Читать книгу Asia Past and Present - Peter P. Wan - Страница 37

Xun Zi (313–238 BCE) was a political thinker and writer. He started out as a disciple of Confucius, but parted ways with his mentor over the fundamental issue of whether humans are good or evil by nature. He argues bluntly that “humans are evil by nature; goodness is artificial.” On that premise, he established the school of Legalism. His disciple Han Fei Zi (280?–233 BCE) synthesized the teachings of various Legalists to provide a practical blueprint for a Legalist state.

The Legalist goal is to build a “rich country, strong army.” But they have no illusions about achieving their goal by promoting personal virtue as is urged by the Confucians, or by doing nothing as is advised by the Daoists. On the contrary, they believe in ruthless activism. Han Fei Zi states that human nature is selfish, so people instinctively “rush toward what benefits them, and flee from what harms them.” Therefore, the ruler should make laws that provide rich rewards to those who contribute to his goals, and impose harsh punishment on those who don’t; and he should apply those laws equally to all persons, regardless of whether they are aristocrats or commoners, or rich or poor. Thus, the king can enhance his power and achieve his goals. It is noteworthy that the laws are promulgated by the ruler to strengthen his powers, not to limit them.

The overlords of the Warring States were ambitious empire builders. They lived in a constant state of war, and their main goal was to acquire the wealth necessary to build up their armies to win wars. It’s not hard to imagine how they contemptuously brushed aside mushy Confucianism and Daoism, and jumped to embrace Legalism as a practical guide to action. They would pursue its goal of “rich country, strong army” and follow its prescript of making harsh laws and vigorously enforcing them.