As
alluded in the translators preface and in several writings by the of
the author, one of his premises is that the human race will loose its role
of dominant species and intelligent machines
will take control.
This will happen
ineluctably because the law of evolution implies that energy be used in the
most efficient way: human are dilapidating earth resources and, most
of all, they are completely mismanaging the most precious energy form, human
energy itself, by promoting a culture that limits the individual development
to the narrow ego and to the possession of material goods, taking moon’s
reflection for the moon itself. When the “top goals of life” reach such low
levels, the energy detained by Mankind can not evolve towards higher realms
of refinements, and will never attain its final destination: the spiritual
domain. As a consequence, the unavoidable force of evolution will provide
better forms of energy management, and it is foreseeable that intelligent
computers will take over and become the decision center for most of
everything regarding the human race.
Chu thinks it is very important
to contribute to this inevitable evolutionary step by influencing its
course, instead of opposing it, so that the soon coming intelligent
computers help instead of destroy mankind.
How can this be done? The answer
of Chu is: let us build an intelligent capable to understand daily human
behavior, psychology, and aspirations. In addition, it will include in its
kernel a kind of “wisdom guide” at the disposal of those who want to achieve
more elevate goals, in the spiritual domain in particular. Energy will then
be used in more efficient ways, as the law of evolutions requests.
The underlying principles of this
“advisory center” are, at the present stage, strongly inspired by the
essence of the wisdom imparted by the sages of Chinese culture: to say it
shortly, the Chinese classics: starting with the Book of Change, the Dao De
Jing of Lao Tzu the Chan (Zen) school and Chuang Tzu works, Confucius
principles of benevolence, and the like. Such wisdom is in complete accord
with universal wisdom, and the “advisory kernel” will therefore be also
representative of the wisdom of other cultures, and their profound
fundamental unity.
With such understanding tool at
humanity’s disposal, men might have a chance, thinks Chu, to come out our
worsening civilization crisis. To contribute to this task has been one of
his goals for the last 25 years where a great part of his research efforts
have been consecrated to founding an adequate Natural language program.
Undoubtedly, those engaged in
researching Natural Language programs and machine-versions of human “commons
sense” should find some hints in the methods of analysis and classification
exposed and inspiration in the particular hope Chu places on his
manipulation of concepts through the Chinese characters and language, which
he purports is a better interface than alphabetical languages. The real
validity of Chu’s propositions rests on the fundamental aspect of his guide
lines for the creation of a “common sense understanding machine”, and the
addition of “wisdom capability”, a feat completely unique.
Another group of readers will
not need the confirmation of the author AI theory by a computer application
to be interested in the contents of this book: the general principles
extolled on human nature and its cosmological circumstances will, by
themselves alone, instill or reinforce in such readers' mind and heart the
will to do what they have been searching consciously or unconsciously for
long, that is: to try to achieve the full development of their personality
by treading the way in the right direction, as pointed by the author
inspired by the traditional wisdom of the ancients. In other words, they
will see “wisdom” in the book, and it will help them. In this regard, we
want to mention a true story.
A Taiwanese friend of us who
retreated recently from his business life in the capital to the Dulan
mountainside had proclaimed repeatedly he wanted to conduct his life
according to his own judgments and that it was useless to be influenced by
others’ ideas and books. But after a few weeks of benevolently helping
this translation --where he had to read the book--, he seemed he found a
treasure in the Nine Discourses! He is now on his third reading, more and
more inspired. A guidance he says, that gives him a different perspective, a
way to better distinguish between what the important and the unimportant.
The way explained by Chu presents
one particular characteristic that is: if we want to build something
we need to understand first.
For Chu, they will be no end to study, thinking,
searching, checking and rechecking. Otherwise, he fears, our ideas will be
based on illusions, on sand. On the other hand, Chu’s way, as a follower
himself of the main tenets of Lao Tzu and the like mentioned above, is
profoundly orthodox and truthful to the traditional teachings: wisdom,
objective knowledge, real freedom, enlightenment, in other words: the full
potential of the human being, can be reached through
self-reflection-purification, the ultimate goal of which is the dissolution
of the “small ego” into the Totality, our Origin.
The “ Dao of Chu”, is a rational and in
the same time spiritual approach of Reality, a way of out of the prison of
subjectivity where modern philosophers are trapped in their limited humanism.