As we all know, the ideal blueprint of feudalism is that of men farming and women weaving, self-sufficiency, and a small country with few people. Therefore, among the four people of the "skilled, farmer, industry, and commerce", the scholar ranks first, the agriculture is the second, the industry is the third, and the business is the last. It is the cheapest industry. For thousands of years, the rulers of the past dynasties have emphasized "emphasizing agriculture and restraining business" and "respecting the roots and restraining the end", suppressing the people of industry and commerce, and this has had a major negative impact on the direction of China's history. So, how does Sima Qian, a legendary historian, think about him? Beyond most people's expectations!
The so-called "Shinong Industry and Commerce" comes from the Spring and Autumn "Guanzi·Xiao Kuang", " Shinong Industry and Commerce Siminzhe, State Stone (柱石)民也", think The four people of scholars, farmers, industry and commerce are the pillars of the country. In the spring and autumn, the four people are equal and are an important part of the country.
In the late Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius did not belittle merchants. There were quite a few Confucian disciples who were engaged in business. For example, Confucius's apprentice, Gong, another identity was a businessman, and he was hailed as the originator of Confucian merchants. .
However, during the Warring States period, as the disputes between the countries intensified, the countries first needed to ensure food planting. Therefore, the "reward farming war" and "suppression of merchants" were once popular, especially at that time, the scholars of scholars and scholars despised business and industry, "Book of Merchants" There is "Gou can make merchants and skilled people not prosperous, but if you want to have no wealth in the country, you can't get it." Han Feizi listed Shang Gong as one of the "five beetles", " The people of business and work... ". During the period of Emperor Qin Shihuang, some sinners and useless people were sent to the frontiers, that is, "Seven Branches banned", including merchants, and Emperor Wu of the Han also used this trick. It can be seen that in the Qin and Han dynasties, although the ranking of "skilled, peasant, industry and commerce" has not yet formed, "emphasis on agriculture and suppressing business" has already prevailed.
So, under this social trend of thought, how does Sima Qian view the "seniors, farmers, commerce and industry" four people?
Affirms human desires, conforms to human desires
As Sima Qian’s life work, "Records of the Historian" not only organizes and records history, but also reflects Sima Qian's value orientation. The thought embodied in the preface of "Historical Records · Biographies of Commodities" subverts traditional cognition: Sima Qian believes that "agriculture, industry and commerce" are equally important to all citizens . The so-called "Yu" refers to the development of the mountains, including the felling of timber, fishing in the sea and other occupations.
Lao Zi said: "To the extreme of governance, neighboring countries face each other, and the voices of chickens and dogs... old and dead do not communicate with each other." This must be used as a task to save the eyes and eyes of the people in the modern world. Carry on.
Tai Shi Gong said: Before the husband Shennong, I did not know. As far as the "Poems" and "Books" have been since Yu and Xia, the eyes and ears desire to be extremely sensual, the mouth desires the taste of poor, the body is comfortable and happy, and the heart is proud of the glory of potential energy. Make the vulgar gradually last for a long time. Therefore, the good ones follow it, then the good ones, secondly teach them, and then the neat ones, and the lowest ones fight with them.
Lao Tzu believes that the ultimate in governing a country is that men are farming and women are weaving, self-sufficient, and a small country with few people. Although neighboring countries face each other, they hear each other, but they never communicate with each other. However, Sima Qian Kaizong Mingyi first refuted Lao Tzu's thought of governing the country and pointed out that it is almost impossible to govern the country in this way.
Tai Shi Gong said: How did the sages govern the country in history? Shennong was untestable before, but according to the records of "Poems" and "Books", Yu and Xia can still be verified. At that time, people wanted to eat all kinds of delicacies with their ears and eyes, and their bodies were comfortable and happy. , I envy and boast about the glory of being powerful and talented. This trend has been around for a long time. Even if I persuade from house to house with clever theory, it cannot be changed. Sima Qian affirmed people’s desires and pointed out that the best way is to go with the flow and conform to the desires of the people. Secondly, guide the situation according to the situation, secondly conduct education, and secondly formulate regulations to restrict development. The worst is to compete with the people for profit .
People have their own abilities, free economy
Compared with the later Confucian thought of "preserving nature and destroying human desires", Sima Qian advocates the thought of conforming to human desires, which is simply Is a heresy.
Since it should conform to human desires, it is necessary for society to provide various items to satisfy desires. The properties of all parts of the southeast, northwest, "all inWhat the Chinese people like" is usually used to make things for dressing, eating and drinking, keeping in good health and sending death. Therefore, "therefore, we wait for farming and eat it, worry about it, work it out, and trade it out." Yu people mine mountain resources, workers make utensils, and merchants circulate and trade, that is, the products produced by farmers and workers everywhere, and then the merchants send them to the Chinese people.
" People do their best and do their best. To get whatever you want ", work hard, do your best to satisfy your own desires, so you will naturally trade and set the price, which is not the result of the ruler’s education. In short, as long as "" Each persuades one’s karma to be happy, if the water is going down, day and night, come by without calling, and the people without asking for ", let the people do their own karma, just like water flowing to a low place, no need Summon, they will send it by themselves; people do not need to seek things, people will produce it by themselves. It can be seen that Sima Qian has produced a simple free economic thought, and hope that the government will not interfere with the social economy.
Yu, 富国富民
Everyone knows that "no agriculture is unstable, no work is not rich, no business is no life" has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, but in fact, as early as 2000 years ago, Sima Qian highly agreed with this idea , And pointed out that “agriculture, industry, business, and yu” are equal in importance and are the pillars of the country, but unfortunately they did not get the attention of Confucianism and rulers. Later feudal rulers and Confucian literati would divide people into three. Six seven and so on.
"Historical Records · Preface to the Biographies of Commodities": "Book of the Week" says "If you don't work, you will lack food, if you don't work, you will have nothing to do. If you don't work, you will have nothing to do. Scarce. "Wealth is scarce, but mountains are not arrogant. These four are the roots of the people's food and clothing. The original large is forgiving, the original small is fresh. The top is rich, and the bottom is rich. The way of the rich and the poor is not to win. The clever ones are more than the clumsy ones.
Simaqian agrees with the view of "Zhou Shu" and believes that the production of the four types of people—agriculture, industry, business, and Yu—is the source of the people's clothing and food, and it is indispensable. Not only that. , Can also be said to be “rich country on the top, wealthy family on the bottom”, which can be said to be rich.
Especially important is that Sima Qian affirms the people’s pursuit of profit and getting rich, "therefore: '天下喜熙, all for profit Come; ’ The king of the husband and the thousands, the lord of thousands of families, the lord of a hundred families, still suffering from poverty, but the situation is like the people of the family! "Even wealthy princes and ministers are still afraid of being poor, let alone ordinary civilians!
The biggest difference from the other twenty-odd "Official History" is that Sima Qian is not afraid of power. In addition to the memoir, there are a large number of small characters described in "Historical Records", which are almost side by side with emperors, generals, such as rangers, hermits, diners, son-in-laws, diviners, merchants and other social marginal figures. "Historical Records: Biographies of Commodities" published biographies for more than 30 big businessmen, showing Sima Qian’s attitude towards treating all people equally.
Just imagine, if from the era of Sima Qian, there would really be a "worker, peasant and business man" that pays equal attention to all four. What kind of situation will ancient Chinese history look like? Regrettably, in the Sui and Tang dynasties, with the prevalence of imperial examinations, the order of the four peoples was completely fixed, with scholars ranking first, agriculture second, labor third, and merchants last. Business is the cheapest industry, and it has had a significant impact on the trend of China's history.
Reference: "Historical Records · Commodity Collection"
