Wang Critique Of Theism And Its Practical Value

At Donghan Dynasty, the early Dong Zhongshu抯 Theology of Syncretism of Human and Nature, then the Prophecy Theology, and the latter 揃aihu General Theory?and other omnifarious mundane superstitions, constituted a theology system which had done great harm to the society. Wang Chong proved the corporality of nature by Penuma Theory, negating the existence of its intention. He affirmed that all the creatures come into being of themselves, with nothing to do with the god. He animadverted on the theological Mentalism theory, which is the theory basis of theism, by refuting the theory of Human and Nature Correspondence. Basing on his theory, Wang Chong also disclosed such falsities as human would become ghost after their death, immortal art, divination and other mundane superstitions.Wang Chong believed that credulity, no-efficacy and sparseness of knowledge, is the epistemological basis of theism; grief and dread, curiosity and the respect to favor is the psychological basis of theism; while the decline of the society, the ruler governing and moralizing its subjects by the help of god is the social basis of the flooding of theism.The flooding of theism resulted in poverty of the people and weakness of the nation, even broke family and country. When animadverting on theism, Wang Chong paid much attention on its technique, which includes proving the truth by fact and experiment, judging the fact by calculating the quantity, exposing the antinomy by logical analysis and exploding the superstition by knowledge. These unique methods became powerful weapons for Wang Chong to animadvert on theism.For the first time in the history, Wang Chong, by concluding the merits of the various antitheism from Xian Qin period, and through his own improvement and development, established a comparatively integrated theism critical system, a monument in the history of theism criticism in China, wh~抙ad great influence on antitheism in the aftertime. Wang Chong抯 theory system still had limitations because of the restriction of the social and historical situation. It did not get rid of experimentalism. Wang Chong believed that there was good and bad omens and he was a determinist.A careful study of Wang Chong抯 theism critical theory is of great practical and positive value for us to systematically and roundly criticize the various theism of today. The spirit of 揷hallenging the authority? 揹etesting the false and absurdness? 損roving by fact and thinking carefully?揹isobeying the convention and differing from the former? are valuable spiritual treasures for us today to criticize theism theory.