The state of Qin became more powerful in legalism. When Qin Shihuang unified the six countries, he ruled the world with severe punishments and laws, ignoring Confucian scholars. When Qin Shihuang was mentioned, it was inevitable to "burn books and bury Confucianism". However, Qin Shihuang's burning of books to bury Confucianism was not aimed at Confucian scholars.
Qin Shihuang attached importance to the rule of law and "burned books to bury Confucianism"
The incident of "burning books to bury Confucianism" refers to the incident of Qin Shihuang burning books to bury Confucianism in 2 13 BC and 2 12 BC, which "banned more than 460 people". However, in historical records, Sima Qian was only described as "burning poetry books and cheating magicians", and it was not until the Western Han Dynasty that he really became the name of cheating Confucianism.
At the beginning of Qin Shihuang's unification of the six countries, Fu Su once advised:
"At the beginning of the world, there is no distance to get together. All the students recite Confucius' laws. Today, they all attach importance to the law. I am afraid that the world will be uneasy, just take a look. "
At that time, a group of Confucian scholars and tourists quoted classics and criticized current politics, which was not conducive to the stability of the rule. In order to maintain the absolute authority of monarchy, Reese suggested burning ancient books to Qin Shihuang:
1. All philosophers and other ancient history books, except Ji Qin, books on medicine, divination and tree planting, should be handed over to the government for destruction within a time limit. Those who fail to pay the order for more than 30 days shall be sentenced to four years' imprisonment and hard labor;
2. Those who talk about "poetry" and "books" are put to death, and those who are not extinct today are guilty of the same crime;
3. Those who are willing to learn Dharma should learn from their teachers.
Qin Shihuang adopted Lisi's suggestion and collected ancient books all over the country. A large number of ancient books were burned. He also issued a book-holding order, and anyone who holds Confucian classics will be convicted. It should be pointed out that copies of all books are kept in the official library.
The six countries are newly destroyed, and the ideas in various places are not unified. They satirize the present from the past, comment on state affairs, and burn books to bury Confucianism because of the need to maintain the stability of governance. The following year, the so-called "pit Confucianism" incident happened again.
However, the so-called cheating Confucianism was not a Confucian scholar at that time, but an alchemist.
The so-called alchemist, that is, the ancient alchemist, sought immortal warlocks. Qin Shihuang wants to live forever. A large number of alchemists, such as Hou Sheng and Lu Sheng, catered to Qin Shihuang's ideas and sought elixir for him.
Can't find the elixir that can be cut according to law, and the elixir of life is nothing, so Hou Sheng and Lu Sheng not only ran away, but also slandered Qin Shihuang's lust for power and punished him severely by unkind means.
After learning that he had been cheated, Qin Shihuang was furious and tracked down two people on charges of spreading rumors and confusing people, and designated more than 460 people to be executed in Xianyang.
At the time of Qin Dynasty, at the beginning of the world, it was the need of the times to emphasize the rule of the world by law.
Huang Lao's rule in the early Han Dynasty
Under severe punishment, the people were miserable, and experienced the war and turmoil in the late Qin Dynasty and the early Han Dynasty, and the social economy was in ruins. At this point, the legalist thought is no longer suitable for the social situation at that time, as Lu Jia said:
"Things are more annoying and the world is more chaotic; The law is not limited to children, and the rape is not limited to enthusiasm. "
In view of the situation that everything in the world is waiting for prosperity, the rulers in the early Han Dynasty adopted the theory of Huang Lao and ruled by doing nothing, giving sufficient recovery time for social production.
Liu Bang, the emperor gaozu of Han Dynasty, always looked down on those who studied Confucianism, often made fun of Confucian scholars and attached importance to the study of Huang Lao.
The four great men who attached great importance to Liu Bang and kept the throne for the sake of smallness were all doctors in the study of Huang Lao.
Xiao Hui and Lv Hou also expanded this rule by doing nothing.
At the time of Wenjing, the knowledge of Huang Lao was more prosperous, and Dou Taihou even ordered the clan members of Dou family to read only Huang Lao's words.
The study of Huang Lao adapted to the characteristics of social and economic development in the early Han Dynasty. With lenient punishment and reduced taxes, the people have been fully recuperated. By the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, they had accumulated a lot of wealth and their national strength was unprecedented.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty deposed hundreds of schools and respected Confucianism alone.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's thought of governing by doing nothing can no longer meet the requirements of social development, or it can be said that it can no longer meet the requirements of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.
However, the Confucian thought of unification in the Spring and Autumn Period and benevolent government ethics are more suitable for the need of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty to establish a centralized and unified empire.
First of all, Wei Wan, the prime minister, suggested that the current theory of selecting officials in the imperial court was confusing, interfering with national politics and trying to unify officials' thoughts.
Since then, another group of Confucian scholars have been recommended as officials, and Zhao Wan, an ancient scholar, praised Confucianism and belittled Taoism, urging the reform of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty. However, Dou Taihou, who advocated the words of Huang Lao at that time, was dissatisfied and was completely dismissed.
After Dou Taihou's death, Confucian forces gained the opportunity to rise.
In the first year of Yuanguang, Liang Wudi called the virtuous and founder writers from all over the country to Chang 'an to ask questions in person. Dong Zhongshu expressed the unified rule of Confucianism to Liang Wudi through three countermeasures, which coincided with Liang Wudi's demand and was highly valued by Liang Wudi.
Dong Zhongshu pointed out in "Countermeasures" that different purposes of learning from the scriptures, different theories of human nature and different opinions of a hundred schools of thought lead to inconsistent ruling thoughts, while the Confucian thought of spring and autumn unification is "the eternal test of heaven and earth, the common friendship between ancient and modern times." Suggestion:
"Confucius, who is not a subject of six arts, has no other way, so he does not enter."
To oust a hundred schools of thought and respect Confucianism alone adapted to the actual situation of the powerful Emperor Wudi Dynasty at that time, which was the feudal ideological rule policy favored by Emperor Wudi of the Western Han Dynasty. Confucianism established its position as the ruling ideology of the feudal dynasty and its dominant position in the subsequent culture.
The change of ruling ideology needs to change according to the specific social situation. The rulers of the Western Han Dynasty agreed with the legalist thought used by Qin when he ruled the world, but denied his practice when he ruled the world, and improved Huang Lao's learning of governing the world. Confucianism in the reign of Emperor Wu was not Confucianism in the Warring States period, but Confucianism that was constantly improved, perfected and adapted to the changes of the times in later generations.