In the late Spring and Autumn Period, production developed. According to the utensils unearthed underground, it proves that iron production tools were widely used in the Spring and Autumn Period.With advanced agricultural production technology, favorable conditions have also been created for the reclamation of wasteland and the construction of water conservancy and irrigation.Therefore, agricultural production has been further developed. Due to the application of strong and sharp iron tools, the handicraft industry has also been further developed, coupled with the progress of exchange relations, the handicraft industry has gradually moved from division of labor to specialization.At that time, there were carpenters, leather workers, metallurgists, potters, seam workers and weavers, collectively known as "hundreds of workers".

With the development of productivity and the expansion of social division of labor, the proportion of commodity economy is increasing day by day, currency circulation is also becoming more and more extensive, and metal currency appears.At this time, commercial capital was relatively developed, and there was a large exchange of products from various places.Big merchants other than nobles also appeared, such as Xian Gao, Fan Li [li Li], Duanmu Ci (Zigong) and others. In the Spring and Autumn Period, there were many large and small countries, each of which dominated one side, constantly engaged in wars of annexation and plunder; the scale of wars also expanded.

In war, great powers plunder small ones; even when there is no war, the plunder never ceases.Of course, in a war, no matter how large or small a country is, it is the small peasants and small producers who suffer the most, and they are the main bearers of the manpower and material resources of the war.At that time, small farmers and small producers, even if they survived the war, had to endure the pain of hunger and cold.Yan Ying of the Qi State said that "the three elders were cold and hungry" in the Qi State, and the uncle Xiang of the Jin State said that the Jin State "looked at each other in Taoism (jin ban)".People in big countries like Qi and Jin cannot escape the threat of freezing and starving to death in large numbers, and the miserable situation of people in other small countries can be imagined.

The people not only bear the burden of manpower and material resources in wars, but also bear all kinds of cruel exploitation by the rulers in peacetime. As a result, they are increasingly bankrupt, the young and middle-aged flee in large numbers, and the old people die of hunger and cold. The people begin to use various methods to oppose the rulers. plunder and oppression. Under the violent impact of wars, plunder, and commodity-currency relations, the old hereditary aristocratic system based on blood ties gradually disintegrated.At that time, new landowners had appeared, as well as independent handicraftsmen and small private owners who gradually broke away from the shackles of the nobility.

Under such circumstances, "scholars" from different classes asked to participate in politics one after another, trying to create a new set of theories or methods to adapt to the situation at that time.For political needs, the monarchs and officials of various countries respected the corporals and recruited the virtuous as assistants.Therefore, the class of scholars gradually expanded and gained opportunities for extensive activities. One source of the scholar class is the intellectuals who have fallen from the old aristocracy.They had received aristocratic education, and in the case of drastic changes in the social order, they had no legal political status, could not be hereditary, and had no fixed property, and relied on selling knowledge and skills to make a living.Another source of the scholar class is the intellectuals who have risen from small producers due to social and economic changes.Therefore, scholars are a complex class.The Confucianism represented by Confucius is from the former source, and most of them became scholars from some declining aristocrats; Lao Tzu and Yang Zhu became "hermits" by descending from the declining aristocrats of the old days to peasants or small private owners.The difference between Lao Tzu's school and the previous two schools is that they do not actively approach the hereditary nobles in power, but adopt an attitude of not cooperating with the rulers at that time.The scholars represented by Mozi and Laozi do not despise manual labor, but this is different from Confucianism who always despise manual labor.

Mozi himself once said, "Zhai [didi] has nothing to do with the emperor above, and there is no difficulty in farming and farming below" ("Mozi Guiyi", the following quotations are from the book "Mozi", only notes name), it can be seen that he is neither a person who directly rules the people, nor a person who directly participates in the "difficulty of farming".His task is not to directly participate in production, but to propagate and implement his own theories and ideas. At that time, the task of scholars was to "talk from above to teach from below", "speak righteousness while sitting down", and "speak from people everywhere".

Mozi and most of his disciples were handicraftsmen.In the Western Zhou Dynasty, the "Industrial and Commercial Food Officials" had workers who were responsible for managing slave artisans.In the Spring and Autumn Period, some workers lost their positions (not only workers, such as Zhu, Wu, Shi and Yue officials were also scattered to various places), some workers were liberated and joined the existing independent small producer class. "The Analects of Confucius Zizhang" said that "a hundred craftsmen live in a place to accomplish their work", which illustrates this situation.Mozi himself was originally a man who was proficient in making instruments.Moreover, he made utensils with emphasis on practicality.His skills, especially his accomplishments in manufacturing the equipment used in defensive warfare, far surpassed the world-famous Gongshu Pan at that time.From the chapters below "Beichengmen" in the book "Mozi" and the rich knowledge of mechanics, optics, geometry and general physics shown by Mohism in the later period, we have every reason to say that Mozi and his school are Compatible with equipment manufacturing technology.Not all members of the Mohist school were engaged in equipment manufacturing.Among them, some are engaged in farming, and some make a living by weaving straw sandals and mats. Like Xu Xing said in "Mencius Teng Wengong", "There are dozens of them, all of them are dressed in brown. Mat to eat", also belongs to the Mozi school.

According to the principles of Mozi and Mohism, they opposed "strengthening the people to support themselves", opposed exploitation and a life of excessive enjoyment, and advocated self-reliance.Therefore, on the one hand, they want the monarch to do what they want, and on the other hand, they try to reduce the support from the monarch to them. "Lushi Chunqiu·Gaoyi" records Mozi's words: If the king of Yue listens to my words and uses my way, Zhai wears his body and clothes, and eats his stomach. Compared with Binmeng (that is, the editor), he did not dare to ask for an official.

This is very different from Mencius's style of "dozens of chariots behind him and hundreds of followers, passing food to the princes" ("Mencius·Teng Wengong Xia") during the Warring States Period.Even when the scope of activities of scholars in the Mozi School expanded during the Warring States Period, they still often lived an extremely hard group life: "Functional, frugal and slow" ("Xunzi · Fei Twelve Sons"), called by Confucianism It is "the way of serving husbands" ("Xunzi·Wang Ba"), Sima talked about Mozi's way "thrifty but difficult to follow" ("Historical Records Taishi Gong's Preface"), and Zhuangzi said that Mozi's way "is born Diligence, death is also thin", and also said that "the Mohists of later generations mostly wear fur and brown as clothes, and wear qi qiao [qi qiao] as clothes, and work day and night, taking self-suffering as the extreme" ("Zhuangzi · Tianxia" articles).Mu He, the Minister of Chu State, was very moved when he heard what Mozi said, but he felt that "what a bitch did" was afraid that the King of Chu would not adopt it.

Mozi and his school reflected the legitimate wishes of the small producers and laborers at that time, accused the unreasonable corrupt life of the nobility, and called out the just voice for the people to oppose the war of aggression. one side.But on the other hand, Mozi and his school are still scholars after all, not 100% laborers. They also asked the rulers at that time, worrying that the nobles would not come to the Mohist school to find "strict teachers", "virtuous friends" and "good ministers". ", so he had to show a certain compromise to the princes and adults.They can only put forward their requirements for improving their lives and raising their social status without touching the hereditary aristocratic social system at that time. This is the conservative side of the Mozi School.But as far as the influence of this school at that time was concerned, its progressive nature was the main one.

With a great spirit of self-sacrifice, Mozi and his school have made outstanding contributions to the just cause of opposing aggressive wars.Zhuangzi, who has always been free and unrestrained, has to praise "Mozi is really good in the world, and he will never ask for it. Although he is withered and reluctant to give up, he is also a talented man!" The "beast" Mencius also had to admit: "Touch the top and let go of the heels, and benefit the world!" ("Mencius Gao Zixia") Mozi's great self-sacrifice spirit not only moved the people at that time, but also impressed the world. It will leave an indelible impression on the Chinese people of future generations.