know a pen is a pen, in this time “pen” is just it sense but don’t have the meaning with reference. But when we call it “a pen”, now what we call is a name, and this name including sense and reference. “Something it is” and “Something we call it” are not really the same. But if we want to know “what the things is” we have through by “what we call it”. The reference couldn’t get along without the sense, but the sense couldn’t also get understand by people without the reference. Now, can you understand, Miss Lin?
Call in (4) --- Hum… I think I get it.
Gongsun Long --- Ha-ha… that great. And the second one is “白馬非馬”. As you see, it’s means --- Whit horse is not the horse. In this part, I want to talk about the different between all and a part. “Horse” means all the group of horse, and “Whit horse” means a part of horse, so those are different. In another word, “Horse” is a construct, but “Whit horse” is two constricts, compose by “Whit” and ”Horse”. So they are totally different. In this logic, I sailed “whit horse is not the horse”.


Host --- Thanks for Miss Lin’s question. I believe by the question, we got closer with Mr. Gong-sun, right Mr. Gong-sun?
Gongsun Long --- Yes, it’s really an excellent question.
Host --- OK! Now we have a breath for a while. After then, we got 2 more call-in for our spectators.

Host --- Hi, welcome back to our program. Now we have 2 more call-in can ask questions to Mr. Gongsun. The first is Mr. Lai.
Call in (5) --- Hello! Mr. Gongsun. Well, the question I want to ask was just asked by Miss Lin. So I want to ask another one.
Gongsun Long --- Yes, what is your question?
Call in (5) --- I want to ask you: do you know how the other people think about your theory in that time?
Gongsun Long --- Well… badly, it’s not a good appraisal. They thought my theories were only just a way to defend oneself by sophistry. So they despised my theory and call me “argue person”. But that’s not my real intention, its just a way to use my theory. They got some misunderstanding.

Host --- Thanks for Mr. Lai. The last one is Miss Wang.
Call in (6) --- Mr. Gongsun, you said you were in an age full oh chance, and people can get succeed or famous by thinking and speaking. And did there have anyone got the similar quality with you in that same period?
Gongsun Long --- Yes, his name is Hui-Shi. He was also one of a philosopher in Ming theory. He had argued with Zhuangzi for many things. For example, like people did or did not know if the fish happy with swimming in water.
Call in (6) --- And then, what’s the different between your theory and his?
Gongsun Long --- Well, to explain it in rough, Hui-Shi’s theory attach his importance to every single things. Every body knows the things are change every times, so we can call his philosophy as “Philosophy of change” And I was stress on the same of things, the things’ applicable to both or all. That is the maximum different between our two theories.

Host --- Thank you, Mr. Gongsun! You made so many wonderful answers and explain for your theory. I believe that disentangle many people’s confuse.
Once again, thank you for coming, Mr. Gongsun.
Gongsun Long --- It’s my honored. And please don’t forget to read my book in your free time. Thank you! Good bye everyone~