Chapter 12 Chapter 9 The Fifth Century BC

China's first golden age, the Great Golden Age, came in this century, until the first century BC (at that time, China finally condensed into a huge country from the chaos of divisions, laying the foundation for China's basic territory and laying the foundation for the Chinese people. a great traditional value—the psychological foundation of the Great Unity).In terms of academic thought, the Great Golden Age is the most glorious and longest period in which a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend.This splendid landscape will not be reappeared until the beginning of the 20th century after 2,300 years.Therefore, the academic thought of the Great Golden Age has an unprecedentedly important position in the history of culture.

The Spring and Autumn Period ended in the 10s of this century, and the Wu Kingdom fell to the upstart Yue Kingdom, and the Five Hegemons became historical relics.A new type of Warring States period lasted 260 years was unveiled. After the Kingdom of Yue wiped out the powerful Kingdom of Wu, it loomed from the important international stage.The state of Jin, which had been trapped in internal strife for a long time, was finally divided into three independent states by the three major families. International power began to appear in an unprecedented posture, that is, there were more wars and wars on a larger scale, which caused greater changes in the social structure.

The Annexation of a Kingdom and the Chasing and Killing of the King (Part 2) This century (the first five) is the same as the last two centuries. Big countries continue to annex small countries frantically, strong neighbors continue to annex weak neighbors frantically, and incidents of deportation and killing of kings continue to happen frantically. Annexed records: 1. The Kingdom of Chu annexed Dun State (Xiangcheng, Henan), Hu State (Fuyang, Anhui, not the Hu State that was destroyed by his father-in-law in the eighth century BC), Chen State (Huaiyang, Henan), Cai State (Fengtai, Anhui), Qi State (Anqiu, Shandong), Ju State (Juxian, Shandong), Mi State (Xinmi, Henan).

2. The Kingdom of Wu annexed the Kingdom of Yue (Zhuji, Zhejiang, and will soon be restored). 3. Song State annexed Cao State (Dingtao, Shandong). 4. Jin State annexed Xuan State (Gaoping, Shanxi), Dai State (Yu County, Hebei Province), and Qiu You State (Meng County, Shanxi Province). 5. The Kingdom of Yue annexed the Kingdom of Wu (Suzhou, Jiangsu) and the Kingdom of Tan (Tancheng, Shandong). Sixth, Qin State annexed Mi State (Lingtai, Gansu). The record of chasing the king and killing the king: In this century (the first five years), the number of annexed feudal states and the number of monarchs and emperors seem to be less than before.In fact, there is no record of the demise of most of the feudal states.This is true for small states, and sometimes it is also true for more important states.

Not only the small states were annexed, but also Wu Kingdom, one of the powerful Five Hegemons, and Chen, Cai, and Cao among the twelve important states were not spared.It shows a phenomenon that a strong country is no longer satisfied with hegemony, no longer with a tail country, and it wants to directly control the land.It is no longer satisfied with the submission of the monarch, but to exclude the monarch and rule the people directly.As the number of feudal states decreases, the number of monarchs also decreases, and the incidents of killing them will naturally decrease.2 China's first golden age - the Great Golden Age

Amidst constant wars and coups, China's first golden age appeared. It lasted for more than 400 years from this century (first five years) to the first century BC. It included the following short periods and a long period era, and three powerful dynasties (kingdoms): 1. The end of the Spring and Autumn Period and this century (the first five) The World War II Era This Century (First Five)——The First Three Centuries The third century before the Three Qin Dynasty Four Western Chu Kingdoms 3rd century BC The third century before the fifth Western Han Dynasty - the first century China's social structure, before this century (the first five years), was a society in which a large slave group and nobles coexisted for at least a thousand years.Because land rights come from enfeoffment, that is, only the monarch and nobles have land, and slaves are the main production tools.Not only did slaves have no title to land, but they also had no right to liberty. They came from captives in war, commoners who had been convicted of nobles, and the descendants of slaves—the descendants of slaves were always slaves.The reason why slaves play an important role in the social structure is that farming uses wooden plows, which require a lot of manpower to pull.At the beginning of the Great Golden Age, iron tools became common. In addition to being used in wars, they were also used to change wooden plows into iron plows.In particular, due to some unknown opportunity, people discovered that if oxen and horses were used to pull iron plows, it would be faster and more harvested than slaves.This is the same as the emergence of the internal combustion engine in the nineteenth century, which finally replaced the cattle and horses.Not only did the products increase dramatically, but it also caused great social changes, prompting the decline of slavery, land ownership began to slip out of the hands of the monarch and nobles, and redistributed.Two emerging things: the urban commercial class and the landlord class after land redistribution challenged the slave owners of the old era of wood farming and human farming, that is, the hereditary aristocracy. Successive victories were won, but by the third century BC, defeat was a foregone conclusion.

Under such drastic changes in the social structure, the ideological and academic circles have shown a spectacle of blooming flowers.These blooming flowers seem to grow on the volcanic ash. The shock of the volcanic eruption is earth-shattering and even causes a lot of damage, but the volcanic ash it ejects is the most fertile soil in the world.The millennia-old monopoly of books and knowledge by hereditary nobles spiraled out of control as they went downhill.The common people, including slaves, were absolutely not allowed and absolutely impossible to obtain books and knowledge in the past, and even if they were obtained, it would be useless. Society and government were all closed, and the common people could never leave their class.Commoners in the Great Golden Age can reacquire knowledge and skills, climb to the status of nobility, serve as government officials and accumulate wealth.The new social form is that a person's power is determined by his thoughts and abilities, and is no longer completely determined by his ancestral status. The name and identity are in chaos, and the seven orifices are full of smoke.However, all the ancient philosophical thoughts and cultural creations in China sprouted and grew in this era.The four most important schools are Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, and Legalism.In addition, there are other kinds of social sciences and natural sciences that are too beautiful to behold. They have appeared one after another and shined brightly, bringing Chinese ideology and academics into an unprecedented glorious era.

The Spring and Autumn and Warring States-style international annexation wars reached their peak at the end of the third century BC, the Great Golden Age.The Qin Dynasty established China as a modern country, unified and powerful, equipped with a strong central government, and established a basic territory of 3 million square kilometers in China. There is no ancient civilization country or nation in the world that can be established at the beginning. At that time, it has such a large and complete scale, and it is under efficient management.In addition to the Han people, it also includes other ethnic groups, such as Miao, Yao, Rong, etc., becoming one of the earliest multi-ethnic countries in the world.Then, starting from the second century BC, the Western Han Dynasty brought long-term peace and order to China, making the Chinese people more cohesive, and all ethnic groups became part of the Chinese nation in the end, and could never be separated.

Most importantly, some of the great achievements of the Great Golden Age were almost entirely accomplished by the Chinese nation alone.This is the most lively and vigorous era of the Chinese nation's vitality, like a calf that keeps hitting a tree, never looking back, but only bravely moving forward. So we call China's first golden age the Great Golden Age—the golden age of the golden age. Three Confucians The influence of Confucianism on the Chinese people is profound. Its creator is Kong Qiu, who only engaged in political career at the end of the last century (the first six).Let us now proceed with the narration of his deeds.

In the first year (before 500) of this century (before five), Jilai, the monarch of the state of Lu, and Jiang Chujiu, the monarch of the state of Qi, met in Jiagu (Xintai, Shandong). As an etiquette expert, Confucius was appointed as Ji Song’s Prime Minister.So one of the things that the Confucian school likes to talk about most happened. In the entertainment program held after the meeting, Qi State performed the folk dance of the Lai tribe (Pingdu, Shandong). Performed by other people, traditional court dances should be used instead.Qi State immediately performed a traditional court dance, but it was a light-hearted comedy usually performed in the court.According to Confucianism, Confucius believed that he had committed the serious crime of "common people despise the monarch", and immediately ordered the guards of Lu State to drive those innocent actors and actresses to the bottom of the steps and cut off their limbs.According to Kong Qiu's disciples who did not change their face after the incident, Kong Qiu's violent actions not only did not cause international conflicts, but instead made the king of Qi realize that he had done something wrong, he was terrified, and ordered the invasion of Lu's tomb water and other activities. The land in the north (the fields north of Wenshui and Guishan) was returned to the State of Lu.

In 498 B.C., Confucius suggested that Sanhuan demolish their capitals in order to restore the long-lost authority of the King of Lu. This is the famous "Falling Three Capitals Movement".Sanhuan has long been deeply troubled by the fact that his retainers continued to occupy the capital to fight against them. Confucius' suggestion seemed to be an effective plan to root out the family's monopoly, so he agreed unanimously.However, when Shusun’s family’s Houzhan City (Dongping, Shandong) and Jisun’s family’s Philadelphia (Shandong Feixian) both demolished their castles, and Zhongsun’s Chengzhang City (Shandong Ningyang) was going to be further demolished, Zhongsun The Sun family's attitude suddenly changed.Not only did Zhongsun's family's attitude change, but even Erhuan, whose capital had been demolished, suddenly became aware that something was wrong.Demolition of the capital can certainly prevent the giants from using it, but it also destroys the power to protect themselves against the monarch.Of course, Confucius refused to stop. He asked the monarch Ji Song to lead the army to crusade, but he was defeated and returned. He had to watch Erhuan rebuild the two capitals that had been demolished.This was the greatest setback suffered by Confucius in his attempt to restore the traditional order. In the second year of falling into the three capitals (496 BC), Kong Qiu was appointed as the acting prime minister by the monarch Ji Song who admired him. A well-known cultural figure, Shao Zhengmao, was arrested and executed immediately.Then it was announced that Shaozhengmao had five major crimes. These five major crimes are: "Insidious intentions, catering to people's wishes everywhere. Behavior is evil, and refuses to accept advice. He tells all lies, but insists on telling the truth. He has a strong memory. He is also very knowledgeable, but all he knows is ugly things. He was wrong, but he turned his mistakes into a good thing." This kind of smoky abstract crime shows that those who have power are blessed. Throw this fantastic hat on anyone's head and still be plausible.It happened that the monarch presided over the grand ceremony of the Lord of Heaven. When sharing the sacrificial meat, Sanhuan deliberately did not distribute it to Confucius.This is the most serious form of punishment in Zhou ritual society, which means that it has been deeply hated.Confucius had no choice but to go into exile and go to Weiguo. Confucius' political career ended here, but luckily for him, he was able to devote all his energies to teaching disciples.He once visited Qi State, Chen State, and Cai State, looking for a country that could implement his ancient political ideal-Zhou Li, but he could not find it.Finally, in 484 B.C., he returned to the state of Lu to settle down and lived in exile for thirteen years. Confucius was sixty-three years old when he returned to China, and continued to teach disciples, spreading his nostalgia and admiration for the founding of the Zhou Dynasty in the twelfth century BC.He also edited and revised the following five ancient books that existed at that time with his point of view: one Two "Spring and Autumn" three Four Books Five "Book of Rites" Pay attention to these five books, which are collectively called the "Five Classics". After the end of the Great Golden Age, when the Confucian school came to power in the government, these five books dominated Chinese academic thought for nearly two thousand years. It is an ambiguous metaphysical book. The words and sentences it uses are simple and ambiguous, which makes it seem very profound. Readers can stand in various angles and make various interpretations.Because it was written in the early days of the Zhou Dynasty in the 12th century BC, and it is said to have been written by Ji Chang, the founding hero of the Zhou Dynasty (father of the first king Ji Fa).So Confucius, with a sense of awe, carefully avoided touching too much on its substantive issues. He lamented that his life was short and he had no time to study it deeply.However, astrologers do not respect it as much as Confucianism, and use it to predict the future honestly. Until the twentieth century, they still regarded it as a witch book for divination. In "Spring and Autumn", each feudal state under the Zhou Dynasty has its own historical records, and each has its own name.For example, the historical name of Chu State is "(Mushou) Wu", the historical name of Jin State is "Jin Cheng", and the historical name of Lu State is "Spring and Autumn".Kong Qiu recompiled the history of the State of Lu. The purpose was not to provide a true historical fact, but to use it to develop his political ideal of restoring the traditional order, trying to expose his rejection of new things, and even more trying to conceal or obliterate, or even misinterpret the nobles. crime.An example can illustrate Kong Qiu's painstaking efforts. It has been three hundred years since the Chu tribe established a kingdom, but Kong Qiu still refused to call its monarch a king, but only called him a viscount. This poor old man tried to deny it with the magic weapon of spiritual victory. Reality.As a result, "Spring and Autumn" broke away from the scope of history and became a critical classic of "praising the good and derogating the evil".The disciples of Confucius insisted that every word in the Spring and Autumn Annals, edited and edited by their founder, has a sacred and profound meaning.Among these disciples, there were three works, "Zuo Zhuan", "Gongyang Zhuan", and "Gu Liang Zhuan", which were dedicated to interpreting "Spring and Autumn".The most surprising thing is that "The Legend of Gongyang" and "The Story of Gu Liang" are interpreted in a way of self-questioning and self-answering, which is so childish that it can make people laugh.However, disciples of the Confucian school do not admit that there is anything to laugh at, and take it seriously as a holy book. Appeared in the 12th century BC, it is the earliest anthology of poetry in China, including works of nobles and common people.Confucius made it a major regulation. According to Confucius’ standards, only the 300 poems he considered valuable were preserved, and the others were eliminated—this is the greatest loss of Chinese culture.The poems in the book cover all aspects of life, from war to peace; from boudoir to court; from farmland to government;Intellectuals of the aristocratic class must often quote the above verses in their conversations to show their profound knowledge before they can be respected, and Confucius even used it as a dictionary.The disciples of Confucius went a step further and simply endowed all the poems with political and moral life, just like the "Biography of Gongyang" and "Biography of Gu Liang" gave political and moral life to "Spring and Autumn".This collection of poems was revered as a classic, which broke away from the scope of literature and became one of the five Confucian classics.Even the love songs between men and women are described as the solemn political consciousness of the saints (this reminds us that the "Song of Solomon" in the Christian "Old Testament" is interpreted as God's prophecy, and the two works seem to have the same adventure). "Book of Books", also known as "Shangshu", is the earliest anthology of political documents in China, including the Yellow Emperor Dynasty in the 27th century BC, the Xia Dynasty in the 23rd century BC, the Shang Dynasty in the 19th century BC, and the 10th century BC. Some proclamations or declarations of the emperors of the Zhou Dynasty in the second century.In Confucius' view, the ancient emperors, especially the founding emperors, were almost all saints, one level higher than heroes, so their proclamations naturally became classics.Intellectuals must often quote words from it in order to find authoritative arguments for their opinions. The "Book of Rites" contains all the etiquette rituals of the early Zhou Dynasty in the 12th century BC.Confucius believed that etiquette and ceremonies are also a kind of education, so that nobles, commoners, and slaves all stick to their own status and do not surpass each other.As long as everyone is consciously willing to be content with the status quo, keeps their own status, and does not pursue what is not due to their status, for example, if a slave does not arbitrarily pursue the freedom and power that his status does not deserve, if a commoner does not arbitrarily pursue To pursue the political power that his name does not deserve, the society will be peaceful forever.Therefore, Confucius believed that the education of rites—the rites of rites—could accomplish things that could not be achieved with bloody suppression methods, and could restore society to the paradise era of the aristocrats in the twelfth century BC.Just like the political platform and policies of a political party, the central ideas and specific plans of Confucianism are all contained in this classic.Later, this classic was divided into the following three books: "Book of Rites", "Yili", and "Zhou Guan". The content was more detailed and the scope was expanded, but the main theme remained the same. ——These five ancient books were respected as classics because of Confucius’ editing and editing. After the end of the Great Golden Age, until the nineteenth century, almost all intellectuals in China were in these five ancient books.Before the twentieth century, 90% of the so-called Chinese ideological and academic works were the research and re-study of these five ancient books. The so-called scholars, experts, and thinkers almost all commented on these five ancient books, or A person who does textual research on a certain sentence or word.It is hard enough for intellectuals to engage in this kind of work. Everyone copies each other, cites and cites, and the information increases with time. In 481 BC, when Confucius was revising "Spring and Autumn", someone reported to him that Ji Jiang, the monarch of Lu State, caught a unicorn while hunting.Qilin is one of the most benevolent beasts in ancient Chinese legends, even ants can't bear to trample on it.Confucius sighed and said: "The ancients said that the world is peaceful and the unicorn will appear when there is a wise king. Now the world is in chaos, but it appears. What a strange thing. My wisdom has dried up." Stop writing here. ——The Spring and Autumn Era in history ended with the appearance of Kirin.Next year (480 years ago), the Warring States Period began. The next year (before 479), Confucius passed away. Confucius did not write any works. After his death, his disciples recorded his daily speeches and summaries, which were named as "Five Classics", which were also listed as classics. The Confucian school with the central idea was officially established, and the disciples were scattered in all directions, each striving for this ideal. The recorded speeches of Confucius are fragments, so the Confucian school lacks a complete philosophical system and a consistent concept. But Confucius was a wise old man with rich experience and insight into life. The aphorisms he said can fully express the essence of his thoughts. After several centuries, the Confucian school found that killing Shao Zhengmao was not honorable. , so I have tried my best to prove that there is no such person as Shao Zhengmao. However, it seems that Kong Qiu’s political career in his prime should not affect his academic contributions in his old age. When he returned to Lu State, he had changed a lot, and he was amiable. , serious and sincere, and never tired of teaching students. Strictly speaking, Confucius is not so much a thinker as an educator, he only narrates and rarely creates ideas. But his understanding of human relations His profound understanding of human nature gave him a strong sympathy for the weakness of human nature. Therefore, he put forward the basic principles of being a human being, "loyalty" and "forgiveness", and paid special attention to "forgiveness"-never force others to accept what he does not want to accept. "Forgiveness" is the most noble sentiment that will never change in life. Under the premise of advocating the ancients, Yi Qi Fangxun and Yao Chonghua of the Yellow Emperor Dynasty, Kong Qiu began to beautify them deliberately. This is a great opportunity. He proposed a beautiful retrospective for the Chinese—not a beautiful forward-looking.Since then, the Confucian school has followed the example of Yi Qi Fangxun and Yao Chonghua as the goal of the monarch or the people.How to achieve this goal, Confucius affirmed that "benevolence" is the only driving force. The content of "benevolence" is "love", that is, a sincere and pure feeling. The priority of means is manifested in the behavior of filial piety to parents.So "filial piety" is the lowest starting point of all behaviors. Confucius' political career was a failure, but his educational spirit was absolutely valuable and successful.He was a great teacher, revered by the Confucian school as a "teacher of all ages". His incisive remarks on dealing with interpersonal relationships have been handed down and become part of China's most precious cultural heritage. Four Schools, Mohism, and Legalism At the same time as Confucius or a little later, three other great thinkers emerged.And from them three other great schools arose: A school of ear Taoism Two Mo Zhai School of Mohism San Li School of Legalists Li Er, a native of Ku County (Luyi, Henan) in Chu State.The era he was born in is inconclusive. Some say he is from this century (top five), some say he is from the last century (top six), some say he is from the next century (top four), and some even say that there is no such thing at all. people.Li Er worked as a librarian (history of the library) in Luoyang, the capital of the Zhou Kingdom, which was only a tiny place left.Confucius once went to Luoyang to inquire him about some details of "Zhou Li". Li Er replied in a teaching tone: "The bones of those you asked have rotted, and only speech is left. When heroes meet If you have an opportunity to display your ambition, dedicate yourself immediately. When there is no such opportunity, you don’t have to pursue it. I think that a rich businessman should be like a poor man, and a talented person does not need to be smart. Get rid of your desires, these are of no benefit to you.” This passage is unsystematic and doesn’t answer the question, but it hits the key point of Confucius, and it also shows Li Er’s own thinking. ——The year Wu Zixu committed suicide in the first 484 of this century (the first five years) was "falsely charged with treason", Li Er suddenly resigned and rode a green bull to the west.When passing through Sanguan Pass (southwest of Baoji, Shaanxi Province), Yin Xi, the commander (Guan Ling) guarding the pass, said: "You are going to live in seclusion. I hope you can leave us a few words." Li Er was there. Wrote the world-famous poem, and then left the customs, never to be seen again.Also known as "Lao Tzu", it is just a short article of 5,000 words (in that era, writing was carved on hot bamboo slices with a knife, and 5,000 words was enough for this old man), Li Er described the development of the universe. The law of nature, named "Tao", this is the origin of the Taoist school.However, Li Er was different from Kong Qiu in that he had no ambitions and no disciples, so he did not have some praises for himself from the mouths of his disciples.However, he is still regarded as the ancestor of the Taoist school by later generations of scholars, and is also regarded as the classic of the Taoist school.Li Er's thought is a negative reaction to the world of strong beams, and it is a psychological state of self-explanation and masturbation when human beings encounter unreasonable and irresistible pressure.He had received his greatest inspiration from his old friend.Once, Chang Cong opened his mouth and asked Li Er, "Is my tongue still there?" Li Er replied, "Yes." Chang Cong asked again, "Are my teeth still there?" Li Er replied, "Not anymore. .” So he immediately realized the truth that the weak exist and the strong perish.Li Er's whole thought is: be quiet, don't do anything, let things develop naturally.Li Er said that doing so looks weak on the surface and will overturn immediately, but in fact, not only will it not overturn, but it will be stronger, because its development is dialectical, and the very weak is the very strong, and the retreat is the same Go forward, the wine glass will overflow if it is too full, and it will be lacking when the moon is too full.Therefore, Li Er advocates not to be aggressive, but to be patient, to do nothing is to do something, and natural evolution is to be incorporated into the law.That is to say, to do nothing is to have done a lot of important things. Mo Di, a native of the state of Lu, was a fellow-townsman of Confucius.But most of his time in the Song Dynasty (Shangqiu, Henan Province), he had never been an official, and he never pursued to be an official.His central ideas are fraternity, peace, anti-waste, anti-enjoyment, anti-aggression—not anti-war, but only anti-aggression.Like Confucius, he also had a huge number of disciples.Unlike Confucius, his disciples were tightly organized.The disciples of Confucius are fully engaged in praising Confucius, while the disciples of Mo Di are fully engaged in practicing Mo Di's ideals.Therefore, Mo Zhai not only established the school known as Mohism, but also established the Mohism Party, an action group for implementing Mohism. This should be the first civil political organization in Chinese history.once.With the assistance of the scientist Gongshu Ban, the Kingdom of Chu made a ladder and prepared to conquer the Kingdom of Song.When Mo Di heard the news, in order to save his second motherland, he ran for ten days and nights from Qufu, the capital of the State of Lu (Qufu, Shandong), to Ruochang City, the capital of the Kingdom of Chu. Ten kilometers, thousands of mountains and rivers, twists and turns, even if calculated at the minimum twice, it is 1,400 kilometers, and only walked for ten days (there were no horses in that era, it was all on foot), it can be seen that he supported him desperately. Running love. When we arrived at Ruoyan City, we set up a sand table in front of the King of Chu to practice attack and defense. Gongshu Ban used nine methods to attack, and Mo Di used nine methods to defend. Gongshu Ban could not win. Finally, Gongshu Ban said: "I still have to There is a last move, but I won’t say it.” Mo Di said, “I know you have a last move, but I won’t say it.” The king of Chu couldn’t understand their charades, and Mo Di said; “ Gongshu Ban just thought that killing me would solve the problem, but under the leadership of Qin Huali, more than three hundred of my disciples have entered the Song Kingdom, ascended the city to help defend, and wait for the battle." The king of Chu then ordered the cancellation of this military operation. It is for the sake of fraternity and peace that this master thinker asks several questions.Such as: Why is it a crime to kill one person in the street, but a hero to kill 10,000 people on the battlefield?Why is it a thief to rob other people's chickens and ducks, but a famous general to rob other people's land?Why do the people go hungry to support the rulers for pleasure and squandering?Why do the people want to hand over power to one family for generations?Why should a person be buried with a living person after death?Why bury a dead man.To spend so much money?Why is it that when the parents die, the son has to stay in mourning for three years, instead of engaging in labor and production, but is supported by others for nothing?The raising of these questions offended the hidden vested interests in the society, showing Mo Di's high wisdom and courage.It also shows that the Mohist school is exactly the opposite of the Confucian school, and what the Mohist school pursues is a new social order and new interpersonal relationships. After Mo Di's death (I don't know when he died), his disciples compiled his speeches during his lifetime into a book, named "Mozi", as a classic of the Mohist school. Li Li, we know too little about him, we only know that he served as a senior official of the Jin State at the end of this century (the first five).After the split of the Jin state, he continued to serve as a senior official of the Wei state.He pointed out that too high a rice price would be harmful to consumers, and too cheap a rice price would be harmful to farmers. He instituted the "Equilibrium Purchase Law", which controlled the price of rice at a certain level, making Wei the super-hegemony in the early Warring States period.Li Li also referred to the laws of various countries and synthesized it into a code, named "Fa Jing", which is one of the oldest written codes in China. ", "Catch method".Legalists believe that the monarch has absolute authority, and the law is an important means to help the monarch govern the country. Confucianism and Mohism all have founders.They did not claim to have created a school, but Confucius and Mo Di were clearly recognized as leaders.Although Taoism did not have a founder, later scholars with the same thinking recognized Li Er as the founder of Taoism.Legalism is really a giant stream of thought without a leader. Li Li is just the first of the era. Let’s use him to strengthen the impression. In fact, Guan Zhong, the prime minister of Qi State, who is the first among the five tyrants, is a typical example. The legalists, and the policies of the legalists made Qi strong.But all the scholars who are called Legalists do not intend to call themselves a school, let alone form a group of disciples similar to Confucianism and Mohism.They just have the idea of ​​the rule of law in common, which is different from the above three schools of thought, especially Confucianism, which is almost tit-for-tat. We can sum it up in a few simple words, Confucianism is conservative and believes that society is degenerate, the best is always the best, and the best times are over.The present is not as good as the past, and the future is not as good as the present, so we must follow the past as the law in everything, or at least maintain the status quo.Taoist thought is evasive. They regard the wealth and honor of life as clouds in the sky. They never pursue or compete with others. .Mohist thought is religious, like an ascetic monk, who unconditionally shares the worries of others. Before all human beings are happy, they will not be happy alone.Legalism is a kind of ruling art, and it believes that worshiping the ancients is a crime, and the best time is not the past, but the present.Only when the monarch strictly implements the rule of law can the country's functions be brought into play and order and peace be achieved. five schools of thought The four thoughts of Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, and Legalism are the four important thoughts of the Great Golden Age. However, not only these four schools, but also the title of "Hundred Schools of Philosophy" was once used to describe the vigorous and unrestrained new trend of thought.However, there are only eleven important trends of thought that have been recorded in history, including Confucianism, Taoism, and Mohism.We list it in a table, indicating their main scholars and main works, instead of a long description: ("Li Sao" and other novelists are only the author's classification. It is different from the traditional classification. The traditional classification is that some are classified into Fu family, and some are classified into Chu Ci. ——Editor) The word "Zi" among the philosophers was the most popular in the Great Golden Age. It has two meanings. It means "Mr." when it is called a man, and it means "Complete Works" when it is called a work.For example, "Mencius" refers to "Mr. Meng Ke" when referring to people, and refers to "The Complete Works of Meng Ke" when referring to works.For example, "Gongsun Longzi" refers to "Mr. Gongsun Long" when referring to people, and refers to "The Complete Works of Gongsun Long" when referring to works. ——Only Li Er, it is said that because he is too old, he especially honors him as "Lao Tzu", and also uses this to refer to his masterpiece. "Zhuzi" means "all gentlemen", that is, "complete works of various works".Sometimes all kinds of works are collectively referred to as "Zhuzishu", which is much clearer.After the Great Golden Age, in order to show respect, people were occasionally called "zi", but the chaotic atmosphere of calling "zi" for works disappeared. We call the first four schools a kind of school, and the last seven schools are essentially a kind of specialized knowledge or a specialized industry, and have nothing to do with philosophy.But although it has nothing to do with philosophy, it is related to academic thought. Each has its theoretical basis and important works, all of which are new trends of thought in the golden age. It is also rejected and despised by Confucianism, which has been regarded as the orthodox thought. There are probably two reasons for this great landscape: The chaos, darkness, inequality between rich and poor, and the pain of civilian life caused by the drastic changes in the social structure caused some intellectuals of the civilian class to respond with high-level sentiments. The way to save the world and eradicate poverty. The traditional authority, that is, the disintegration of hereditary aristocratic rule, is like removing a heavy stone from a nursery, and new flowers and plants are easy to flourish.In order to survive, the governments of various countries not only no longer support the old authority, but attack the old authority and help the emerging power to establish a new authority.For example, most of the monarchs of various countries have abandoned aristocratic politics and competed to select talents from the common people and slaves—including politicians and military strategists.It is a strong encouragement to new trends of thought. It is not just a hundred flowers blooming and a hundred schools of thought contending, but the Chinese people's thoughts have entered the boundless space, full of imagination, galloping, rainbows everywhere, lively spirituality and rich life.The Great Golden Age is the most exciting time for the Chinese people. Six Warring States Period Let us step out of the world of academic thought and return to the world of war and politics. At the end of the last century (the first six), Wu Kingdom, the last of the five hegemons in the Spring and Autumn Period, seized hegemony.But just as it quietly raised its sharp blade behind the Chu Kingdom before, just as it was full of arrogance, a Yue Kingdom, which was even less educated, also quietly raised its sharp blade behind it. No one knows the origin of the Yue nationality, its tribe is based in Zhuji (Zhuji, Zhejiang), and the chief Si Goujian claims that they are the descendants of Si Wenming, the founding monarch of the Xia Dynasty.In fact, they are farther away from Chinese culture than the Chu people, and their blood is even more irrelevant.They use a language that is more difficult to understand than that of the Chu Kingdom, and live a life of customs and habits that are more bizarre and barbaric.Wu Wang, Wu Guang, of course looked down on this little-known savage tribe.In 497 BC, Si Goujian declared that he was no longer a chief, but the king of the Yue Kingdom.Next year (before 496), Wu Guang attacked him, and the Yue Kingdom was fighting with Li (Zhejiang Haining).His son Wu Fuchai succeeded to the throne, and he ordered his guards to ask loudly at every meal: "Fuchai, have you forgotten the revenge of killing your father?" Fu Chai made a second attack and won a decisive victory, capturing Si Goujian alive. The Wu government disagreed on how to deal with the Yue Kingdom. The loyal host of the flogging corpse case, Wu Zixu, insisted on incorporating the Yue Kingdom into its territory.Another high-ranking official (Bo Xifou) firmly advocated that the Kingdom of Yue be a tail state, and they all had very good reasons.当时吴、越两国的形势，跟上世纪（前六）鞭尸时吴、楚两国的形势不同，那时吴王国没有力量并吞楚王国，现在吴王国已有足够的力量并吞越王国了。可是，姒勾践是一个可怕的敌人，他靠着谄媚和贿赂，使伯(喜否)提出与伍子胥相反的意见，并使吴夫差采纳那个意见。吴夫差允许越王国存在，但越王姒勾践必须拘留在吴王国的首都姑苏（江苏苏州）当作人质。姒勾践对这种苦难，只好接受，但他握有更重要的秘密武器——忍耐。有一次，吴夫差病了，姒勾践亲自去尝吴夫差的粪便，然后用一种唯恐怕别人没有听到和传播不广的惊喜声调喊：“病人的粪便如果是香的，性命就有危险。如果是臭的，表示生理正常。大王的粪便是臭的，一定会马上痊愈。” 世界上只有少数像伍子胥那种智慧人物才能抵挡住谄媚和贿赂，吴夫差不过一个平凡角色而已，他被姒勾践装模作样的爱心深深感动。于是，只三年光景，就在纪元前四九一年，把姒勾践释放回国。姒勾践回国后第一件事就是挑选美女送给吴夫差，其中有一位西施，是中国历史上著名的美女之一，吴夫差特地在姑苏（江苏苏州）城外建筑一座最豪华的宫殿姑苏台，使西施居住。据说西施有一种“心痛”的病，大概是现代人称的胃痛。每逢西施病发，她用手“捧心”（掬在胸前）的时候，正是她最美丽的时候，吴夫差会魂魄消散，忘掉军国大事。姒勾践正要他如此，越王国在姑苏台的歌舞声中，秘密重整军备。 只有伍子胥洞察到这个危机，但有远见的人往往是悲哀的，他的警告没有人听，太多的警告反而使人憎恶。纪元前四八四年，吴王国进攻齐国，在艾陵（山东沂源）地方把齐国击败。吴夫差兴高采烈地向大臣们夸耀他的本领，伍子胥说：“越王国才是我们的大患，齐国不过小毛病罢了。这次我们如果失败，大王可能生出戒惧之心，反而是吴王国的福气，如今不幸胜利，大王一定心高气傲，再向中原进发，跟古老的晋国争霸。那时越王国乘我们国内空虚，发动突击，吴王国危在旦夕。”永无止境的忠言规谏，使吴夫差对元老大臣的容忍达到最后限度。伯(喜否)于是适时的揭发伍子胥的叛国罪行。——伍子胥预见吴王国不可避免的沉沦，在数年前出使齐国时，曾把儿子托付给齐国的大臣鲍息。通敌的证据没有比这更确凿的了，伯(喜否)用沉痛的表情指出：“无怪伍子胥总是反对进攻齐国，原因在这里。”吴夫差像一只被挑怒了的疯狗一样，狂怒起来，下令伍子胥自杀。 伍子胥死后第二年（前四八二），吴夫差果然率领大军北上，抵达黄池（河南封丘），这是南方霸权兵力到达北方最北的第一次，在那里大会各国国君争做盟主。当晋国稍为表示犹豫时，吴夫差就下令他的兵团擂起战鼓，晋国立即屈服。姑苏到黄池航空距离七百公里，急行军也要二十天左右，而经过二十天之久急行军的部队，紧张疲惫交集，根本不能作战。姒勾践抓住这个机会，向吴王国发动突袭，包围姑苏，焚烧姑苏台，大火一月不熄。吴夫差狼狈回军救援，就在姑苏城外，他的兵团一经接触，即被击败。吴夫差不得已，向越王国求和，姒勾践接受了，因为这时候他的力量还不够强大。 明年（前四八一），春秋时代结束。 ——二千年后的十九世纪，一个新的属于世界性的更庞大的春秋时代，再度来临，而且直到二十世纪，甚至可能延伸到二十一世纪。跟纪元前古中国已逝去的春秋时代，无论在实质上和形态上，都有几乎全部相似之点。诸如：一、小国林立。二、大国争霸。三、政变不断发生，国家元首不断被逐被杀。四、不断有旧国灭亡，新国兴起。五、一次大战调整一次霸权。六、新生事物、新生思想、新生意识形态，如雨后春笋，不断向旧事物、旧思想、旧意识形态挑战，而且节节胜利——像民主终于战胜君主。七、因之卫道之士更艰苦、更痛心欲绝，用尽所有手段，企图阻挡历史前进的巨轮。 又明年（前四八○年），战国时代开始。顾名思义，这是一个国际间战争更趋激烈的时代。 吴夫差堕落了，他沉醉在以西施为首的温柔乡中，再没有当年报杀父之仇时的英雄气概，一败之后，不能振作复兴。纪元前四七三年，距姑苏城外挫败整整九年，距生擒姒勾践整整二十一年，越王国发动全面总攻击，吴军崩溃，姑苏陷落。吴夫差逃到阳山（江苏苏州西北万安山），向姒勾践请求仿效二十年前的故事，准许吴王国降格为越王国的尾巴国。姒勾践答复说：“从前天老爷把越王国赐给你，你不接受。现在天老爷把吴王国赐给我，我不敢拒绝。” 吴夫差只好自杀，临死时用布把脸蒙起来，因为他在地下无颜再见伍子胥。吴王国立国一百一十四年，到此灭亡。 五霸也到此结束。 七晋国的分裂 姒勾践是一个可怕的敌人，更是一个可怕的朋友。他是中国历史上最著名的忍辱负重的君主，也是最著名的忘恩负义的君主。吴王国覆亡之后，姒勾践的两位智囊中的一位——范蠡（他一直在姑苏城陪伴姒勾践受苦受气），即行逃走，临逃走时写了一封信给另一位智囊文种（他担任宰相的职务，负实际政治责任，越王国在他手中复兴），信上说：“飞鸟射尽，良弓收藏。狡兔死尽，猎狗被杀。姒勾践颈项特别长而嘴像鹰嘴，这种人只能共患难，不能共安乐，你为什么还不离开呢？”文种不相信世界上会有这种冷血动物，但他不久就相信了，姒勾践亲自送一把剑给文种，质问他说：“你有七个灭人国家的方法，我只用了三个，就把吴王国灭掉。还剩下四个方法，你预备用来对付谁？”文种除了自杀外，别无选择。当时的越王国跟上上世纪（前七）五霸之一的秦国一样，都是刚刚脱离草昧时代，人才极端缺乏。秦国是国君赢任好死后车家三良才殉葬的，而姒勾践还没有死，政治家已被葛除罄尽。 纪元前四六八年，姒勾践把首都从诸暨迁到北方六百五十公里外的琅琊（山东胶南），距齐国首都临淄（山东淄博东），只一百九十公里，这使齐国和鲁国都大为震恐，不得不谨慎而恭敬地对待这位言语不通，衣服不同，礼仪也相异的野人头目。 ——姒勾践于迁都后逝世，他的后裔没有能力继续维持一个现代化的政府制度，各部落酋长纷纷拔帐而去，越王国迅速没落。勉强支持到下世纪（前四）前三七九年，只好放弃琅琊，南迁到会稽城（浙江绍兴）。前三三三年，第七任也是最后一任国王姒无疆，攻击楚王国，兵败被杀，部众溃散，立国一百六十五年。 越王国像暴风下的沙堆，不断的层层吹散，最后一扫而光。晋国却像烈日下的冰山，经过漫长的时间，最后全部蒸发。晋国在二百年前上上世纪（前七）国君姬重耳即位时，追随他流亡的那些大臣，就组成了一个世袭的贵族统治集团，这个统治集团曾为晋国建立长期霸权。但他们的后裔不能像祖先们那样和睦相处，百余年排挤倾轧的结果，上世纪（前六）五十年代，只剩下六个大的家族：范家、中行家、荀家、韩家、赵家、魏家。六大家族共同掌握权力，成为鲁国三桓政治的复制品，晋国国君跟鲁国国君一样，地位越降越低。再经过百余年的排挤倾轧，到本世纪（前五）四十年代，六大家族又发生火并。范家、中行家在火并中失败，被驱逐出国，于是只剩下四大家族，各拥有强大的私家军队和广大的领土，晋国国君姬错忍受不住这种压迫，采取鲁国国君曾经采取过而终于失败了的行动，他秘密向齐国借兵，企图用外力解决内忧。四家得到消息后，立刻把姬错赶下宝座，姬错死在逃亡的中途。 然而四大家族间的均势不久破裂，荀家是四大家族中力量最强大的一家，族长荀瑶，一位非常聪明，因而也自命不凡的花花公子，兴起并吞其他三家的念头。也开始向其他三家勒索土地，韩、魏两家不敢不答应，但赵家族长赵无血阝拒绝。荀瑶大怒，纪元前四五六年，他邀集韩家族长韩虔、魏家族长魏驹联合进攻赵家的根据地晋阳（山西太原），约定把赵家灭掉之后，三家瓜分它的土地。晋阳城很大而且很坚固，围攻了两年，都无法攻下。到纪元前四五三年，联军决开汾水的堤防灌城，水势浩大，仅差两三块板的厚度就灌到城里去，情势危急万状。 就在这个时候，出现外交史上最大的奇迹。赵无血阝派遣密使潜入联军营帐，向韩虔、魏驹分析当前的形势：“荀瑶的欲望没有止境，人人皆知。在力量相等的时候，韩、魏二家还要割地给他，如果赵家灭亡，你们有什么把握能分到土地？即令分到，你们又有什么把握不再吐出来？即令不吐出来，你们又有什么把握不再被继续勒索？不如我们三家联合，瓜分荀家。赵家死而复生，永远感激你们救命大恩，你们也自此永远免除被并吞的恐惧。”两家同意密使的见解，这个决定是明智的。于是，一夜之间，形势发生一百八十度的转变。韩、魏、赵三家联军向睡梦中的荀家兵团发动突击，本来灌城的汾水汹涌的奔向葡家防地，荀家兵团全军覆没，荀家全族被屠，赵无血阝把荀瑶的人头拿来当作尿壶。 现在，晋国只剩下三大家族。史学家为了方便，像称“三桓”一样，称韩、魏、赵三家为“三晋”，晋国国君就更没有份量了。反而到三家去朝见。 本世纪（前五）结束前三年（前四○三），那个早被人遗忘了的，住在洛阳穷苦王宫里的周王国第三十八任国王姬午，在收到三家的巨额贿赂后，龙心喜悦，下令擢升三大家族为国君，就在他们现有的地盘上建立封国。于是一片灭国声中，三个强大的新封国在国际舞台上出现。不过可怜的晋国国君依旧存在，只剩下首府新田（山西侯马）和另一个城市曲沃（山西闻喜）。而这两个城市，也由三个新兴的封国派人管理。 八东西方世界 纪元前五○○年（夹谷会盟，孔丘当鲁国宾相），希腊南部诸城邦组“伯罗奔尼撤联盟”，推斯巴达为盟主。 纪元前四九○年（吴王国掳姒勾践后四年），第一次波希战争爆发，波斯大败。 纪元前四八三年（战国时代开始之前三年），释迦牟尼逝世。 纪元前四八○年（战国时代第一年），第二次波希战争爆发，波斯海军全军覆没。 纪元前四七九年（战国时代第二年），第三次波希战争爆发，波斯大将马都尼被俘，从此波斯再没有力量西进。 纪元前四七七年（齐国壮士强迫鲁国国君姬蒋叩头的前三年），希腊诸城邦组“提洛联盟”以防波斯。 纪元前四六九年（姒勾践杀文种后三年），希腊哲学家苏格拉底诞生。 纪元前四五○年（晋国三大家族瓜分荀家后三年），罗马公布十二铜牌法。 纪元前四三一年（楚王国灭莒国），第一次伯罗奔尼撒战争爆发，延续十年，雅典不能支，乞和。 纪元前四二七年（李俚实行平籴法），希腊哲学家柏拉图诞生。 纪元前四一五年（越王国灭郯国的前一年），第二次伯罗奔尼撒战争爆发，延续十二年。 纪元前四○四年（三晋擢升为封国的前一年），第二次伯罗奔尼撒战争结束，雅典战败，城被拆除。斯巴达命三十人组织政府，史学家称“三十暴君时代”。