There are four realms in life: natural realm, utilitarian realm, moral realm, heaven and earth realm. The following is Mr. Feng Youlan’s explanation of these four realms:

Natural realm: is a person living according to his instinct or social customs. Such people are like children or people in primitive society. They do all kinds of things without being conscious of what they are doing or not really aware of its meaning.

Utilitarian realm: This kind of person realizes himself and does everything for himself. This does not necessarily mean that he is totally unethical. He can also do something beneficial to others, but his motivation for doing so is for his own benefit. Therefore, everything he does is “useful” for himself.

Moral realm: This kind of person understands that there is not only oneself in the world, there is also a society, it is a whole, and oneself is an integral part of society. In this understanding, everything he does is for the benefit of society as a whole. He is a truly ethical person, and everything he does is ethical and has moral meaning.

The realm of heaven and earth: This kind of person knows that above the whole society, there is another whole, which is the universe. He is not only a member of society, but also a member of the universe. When doing everything, I realize that this is for the benefit of the universe. He understands the meaning of what he is doing and does it consciously. This kind of understanding and self-consciousness put him in a higher, spiritually transcending realm of life.

Researchers are first of all human beings, so human nature plays a decisive role in scientific research activities. At different levels, the understanding and feelings of scientific research are also different.

From low to high, scientific research also has four realms:

1. The natural realm of scientific research: This kind of person doing scientific research is a job to support the family, or they have to do scientific research in order to get a degree (so they can find a job to survive in society). This kind of person is very passive and obedient, like a screw on a huge machine. Although a problem with the screw can also affect the operation of the machine, it can easily be replaced by a new screw. Such people often can only engage in simple and repetitive scientific research.
2. The utilitarian realm of scientific research: This kind of person regards scientific research as a tool to achieve other life goals, such as promotion and wealth. Such people have certain scientific research capabilities and often have made some good scientific research results, but in the face of interests, such people often give up first-line scientific research. Most of these people are deeply influenced by the traditional thought of “learning and being good at work”, and they don’t have a heartfelt love for scientific research.
3. The moral realm of scientific research: This kind of person has the ideal of scientific research to serve the country and is the backbone of intellectuals. They have been engaged in scientific research all their lives, either in the front line or in leadership positions. The purpose of their scientific research is to serve the society and serve the country. They can sacrifice some personal interests to complete a large project. They love scientific research, but this kind of love is second, giving way to the needs of society.
4. The world of scientific research: This kind of person equates scientific research with life and feels that he is the Newton sent to the earth by God, bringing light to mankind in the dark night. They are dismissive of interests and morals, because they appreciate the beauty of science more. It is normal for a person to think quietly, just like Newton under an apple tree or Einstein in a thought experiment. They can achieve outstanding results in scientific research, or they may be unknown, and the results are not the most important to them. They regard scientific research as a journey of life, and it is important to appreciate the scenery along the way.

Most of the major basic and original scientific achievements are made by people in the fourth “world realm”. They are the backbone of scientific development, and they are also the most scarce and most precious resources of mankind.

As a society, it is necessary to create a scientific research ecological environment to allow these “fairies” in the “world realm” to grow up healthily, to maximize their ingenuity, and to benefit the scientific undertakings of mankind. The system of long-term appointment professors in Western universities is to create such a “fairyland” of academic freedom, allowing these immortals to believe in the horse and gallop freely, and contribute to the scientific undertakings of mankind in the artistic conception of “wine as a song, life geometry”. Those core contributions.

As individuals, we must also actively improve our scientific research realm and be a high-grade person. You can’t follow the current, you have to go against the current and climb up bravely. Only at high places can you see more beautiful scenery

My friend, what kind of scientific research state do you belong to?