What was the life of intellectuals in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period? Intellectuals: We also have an economy**.
The Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period were the most brilliant periods of ideology and culture in history.
This period appeared"Times"The academic collision not only liberated the mind, but also left rich material achievements for future generations, laying the foundation for the development of ancient Chinese thought and culture.
Ge Jianxiong pointed out in his book "Unification and **: The Enlightenment of Chinese History" that almost all of the main ideological systems centered on traditional Chinese society were formed or had basic systems during this period, and the achievements of philosophical thought were even more astonishing, and some basic arguments did not lose their luster even in the 20th century.
However, although the various factions compete with each other, it is also necessary to avoid incompatibility, and a more comprehensive symbiosis cannot exist in isolation.
Therefore, the reason why a hundred schools of thought contended during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period was actually inseparable from the mainstream of academic thought and ideology and culture at that time, because the emancipation of intellectuals in society stimulated this scholarship"Times"Arrival.
This kind of emancipation is unprecedented, and it not only means the emancipation of intellectuals from the ruling order of slavery, but more importantly, it means the emancipation of intellectuals' minds and personalities, so that intellectuals can become a more independent and united social group and class, and thus enter the stage of history.
But how did the intellectuals of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period save their lives? It is enough to look at this group of people who have persisted in the spirit of skepticism for more than two thousand years"Save the Dead"We seem to have heard their unequivocal answer: we have the economic means.
In this article, I will start with the formation of intellectuals in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, discuss their characteristics, and then discuss their economic resources.
The formation of intellectual society during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.
In any country, the status of intellectuals must first of all belong exclusively to the ruling class.
In a slave society, knowledge, like materiality, is monopolized by the ruling class and is an instrument in the service of the ruling class. Civilians do not have the right to education. To sum it up in four words, that is"Learn in the government"This is also an important feature of slavery in our country, which is manifested in the following ways: only the government has books, and the common people have no books; Only the government has tools, and the common people have no tools; Only the government has knowledge, and the common people have no knowledge. This is also an important feature of slavery in our country.
In other words, in a slave society, the early intellectuals were actually members of the ruling class, but they were attached to and subordinate to the upper aristocracy. In the Zhou Dynasty, the patriarchal system, the feudal system, and the ritual system formed the core of hierarchical administration, and everyone at the center of the hierarchy was firmly bound to this system, unable to break free, and intellectuals were no exception.
During the Spring and Autumn period, the power of the Zhou royal family was constantly challenged, and the royal power gradually disappeared and was replaced by the vassal states of the Zhou royal family. In some vassal states, the successive rise to power of the princes' ministers and daughters led to the collapse of what Confucius called slavery in the Analects of Confucius. Confucius said in the Analects:"There is no way in the world, and the conquest of Lile comes from the princes.
With the collapse of slavery, there emerged"The Son of Heaven lost his office, and the scholar was the same as Yi Di"The situation that the Son of Heaven lost his official position, and the official scholars scattered to Yidi, which meant that the education system during the slavery period was completely paralyzed, leading to the emergence of private learning.
When it comes to private learning, it should be said that Confucius advocated it"There is no class to teach", greatly accelerated the scale and speed of the development of private learning, broken"Learn in the country"As the book "History of Chinese Civilization" says: Private school, as a new type of education system, has fundamentally got rid of the shackles of the government and has been greatly broken"A tradition of the integration of government and education"。
The development of private schools rapidly increased the ranks of intellectuals who, unlike those under slavery, were naturally free to move around society, to choose their own profession and way of life, which gave them the peculiarities discussed later in this chapter.
Characteristics of intellectuals during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.
Although there is no property to settle down, but there is a desire to settle, that is, a scholar.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the new intellectuals, as an emerging force outside the class structure, had their own characteristics, as discussed in Mencius, intellectuals did not have a stable industrial income, but they had a stable morality that only intellectuals could obtain.
They have several characteristics, first of all, they are all-rounders in civil and military affairs"Only"It is the premise of all their activities. In addition, the most prominent feature is the desire to become a Taoist, a politician, and a good lawyer.
Let's start with that"For the Tao"。Learn and learn, don't you also say? "--The Analects of Liren.
in the vernacular"tract"It is a great culture handed down from the Xia, Shang and San generations, including all aspects, right"tract"The pursuit is a continuation of this great cultural tradition"。What Confucius said above"tract"It refers to the efforts of intellectuals to understand and practice the teachings of the sages, but if they think that it is shameful to not eat well and dress poorly, then it is not worth discussing with them"tract"Finish. Of course, it is even more undesirable to help the ruler sacrifice his life for the sake of wealth and glory.
For example, when Confucius ** Ran Qiu served as the prime minister of the Ji family,"Gather and attach to it (from "The Analects - For Politics").", ie"Gather and attach to it"。Confucius believed that Ran Qiu was actually wise"Heart", which is different from the so-called adherence to morality by intellectuals.
There are also policies. Zhang Zi's "Confucius's Family Language":"Learn and learn, don't you also say?
Confucianism traditionally advocates"Learn and excel", this"Division"Referring to politics, of course, intellectuals are also very active in doing this, think about it carefully, after all, not all intellectuals can do it for the sake of the Tao and forget it"Yes"。Yes"。
It can be said that for many intellectuals in ancient times, politics was the main motivation for their work, and the same was true in later feudal societies. Confucius during the Spring and Autumn period was no exception, and he actively traveled around the world, hoping to find a monarch who would accept him and apply his ideas to the governance of the country.
By the way, one might ask, why did Confucius advocate the unity of knowledge and action on the one hand, and on the other hand, seek opportunities for national leadership? This is because the general background of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States period has changed, and the improvement and expansion of the political system has opened the door for intellectuals.
This group of wise intellectuals also maintained a positive balance between ambition and politics, and their moral righteousness began to slowly become secularized, but the ultimate goal of all intellectuals was not to enter public office, but to depend on their own inner struggles.
Book of Rites - Confucianism": Confucianism is not subordinate to the Son of Heaven, not to the princes; Shenping Shangbo, resolute and resolute, erudite and knowledgeable; close to the comical of the article; Although it is divided into states, it is the most appropriate definition.
Still, it is not easy for intellectuals to find a job, but if they know how to market themselves, it is relatively easy to find a job, so they need to"Eloquent"。
Later, he said that he was a good argument. Mencius said:"Everyone says you're a good debater, but why? Mencius said:"Am I not good at arguing? Mencius said:"I'm not good at arguing, but I don't have a choice.
Gongduzi asked Mencius why he liked to argue, and Mencius replied that it was not because he liked to argue, but because there was no way; That is to say, in the troubled times of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Mencius had realized that being good at arguing was a talent, while Xunzi made it even clearer that a gentleman must be a good person at arguing.
The eloquent style of intellectuals strengthened with the courteousness of the king, and of course also penetrated into the political field, so that two different types of intellectuals appeared, one was a worldly master who solved problems for the king, and the other was the son of a handsome man who pursued fame and fortune, and eloquence became a unique characteristic of intellectuals.
Han Fei, a master of Legalism during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, was not good at debate, of course, not because he despised debate, but because of him"The mouth is not food, and it cannot speak", but he"Good books", and because of this, Han Fei is talented"He has written more than 10,000 words"。More than 10,000 words, on lonely anger, five beetles, internal reserves, external reserves, forests, and difficult words (selected from "Historical Records - The Biography of Laozi Han Feilie").", leaving countless priceless literary treasures for future generations.
We will continue to discuss the way of life and the economy of this particular group of intellectuals.
The economic resources of intellectuals during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.
Officials are impermanent, and people are impermanent; The capable ascend, the incompetent descend - "Mozi - Shang Xianshang".
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, intellectuals, as carriers of knowledge, had what they needed at that time"Only"。As mentioned in the Mozi above, talented people can be appointed as civil servants, and the main economic ** of intellectuals is to be hired as civil servants in order to receive a salary.
There is such a sentence in Mencius - Devoted to the Heart:"If you are poor, you will be good to yourself, and if you are rich, you will be good to the world"。"If you are poor, you will be good to yourself, and if you are rich, you will help the world"。That is to say, when you are not ambitious, you have to take care of your morality, when you are ambitious, you have to try to do good for the whole world, your ambition is to be admitted to the civil service, and of course, if you become a civil servant, you will have a salary, usually a considerable and generous salary.
As for how to engage in politics, all the sons of the hundred schools of thought have their ideological supporters, and the ideological views on politics are also different, but at the same time, the hundreds of schools of thought have also greatly contributed to people's belligerent and violent mentality, which is also very understandable, for example, for a high-paying position, they want to recruit a person, but there are many applicants, in order to stand out, these people will of course work hard, but also unscrupulous, thinking that after all, get this job, life will be guaranteed.
Not all intellectuals can participate in politics, so some intellectuals not only seek financial resources, but also voluntarily join the ranks of the powerful, such as the four princes of the Warring States period are representatives of this kind of intellectuals.
Since we talk about intellectuals seeking official positions, it should be noted that not all intellectuals seek official positions. On the contrary, some people start to publicize their talents in order to give them room to display"There is no way, wealth and shame (from the Analects - Taber)."The idea that such people are undoubtedly respected, because they stick to their hearts"The right way"。Such people are undoubtedly respectable because they stick to their hearts"The right way"。
For intellectuals, taking the civil service examination and getting a salary is a road to a better life. However, this road is very dangerous, and the slightest negligence will lead to a fall on your head, or even lose your life, so there are some intellectuals who would rather live a poor life than take the civil service exam, so what is their economic **, there are mainly the following types:
Gifts from kings and marquises. King Hui wanted to treat him as a minister, so he gave him a set of chariots and horses, a pile of silk silk, and a trough of gold, so that he would not have to work for the rest of his life. Historical Records - Biography of Mencius Xunqing.
Intellectuals come from seminaries and are therefore inseparable from politics from the very beginning. Intellectuals do not want to be civil servants, but"Hearing is false, seeing is believing"。Therefore, they are known for:"Mentors and friends"appeared in the political arena and advised the rulers. Therefore, they are known for:"Mentors and friends"appears in **, giving advice to those in power.
In order to thank them for their help or to show their appreciation, the rulers usually gave them property, which was also one of the economic ** of the intellectuals.
According to historical records, Chun Yuji never held any official position during his lifetime. King Hui initially intended to appoint Chun Yuji as the secretary of the ministry, but he refused, and when he left, King Hui presented him with an elegant four-horse carriage, five horses of silk and jewelry, and one hundred and ten taels**.
For those who are self-sufficient in the field, fifty acres of land are enough for porridge outside the kingdom of Yu; In the kingdom of Yu, ten acres of land are enough for clothing; Those who play the piano and drums are enough to entertain themselves; Those who learn the way of the master are enough to entertain themselves; Those who do not want to be officials are enough to entertain themselves.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, intellectuals were not as penniless as we imagined, and most of them still had a certain amount of land property, and it was no problem to make a living from it. For example, Yan Hui in the "Zhuangzi" mentioned above, he does not want to be an official, and can rely on his own land to make a living.
This group of intellectuals was asked to cultivate their fields in different ways. If there are many fields of intellectuals in the family, they will also hire workers, for example, Mencius said that workers can go to the fields to plough the fields, but if there are not so many fields at home, they have to plough the fields themselves, for example, in the "Book of Rites - Small Instruments" wrote: The son of a scholar asked his son whether he was big or small, and the big one said:"Thou shalt plough also.
Recruit students and charge tuition. The intellectuals of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, especially the representatives of the Hundred Schools of Thought, had to recruit students to spread their ideas, just like running schools today, and one of their important tasks was"Recruit the world's talents and cultivate them (from "Mencius - Dedicated to the Heart")."Of course, these students still have to respect their teachers. Of course, these students still have to respect their teachers.
Students respect their teachers in two ways.
One of them is to pay tuition fees. There is a twilight saying in Confucius's "Analects - Narratives", Zi said:"Since the order of the above, I have not tried to teach"。The meaning of this sentence is that as long as the volunteers take the jerky as a gift to see Confucius, Confucius will not teach them any doctrine, here"Jerky"Apparently it is"Tuition"。Obviously, here"Jerky"That's it"Tuition"。
The second is to serve the teacher's daily life, for example, Confucius's student Zisi took care of the family property for Confucius, and later when Confucius traveled around the world, his students acted as servants; These students, although they do not bring money directly, provide a basic livelihood**, so this is one of the intellectuals' economy**.
Make a judgment. In short, the intellectuals of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period still had ample access to economic resources, but whether they were rich or poor, they had their own in their hearts"tract"Their high consciousness and strong humanistic care for the world are a shining example of intellectuals in later generations.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there were also a small number of intellectuals who dedicated themselves to the road for personal interests, but after all, these people were only a small part of the intellectuals, and they couldn't stop those shouts"If the country lives and dies for profit, will it not be avoided because of misfortune and good fortune?"Taxi doctor.
What are your thoughts on this?
Bibliography "Analects", "Mencius", "Xunzi", "Historical Records", "Zhuangzi", "The Book of Rites", "Combination and Division: The Influence on Chinese History", "History of Chinese Civilization".
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