According to the statistics from WeChat Reading last week, the reading time was close to 15 hours. During this time, I finished reading "The Biography of Su Dongpo" and am currently reading "Fly Like a Bird Towards Your Mountain" and "The Details of Rule of Law". Today, I happened to finish reading "The Details of Rule of Law" at the library and wanted to share my reading experience from the past two days.
Reading Multiple Books in Parallel#
Recently, I came across an opinion in a newsletter that recommended reading multiple books in parallel.
"It is obviously impossible to finish most books in one day. During the reading period of each book, we may discover new books that interest us at any time. I believe that it is unnecessary to reject or delay this interest. Reading interest is fleeting..."
I actually agree with reading multiple books at the same time, but not without any restrictions. It is not about reading dozens of books together just to increase the reading quantity. That would only result in a superficial understanding. I usually choose to read about 3 books at the same time, without allocating fixed time or reading order. It all depends on my mood. If I get tired of a book after half an hour, I switch to the next one. This effectively avoids the boredom that comes from reading the same book for a long time.
Recently, I have been reading "Fly Like a Bird Towards Your Mountain" and "The Details of Rule of Law". The former is an autobiography by the author, while the latter is a collection of essays. They are from different fields and genres, so there is no pressure or overlap in content. This allows me to have impressions of both books at the same time, and reading one book does not get interrupted by the content of the other book.
"The Details of Rule of Law"#
April 10, 2022#
While reading "The Details of Rule of Law," I thought of another book by Luo Xiang called "Circle Justice." Why is justice compared to a circle? He said that absolute justice exists, but we cannot obtain absolute justice. It is like drawing a circle, no matter how sophisticated the instruments are, we cannot draw a perfect circle. All we can do is approach perfection, approach absolute justice. At the same time, absolute justice and a perfect circle objectively exist, and we cannot deny their existence just because we cannot attain them.
I also underlined a sentence: "Mercy can only exist on the basis of justice. Without justice, mercy is like a man-eating plant covered in beautiful greenery, tempting kind-hearted people towards fanatical cruelty."
This sentence is used to argue whether or not the death penalty should be abolished because some people, out of mercy, do not want this kind of punishment to take away someone's life. However, isn't mercy towards the criminal cruelty towards the victim?
I hope to be a merciful person, but I will not show mercy to anyone or anything.
April 11, 2022#
Today, I finished reading "The Details of Rule of Law." During his time as a student, Luo Xiang once encountered an elderly person seeking legal aid who asked him for directions. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, he concealed his identity but still accompanied the elderly person to the legal aid center. At the entrance of the legal aid center, the elderly person told him that he didn't need to go up with her, fearing that it would hinder Luo Xiang's future. Looking back on this incident, Luo Xiang felt ashamed. As a law student, he couldn't put his knowledge into practice.
Knowledge can only be effective when put into practice. In the evening, in the dormitory, my roommate mentioned that when he worked in a factory, the boss intentionally withheld his wages. I said he could sue the boss and present his reasonable demands, but my roommate said it was difficult and almost useless. I don't really like hearing such words. We shouldn't refrain from doing something just because it's difficult. I have some knowledge of law, and if what I have learned cannot help myself, how can it become my means of livelihood?
Tomorrow, the elective photography class will be over. Although it has only been half a semester, I can say that the photography class has been the most useful course for me in the second semester of my sophomore year. The knowledge about photography taught in class can be transformed into practical actions after class, allowing me to truly experience the role of theory. If theory cannot be translated into practical action, even the most profound theory would be like a castle in the air.
"The Details of Rule of Law" is a great book. After reading it, I have gained a deeper understanding of Luo Xiang and have a renewed understanding of the law.