In the long river of human civilization, there is a crucial period. Around 500 BC, in the East and West, the stars were shining brightly. Confucius, Shakyamuni, and Socrates were all born during this period. China, India, and Greece, the three major classical cultural centers, finally formed, and the culture they produced still deeply affects human thought and life to this day. This era is the era of human discovery and awakening, which the German philosopher Jaspers referred to as the Axis Age. The Axis Era of China was the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, during which a large number of thinkers such as Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Mozi, Xunzi, and Han Feizi emerged vigorously. In the Warring States period, various schools of thought, known as the Hundred Schools of Thought, collided and criticized each other, while also absorbing and blending with each other, forming the so-called Hundred Schools of Thought Controversy, which wrote the most brilliant chapter in the history of ancient Chinese thought.
What we are demonstrating now is the ancient coronation ceremony for men – coronation ceremony, which is a type of Chinese national ritual and a rite of passage for Han Chinese men in ancient China.
This is the Meng Temple in Zoucheng City, Shandong Province. The ceremony of adding crowns to adulthood is being held in the temple. After the collective kowtow, the elderly preside over the ceremony, and the young people officially become adults after being crowned. For thousands of years, the Asian sage Mencius in the temple has been paying attention to countless young people who have become adults after being crowned. Mencius is the second disciple of Confucius’ grandson Zisi, and he admires Confucius, the founder of Confucianism. Mencius regrets that he cannot personally listen to Confucius’ teachings and can only become a private disciple. However, Mencius firmly regards himself as the direct heir of Confucius. At the beginning of human beings, nature is inherently good, nature is similar, and habits are far apart. Mencius developed Confucius’ theory of benevolence, and at the beginning of human beings, nature is inherently good. This sentence at the beginning of the ancient Chinese enlightenment textbook, the Three Character Classic, is the foundation of Mencius’ thought. Meng Xiangju, the elderly, is the 74th generation grandson of Mencius and also the honorary president of the Chinese Meng Clan Association.
Mencius, the 74th generation descendant of Mencius – Meng Xiangju: Mencius believed that human nature is inherently kind. He believed that the common people can enjoy the benevolence, righteousness, and love of emperors. Only then can they sincerely support and love you, and your country can sit steadily. Therefore, those who win the hearts of the people can win the world.
This is the Youliang Temple located in Kaifeng, Henan. In the summer of 2014, the Meng Clan Association of Henan held a small-scale sacrificial ceremony here, which included a message to inform the ancestors. The descendants of the Meng family are preparing to rebuild the Youliang Temple. Like Confucius, Mencius also traveled to various countries with his disciples to promote his benevolent policies. However, unlike Confucius who was in dire straits and Chen Cai was as anxious as a lost dog, Mencius was well treated by rulers in various countries and enjoyed generous treatment. Back then, the first thing Mencius did during his travels was to visit King Hui of Liang. In the capital of Wei, Daliang, a dialogue between Mencius and King Hui of Liang has been passed down to this day. The ruler said, “Sir, what benefits will you bring to our country if you come from afar?”? Mencius, however, answered without hesitation: Why does a king necessarily speak of profit? Only with benevolence and righteousness is enough. In the history of Confucianism, Mencius, who was second only to Confucius and revered as the Asian Sage by later generations, for the first time explained to a ruler of a country the principles of benevolence and righteousness and the way of promoting the king. Later generations specially built the Youliang Temple to commemorate Mencius. Although King Hui of Liang sought advice from Mencius several times, he only wanted to use war to make the Wei Kingdom rise to power over the world, which was incompatible with Mencius’s advocated ideas of benevolent governance, love for the people, not bloodthirsty, saving punishment, and reducing taxes. Therefore, Mencius’ concept of benevolent governance was difficult for the rulers to truly accept. In the end, Mencius became desperate for King Hui of Liang and angrily said that he did not like a human ruler, and then left the state of Wei.
After the memorial service of the Meng family, the Youliang Temple returned to peace. The descendants of the Meng family, who had been guarding here for generations, carefully cleaned the courtyard. In fact, most of the Youliang Temple had been destroyed, and the remaining halls had been transformed into factory buildings. The only two remaining stone tablets in the temple were the “Reconstruction of the Youliang Temple Academy Stele” by Yan Xingbang in the 28th year of the Kangxi reign, and the other was the stele from the Jiaqing period. The handwriting on the stele peeled off and blurred, and the soul and Luo situation of the Youliang Temple seemed to be the experience of Mencius, who was under the famous name of the past, when preaching about benevolence and righteousness. After leaving the Wei state, Mencius turned to the other. He had great hope for the state of Qi, especially to arrive at the Jixia Academy as soon as possible. In the East of the Axis era, there was an academic center where many talented individuals gathered and ideas shone brightly. It was not only the earliest official university in China, but also a center for political consultation and academic and cultural exchange during the Warring States period. This gathering place was home to the most famous scholars of the time, who took in apprentices to give lectures, exchange debates, and engage in various ideological exchanges and collisions, becoming the most important venue for the debates of various schools of thought.
Han Weidong, Director of the Cultural Relics Bureau of Linzi District, Zibo City, Shandong Province: This is a landmark of the Jixia Academy. According to historical records, the specific location of the Jixia Academy should be at the south gate of the west wall of the capital city of Qi, which happens to have Jishan to the south. It is now buried under these fields. Han Weidong, Director of the Cultural Relics Bureau of Linzi District, Zibo City, Shandong Province, was deeply moved by the rise and fall of Jixia Academy, which is the most impressive experience for everyone living under Jishan Mountain. Guo Moruo once highly praised the Jixia Academy, stating that the establishment of Jixia Academy has epoch-making significance in the history of Chinese culture. It has developed to the point where academic ideas can be freely studied, which is a progress in society and, needless to say, promotes the advancement of academic thought. The grandeur of the Zhou and Qin philosophers was here, forming a peak.
Han Weidong, Director of the Cultural Relics Bureau of Linzi District, Zibo City, Shandong Province: Historians say that Jixia Academy is the earliest Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and an official university. Regardless of the school of thought, as long as it has the ability, Jixia Academy accommodates it and provides them with very favorable political and economic treatment. At the same time, it also provides a very relaxed and competitive environment. It is here that the gentlemen of Jixia discuss without governance, and they can express their political opinions and compete with each other.
The scholars gathered in the Jixia Academy are collectively referred to as the Jixia School in later generations. In fact, there is no single school of thought in Jixia Academy, but it includes various schools of thought such as Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, Ming, Military, Agriculture, Yin and Yang. The scholars of Jixia taught and wrote in the Jixia Academy, debating and drawing on each other, which became a symbol of the Hundred Schools of Thought during the Warring States period. After arriving in the state of Qi, Mencius received high treatment and continued to promote his theory of benevolent governance. He put forward a famous proposition that the people are precious, followed by the state, and the ruler is light.
Professor Jiang Zhongyue from the School of History at Beijing Normal University: Because of this people-oriented approach, it can be fully described as people-oriented. Rulers should prioritize the people, and the monarch is the master of the people. The monarch regards the people as their fundamental foundation. He only becomes a ruler by standing above the people and stepping on them. In the distribution of benefits and the attitude towards different groups of people in the country, you should put yourself in a light position, which is remarkable.
In the Jixia Academy, Mencius engaged in a heated debate with scholars from different schools, and he criticized the most powerful theory that was widely circulated at the time, namely the Mohist school. Mencius was from Zoucheng, and Mozi was from Tengzhou. Their hometowns were very close and they both studied under Confucianism. However, the academic ideas upheld by the two were fundamentally different, even completely opposed. This is the Mozi Memorial Hall located in Tengzhou City, Shandong Province. Unlike the statues of the Hundred Masters, Mozi’s statues are extremely unique and completely subvert the scholar’s usual neat attire and refined demeanor. On the contrary, he was dressed in cloth clothes, carrying backpacks on his shoulders, holding a tree staff in his hand, and strode forward, like a dusty traveler. Like statues, the Mozi Memorial Hall is also different from other memorial halls. It is almost a science and technology museum that showcases ancient inventions, creativity, and ingenuity.
Director of the Mozi Memorial Museum – Niu Na: Mozi is known as the saint of science. Song Jian highly praised Mozi as the founder of materialism, the saint of science, Mozi. What is seen here is the stone throwing machine, which is a large human long-range weapon invented by the Mozi school using the principle of lever balance. Originally used for defending the city, Mozi placed stones or fireballs here, which were pulled down by a roller, and then thrown out of the city through the elasticity of the fulcrum to injure enemies outside the city. Mozi said about a circle, which means that the center of a circle is the same length, which means the radius is equal. By rotating it once, a circle is formed. This is the earliest concept of a circle in ancient times, equivalent to the current compass.
In the early years of the Warring States period, the State of Chu was about to attack the State of Song. Mozi, alone, traveled a dusty ten day journey to the State of Chu, persuading the King of Chu to abandon his plan to attack the State of Song. While lobbying the King of Chu, Mozi and the skilled craftsman Gongshu Ban invited by the King of Chu engaged in a simulated attack and defense battle. The Gongshu Ban organized nine attacks, but was defeated nine times by Mozi. The methods of the Gongshu Ban were exhausted, and Mozi had more than enough countermeasures. Mozi also relied on his superb defense skills to successfully resolve a war between the two countries. Mozi’s visit to the state of Chu was a continuation of his consistent principles of universal love and non aggression.
Professor Jiang Zhongyue from the School of History at Beijing Normal University: Mozi began to learn Confucianism, love and benevolence. However, he found that there were problems, so he came out and opposed the Confucian concept of benevolence. Your love for humanity is determined by blood relations, a distant and distant attitude. He believes that this is not feasible. Are all people the same? Since everyone is the same, love should be the same. I am universal love, all the same love.
It is said that Mozi once created a wooden bird that could fly in the sky for three days and three nights. The legendary wooden bird that flew in the sky is desirable, and Mozi’s ideas of universal love, non aggression, Shangxian, and Shangtong are also the main ideas of Mozi. Mozi practiced his own teachings and lived an extremely simple life. He ate vegetable roots and wore coarse cloth and short clothes with his disciples. In order to stop the annexation war, they ran between different countries. Compared to other schools of thought, Mozi and his disciples may be more like a group of ascetic monks. Those who believe in Mozi’s teachings are called Mohists. Mohists were originally organized groups, and their highest leader was called Juzi. The position of Juzi was passed down from his predecessor to the recognized sage, while Mozi was the first Juzi of the Mohists. The Mohists had strict internal regulations, and all Mohists had to obey the orders of the Juzi. They had the strongest will to oppose war and make the world love each other, and could disregard their own interests, even their lives. They are extremely self reliant, strictly obedient to discipline, and everyone can go through fire and water without hesitation. This is also the reason why they are respected in troubled times. However, in the eyes of Confucianism, the complete rejection of ritual and music by the Mohist school is undoubtedly extreme.
Zhang Qingjun, Deputy Director of the Mozi Research Center: In terms of his strict system or strict discipline, it was beneficial for him to promote his theory. However, later generations, including some Taoism, learned some organizational forms of the Mozi school during the Yellow Turban Uprising in the late Han Dynasty, or what we now call underground organization, because many of his systems and the ideas and systems of the rulers and rulers are different. Therefore, some even say that Mozi is the leader of the underworld. I can only say that it is regrettable that they did not learn the core of Mozi’s idea of universal love.
Mencius was born later than Mozi and had never seen Mozi before. However, he had a deep understanding of Mozi and his teachings. He criticized the Mohist philosophy of universal love, believing that it was foolish to disregard propriety and distinguish between family and social status. Among the various schools of thought, Confucianism, represented by Confucius and Mencius, undoubtedly values the morality of the mean the most. They do not go to extremes, value benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and music, pursue a harmonious order in the world, and have lofty ideals of relieving the common people. However, during the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, when the customs and music were in chaos and wars were frequent, Mencius, like Confucius, traveled to various countries and did not fear difficulties to promote Confucianism. However, it ultimately could not be used, and in his later years, he also chose the path of teaching and writing books.
This is a painting by Zhang Huilu of the Ming Dynasty, depicting Laozi riding a cow. In the painting, Laozi sits on a green ox, holding a scroll of the Tao Te Ching, and is looking up at a flying bat. Laozi is the founder of Taoism, and the book Zhuangzi once recorded the story of Confucius asking Laozi for knowledge. Confucius said that Laozi is as profound as a divine dragon. Legend has it that when Laozi saw the decline of Zhou Dao, he rode a green ox out of Hangu Pass to the west. Liu Xiang, a Han Dynasty scholar, wrote in “Biography of the Immortals” that when Laozi traveled to the west, Guan Yin Xi saw a purple air floating in the pass, and Laozi passed by on a green ox. Laozi rode a bull, and the purple energy came from the east. This is a description that later generations have attached to Laozi, like a fairy. Moreover, because the mount of Laozi in the painting is not a horse, but a cow, it is said to have a special reference. The heavenly and healthy gentleman born from the Qian hexagram represented by the horse has the Confucian characteristics of self-improvement and tireless progress in entering the world, while the Kun hexagram represented by the cow has the terrain of Kun, and the gentleman has the spirit of carrying things with virtue, which is in line with the ideological theme of Laozi, the founder of Taoism. Laozi, who was leaving Hangu Pass to the west, was stopped by Guan Yinxi and insisted that he write something before letting him go. As a result, Laozi left behind a 5000 word article called “Laozi”, also known as “Tao Te Ching”. Sima Qian recorded three Laozi in “Records of the Grand Historian”, who were of different eras and nationalities, indicating that Sima Qian could no longer figure out which one was the founder of the Taoist school, Laozi. In the 1930s, the trend of doubting the past was prevalent in academia, and the existence of Laozi was questioned by many people. The book “Laozi” was also marked with many late releases, causing scholars to question it. The founder of Taoism, Laozi, needs strong evidence to answer the question of whether there really is a person. In 1993, a batch of bamboo slips written in the middle of the Warring States period were unearthed from the Chu state tomb in Guodian Village, Jingmen City, Hubei Province, including fragments from “Laozi”.
At that time, more than 800 Chu bamboo slips were discovered in Guodian, but in reality, there were only 730 with character checks. Some basic contents of the Tao Te Ching are reflected in A, B, and C, and it can be said that this is true. It can be said that Laozi does not exist, there are problems with existence, and there are no problems. It should be said that how to further study Laozi in depth.
Laozi has always been regarded as a difficult book to read, largely because the book proposes a very abstract concept: Dao is a Dao that generates all things but cannot be clearly stated. The so-called Dao can be Dao, non Dao, name can be named, non Dao, Dao generates one, one generates two, two generates three, three generates all things, and all things in heaven and earth are born from existence, and existence is born from nothingness. The essence of morality is to do nothing without doing anything. For this reason, Laozi advocates following the trend of nature, abandoning conflict, returning to nature, and following the principles of nature, which is the common theoretical foundation of Taoist scholars. Zhuangzi developed this ideology even more brilliantly and colorful. Zhuangzi was on par with Laozi and was known as Laozi in the world. Zhuangzi was a contemporary of Mencius, but compared to Mencius’s active participation in the world, Zhuangzi’s ideology was completely transcendent and he was a representative of Taoist thought.
In the scorching summer, the boy slept against the roots of a tree, while Zhuang Zhou lay flat on his back with a collapsed stone. His snoring was intoxicating, and a pair of butterflies on top of him were graceful and joyful. This is the famous painting “Zhuang Zhou Dreams of Butterflies” by Liu Guandao of the Yuan Dynasty, which depicts a small story recorded in “Zhuangzi’s Theory of Qi Wu”. In his dream, Zhuangzi transformed into a butterfly and flew freely. When he woke up, he realized that he was still Zhuangzi. He was confused as to whether Zhuangzi had dreamed of becoming a butterfly or a butterfly had dreamed of becoming Zhuangzi. This is the well-known story of Zhuangzi’s dream of becoming a butterfly. Living in the late Warring States period, Zhuangzi deeply realized the turbulence of society and the powerlessness of individuals in the face of reality. Therefore, he advocated the pursuit of spiritual freedom, but in real life, he should pay attention to useless use and follow the flow in order to protect himself, reflecting the helplessness of a scholar in times of chaos.
Jiang Zhongyue, a professor of history at Beijing Normal University, focused his research on pre Qin academic thought.
Jiang Zhongyue: If I dream about it, I would feel very happy. He believes that this is called objectification, and what is objectification is a change in the form of objects. What changes in the form of objects are the Dao, and the Dao is the origin of the world. When we say where everything comes from, the source is called Dao. The second Dao has another meaning, that behind every thing and every type of thing in our world, the thing that determines what it is is the Dao. Because when we talk about being tall, we stand from one angle. When we talk about being humble, we also stand from the same angle. If we change this angle and position, will being tall still be tall.
Mengcheng, Anhui, is the hometown of Zhuangzi. Until now, there are still many very interesting stories spreading. One day, Zhuangzi and his friend Huishishui went to Haoshui to play. Zhuangzi looked at the school of fish swimming freely in the water and exclaimed, “These fish are swimming leisurely and must be very happy.”. Huishi said, “You’re not a fish, how do you know that fish are happy?” Zhuangzi said, “You’re not me, how do you know that I don’t know the happiness of fish?”? Huishi said, “I’m not you, so I don’t know how you feel. You’re not a fish, so naturally I don’t know the joy of fish.”. Zhuangzi said, “Now let’s go back to the original statement. When you asked me where did you know the happiness of fish? It was because you already knew that I knew the happiness of fish that you asked me. I knew the happiness of fish on the surface of the Haoshui River.”. This is the famous debate that occurred over two thousand years ago on the Haoshui River. Zhuangzi was trapped in reality and envied the freedom of the school of fish. He had his own thoughts and feelings. In terms of perception, Zhuangzi was obviously very detached, but in debate, he lost because his opponent was a popular debater named Hui Shi.
Huishi was a famous politician and thinker during the Warring States period, and he was also a representative figure of famous families. As the prime minister of Wei, Huishi was also promoting the strategy of joining forces to resist Qin when the political strategist Zhang Yi launched a campaign. However, in the confrontation, Huishi was at a disadvantage. He was once forced by Zhang Yi to modify and adapt, and hastily escaped from Wei. However, in terms of knowledge, he far surpassed Zhang Yi, leaving behind his own reputation. Huishi was knowledgeable, and Zhuangzi said that his books were as many as five chariots. A person named Huang Liao asked Huishi: “The sky won’t fall, the earth won’t sink in, and the occurrence of wind, rain, and thunder. Huishi didn’t want to think about it, so he blurted it out.”. But how Hui Shi answered is not recorded in historical books, and most of his works have been lost, so his answer is naturally unknown. During the Warring States period, including Hui Shi, there were some scholars who actively explored the issue of name and reality, and were skilled in debate. They put forward some strange propositions, such as eggs having fur, dogs can be sheep, fire is not hot, and so on. However, these seemingly absurd statements contained simple logic and dialectical thinking. In the history of ancient Chinese thought, these debaters can be said to be unprecedented and unprecedented. These debaters are known as famous scholars by later generations, and their representative figures include not only Hui Shi of the Song Dynasty, but also the later Mohists and Gong Sunlong of the Zhao Dynasty.
This is Hangu Pass in Lingbao County, Henan Province. More than 2300 years ago, when people brought a legend of Laozi riding an ox through Hangu Pass and presented a purple aura to the east, another person rode a white horse to the front of the pass. However, the person riding the white horse did not receive the same treatment as Laozi. On the contrary, he was stopped outside the gate by the guards of the state of Qin who were guarding the gate. This person was called Gongsun Long, and Gongsun Long and Huishi were equally argumentative. At that time, the horses of the state of Zhao were infected with a disease. In order to prevent this epidemic from spreading to the state of Qin, the state of Qin posted a notice at the Hangu Pass, stating that all horses of the state of Zhao were affected. Unable to enter the customs. On that day, Gongsun Long of the State of Zhao rode a white horse to the front of Hangu Pass to enter. The customs official said, “You can enter the pass, but horses cannot.”. Gongsun Long said, “The white horse I’m riding is not a horse, why can’t I pass the level?” The official said, “The white horse is a horse.” Gongsun Long asked, “Is Gongsun Long a dragon?” The official was stunned. Gongsun Long said, “White refers to color, while horse refers to name. The name and color are not the same thing. Therefore, the white horse is not a horse. The official was confused by Gongsun Long’s eloquence and allowed his horse to pass the level.”. The authenticity of this story still needs to be tested, but the fact that a white horse is not a horse is indeed a proposition that has made Gong Sunlong famous. Gong Sunlong’s theory attempts to distinguish the concept of objects from the objects themselves, which includes exploration in the field of logic. However, his excessive emphasis on the existence of concepts has led him into sophistry.
Professor of History at Beijing Normal University – Jiang Zhongyue: In our history, the contribution of this faction has been greatly devalued, and in the end, no one understands or uses it. When we consider problems, how can we clarify them? The important thing is whether we understand conceptual thinking and whether we can understand concepts and things in a conceptual way. If we have the ability, we will explain things more clearly, and political governance of the country also needs to be explained clearly. So in this sense, famous figures would be of great use in politics, but the Chinese people at that time did not realize this.
This is Miyun, Beijing, formerly known as Yuyang County of Yan State. There is a magical legend about a scholar named Zou Yan who came to Miyun during a spring season when he assisted King Zhao of Yan. It is said that when Zou Yan arrived in Miyun, he saw that it was still winter and the cold air was too strong, and the grass and trees were not growing. So he blew a reed pipe on a mountain in Miyun, playing the song of spring for three days and three nights in a row. After Zou Yan blew the reed, warm wind came immediately, with bright sunshine and melting snow. Farmers quickly plowed the ground and planted crops. This year, the crops grew very well, and the harvest was abundant. Zou Yan also brought many locally scarce grain varieties from across the country, handed them over to farmers for identification, and taught them different farming methods. From then on, the lives of the local people gradually improved. In order to commemorate Zou Yan, the local people once built the Zouzi Temple. Thousands of years have passed, and the once bustling Zouzi Temple is no longer traceable. However, amidst the constantly changing light and shadow on Shugu Mountain, it seems that the figure of Zou Yan, a representative figure of the Yin Yang School who was able to speak of the heavens during the Warring States period, can still be seen. Behind Zou Yan’s blowing of laws is actually the impact of the climate on agricultural production. And Zou Yan is a scholar who advocates the Yin Yang and Five Elements, and the Five Virtues are eternal. Zou Yan likes to talk about celestial affairs and created the theory of the mutual generation and restraint of the Five Virtues of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth, which has influenced China for more than two thousand years. Later, it was used as the theoretical basis for the succession of dynasties. What is particularly surprising is that Zou Yan summarized the previous understanding of geographical knowledge, combined with reasoning and imagination, and proposed a shocking hypothesis – the Great Nine Provinces theory. He believes that China is called Chixian Shenzhou. Apart from China, there are nine states as large as Chixian Shenzhou, which are combined into one big state. There are nine such big states surrounded by the Great Ying Sea, which is the Eight Poles. There are only eight ultimate aspects, and China is only 81% of the entire Great Nine Provinces. Zou Yan’s Great Nine Provinces theory reflects the scholars’ thinking about the world during the Warring States period.
On the 27th day of the eighth lunar month every year, in places where there are Chinese people around the world, a grand ceremony to worship Confucius is usually held, and the most enthusiastic ceremony is held at the Confucius Temple in Qufu. Since the Han Dynasty, when worshipping Confucius, there have been other Confucian figures accompanying him. These accompanying Confucian figures are recognized by later generations as representative figures of Confucianism throughout history. Among them are the 72 famous disciples of Confucius, including Mencius from the Warring States period, Dong Zhongshu from the Han Dynasty, Zhu Xi from the Southern Song Dynasty, and others. When the number of these accompanying figures was the largest, there were more than 150 people, who either lived with Confucius in the Dacheng Hall or were listed in the east and west wings of the Dacheng Hall, enjoying the pilgrimage together. However, when people offer the most prosperous incense to Confucius, the master of all ages, and many Confucian sages, more people fail to notice that the great Confucian scholar Xunzi, who can be compared to the Asian sage Mencius, is not among them. Xunzi once served as the chief of the Jixia Academy three times, and was the most famous Confucian figure at that time, as well as the culmination of Confucianism. However, in the statues that Xunzi did not appear in the Confucian temples, it was not negligence, but his advocacy. In Confucianism, which emphasizes benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust, Xunzi appeared very unique and has not been recognized for a long time. Xunzi, also known as Xunzi Kuang, was a native of Zhao and came from the Three Jin Dynasty, where many Legalist figures emerged. However, Xunzi’s aspiration towards Confucianism was also due to his background in the Three Jin Dynasty. Xunzi’s Confucianism had an unusual color of rule of law, and he also saw the evil of human nature. Unlike Mencius who proposed the theory of good nature and emphasized benevolence and love, Xunzi proposed the theory of evil nature. He believed that seeking benefits and avoiding harm, and pursuing pleasure were human nature, and only through postnatal efforts can people be made to do good. Because of this, it is necessary for etiquette and righteousness to teach the people, and for laws and regulations to constrain the people. Therefore, etiquette and law are the essence of governance, and rulers should uphold etiquette and law, while external laws and regulations should regulate the people. Xunzi changed the right from the past to the present in Confucianism, reminisced about the practices of ancient times, opposed the idea of the king following the law, and proposed the idea of the king following the law. This is because his thinking has the characteristics of adapting to changes and keeping pace with the times.
Professor of History at Beijing Normal University – Jiang Zhongyue: What does this Confucianism talk about? It talks about destiny, heavenly principles, and conscience. Xunzi was right and wrong, but you are the natural heaven. Where is the heavenly principle? What about humans? Humans have evil natures, so he has a theory of evil natures, which is very natural and natural. Therefore, I believe that heaven is natural and humans are natural, and it is difficult for you to cross the threshold of Confucian temples with these two principles.
Although Xunzi and his teachings were not recognized by the Confucian government, and could not even be listed in the Confucian temple, Xunzi’s thoughts never left the birthplace of Confucianism. The tree of thought that grew deep in his soul was like the vigorous ginkgo in the Confucian temple, both of which were lush and intertwined, thriving and thriving. In fact, Xunzi’s theory of evil nature is only one of the reasons why he cannot enjoy the Confucian Temple, and another reason is that a student taught by Xunzi has been criticized by Confucianism for thousands of years. Xunzi had two very famous disciples who were renowned and changed the face of Chinese history. They provided a set of governance techniques based on fate for subsequent dynasties. Their names are Li Si and Han Fei. Han Fei was born into a noble family in South Korea. Like his teacher Xunzi, Han Feizi’s teachings also integrated the strengths of various schools of thought. However, in terms of orientation, Han Feizi abandoned the teacher’s advocacy of propriety and righteousness and instead promoted the rule of law, becoming the culmination of pre Qin Legalism. Han Feizi believed that without laws and regulations, even a sage like Yao and Shun could not govern the country well; Under the constraints of laws and regulations, even tyrants like Jie and Zhou would not cause chaos in the country to the point where it is difficult to control. Moreover, a saint like Yao and Shun is rare in a hundred years, and a tyrant like Jie and Zhou is also rare in the world. Most of the rulers are from the middle class. A moderate ruler who governs the country according to the law is like a clumsy craftsman who works according to rules and sizes, and is generally not bad. Han Fei proposed the extreme dictatorship of the monarch, reducing the influence of private sects, selecting sorcerers, using the law as education and officials as teachers, prohibiting private learning, implementing strict rewards and punishments, rewarding farming and fighting, and seeking national prosperity and strength.
Professor of History at Beijing Normal University – Jiang Zhongyue: It can also be considered a paradox in history. Confucianism cultivates two students, who are important figures in Legalism. In the end, it does some things that are very detrimental to the overall academic development, including Confucianism, which is the most fiercely opposed to Confucianism. Therefore, you can see that in Shang Yang’s “Book of the Lord of Shang,” there are six types of people, called six lice, six lice, poisonous insects, and pests, among which Confucianism is included. When it comes to Han Fei’s “Five Worms”, Confucianism is also included in “Five Worms”. Confucianism has become the first type of person to be eliminated, and the Legalist school of thought has a hundred schools of thought and a hundred schools of thought to contend with. What can we say about this, or the Terminator.
Legalism in the Warring States period opposed intellectual freedom, but Legalism itself was a product of a hundred schools of thought. It deeply reflected on nature, human nature, politics, society, etc., and put forward valuable theoretical viewpoints. Moreover, more importantly, during that specific historical stage, Legalism’s political practice gradually implemented its academic ideas as an effective way of governing the country. Of course, it also provides a valuable reflection on the theoretical foundations adopted by subsequent rulers in governing the country in order to achieve long-term stability.
In the Axis era of China, it was not only an era of a hundred schools of thought contending, but also an era of mixed opinions. The so-called Hundred Schools of Thought is just an exaggerated statement. However, during the Warring States period, each party held their own views, criticizing and blending with each other. It is not an exaggeration to use the term “hundred schools of thought contend” to describe it. More than two thousand years later, the Jixia Academy, which used to be built with towering houses and a gateway to Kangzhuang, has now become a pile of yellow soil in front of us. However, this yellow soil should bear witness to such a wonderful era of the rise of various scholars and the emergence of a hundred schools of thought. Even after that, Qin Shihuang burned books and buried Confucian scholars, and private schools were banned; Even though Emperor Wu of Han deposed the Hundred Schools of Thought and solely revered Confucianism, the flourishing of the Hundred Schools of Thought during the Warring States period became a timeless masterpiece. However, the brilliant and diverse intellectual and cultural heritage of the various schools of thought is not only preserved in the rich classics that have been passed down for thousands of years, but also has a continuous influence on the literary circles of all dynasties. Together, they have shaped the unique style of traditional Chinese culture, which has a long and profound history, and is rich and colorful, shaping the history and future of this nation.
90 seconds in history:
Shang Yang’s reform measures seriously weakened the existing interests of the aristocrats of the Qin state, causing a strong backlash. They used various methods to obstruct the reform and incite the people to cause trouble. With the strong support of Duke Xiaogong of Qin, Shang Yang firmly believed in the rule of law and declared war against various forces who dared to challenge the authority of the rule of law through strict laws and iron fisted means of punishment for violations. The most serious incident was when Qin Xiaogong’s son, Crown Prince Si, violated the new law. According to the new law, Crown Prince Si should be divided by the tattooed tattoo on his cheek. In the past, there was a rule that no official should be punished, and nobles were exempted from corporal punishment. Shang Yang believed that if the law was not effective, he would commit a crime from above, so it must be dealt with in accordance with the law. Qin Xiaogong once again provided support. Due to the fact that the Crown Prince was the heir of a monarch, he was unable to impose punishment on himself. Therefore, the two masters of the Crown Prince were punished with the punishment of tsingling and hanging, respectively, to punish their lack of discipline. Since then, no one dared to question Shang Yang’s new law, which was successfully implemented in the state of Qin. However, Shang Yang himself offended the Crown Prince as a result, laying the groundwork for a tragic ending thereafter.