Legalism was a very special sect in the pre-Qin period because it almost never expressed its ideological nature and often highlighted its practicality. That is to say, no matter what theory, it can help the monarch manage the country and quickly reform and strengthen himself.
So the Legalist system was particularly chaotic at the beginning, and Guan Zhong and others were once classified as Legalists.
Legalism originated from Taoism, so naturally many things seem to be the same. For example, the monarch does nothing. But there are quite a few differences inside.
Taoist inaction is based on the foolish king leading the foolish people, and everyone does nothing together. Legalist inaction is a further implementation of Taoist epistemology, which states that the best is as good as water. Since the learning ability of the royal family cannot keep up with the larger number of scholars, only the inaction of the monarch can be used to evaluate, allowing more powerful counselors to take action.
Although Legalism does not say it explicitly, it can be inferred that its logical premise is that evaluation is simpler than action. It is indeed safer for a monarch to retreat to the next best thing. No one can guarantee that every generation will be a wise monarch. At the same time, the unpredictable is the most frightening, and fear is the best basis for rule. When everyone is in danger, few people will focus on things that break the monarch's ability to evaluate, so that everything is under the control of the monarch.
So the Legalist method is one block and one sparse. Block the common people's understanding, and at the same time unblock the wisdom of counselors. So that the monarch can be in an invincible position.
The root of its logic also lies in the belief in the cruelty of contradictory struggles.
The two stories in Han Feizi show this vividly. One is that the farmer's wife only prays to the Buddha every day to earn an extra hundred cents. When asked, the answer is: I am afraid that too many husbands will abandon their wives and children. One is that because King Chu Cheng favored his concubine, he changed the concubine's youngest son to be the crown prince. When his eldest son found out about it, he directly killed the king and ascended the throne.
Contradictions and conflicts in all things are natural, just like his wife’s calculations, the emperor loves the youngest son of his young favorite concubine. Therefore, we must prevent and solve it as much as possible.
To maintain the monarch's power, rewards and punishments must be clearly defined, so that the people can automatically unify their stance and be consistent with the monarch based on rewards and punishments. Commonly used strategies are three methods: law, technique and potential. This ensured the imperial power in the hearts of the people and the system.
So from a world view, Legalism is open, and from an epistemological perspective, Legalism believes that people have the ability to know. It’s just that Legalism is a reversal of its worldview and epistemology. Precisely because we believe in openness, contradictions are endless and must be guarded against. Precisely because we believe that the people also have the ability to understand, we must rule with terror to prevent the people from falling out of the control of the monarch. Because what if the escaped people help others? What if they really live a good life and come back to invite friends and erode the tax base?
To sum up, Legalism is a top-right science, regardless of Both worldview and epistemology are very high. But it is also a knowledge that is hopelessly advanced.
Because he knows that the current court system cannot cope with the open world, and the people may be out of control at any time. The desperate Legalist disciples, under the court system of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, could only try to do something to delay the situation. Just like they are all dead in the long run. As long as you don't die hereJust one generation will do. The Legalists also confirmed that the strong dragon has regrets in the Qian hexagram. The powerlessness after knowing everything is true despair.
At the end of this chapter, there is also a question from Tianya Zhigege: "How is the court system after the Warring States period different from before? Has it made a breakthrough to support the people's wider understanding of the world without losing control?" Please keep it in mind Collection, the latest and fastest website for free reading without anti-theft