First of all, the great social unrest has triggered scholars' new thinking on governing the country. In 77 BC1year, the Western Zhou Dynasty was destroyed. In the second year, Zhou Pingwang moved the capital to Luoyang, and the Eastern Zhou Dynasty began. However, the Eastern Zhou Dynasty was not a dynasty, but a small country. Due to the sharp reduction in the area of Wang Ji, Zhou Wang's financial resources, strength and authority have been greatly reduced. After the loss of authority, the king of Zhou lacked the ability to control the princes and maintain the traditional system. At this time, the vassal States "attacked each other like enemies, and the princes even criticized each other, and the Zhou Emperor was banned", so the enfeoffment system collapsed.

Spring and autumn map

Without the restraint of the supreme authority, all countries, from the monarch to the Li people, began to go beyond the etiquette system, and the laws and regulations of the Zhou Dynasty were destroyed as never before. In national politics, powerful princes began to occupy a dominant position, acting as emperors to make the world. The so-called "politics is ruled by Fang Bo" and "rites and music are conquered by princes"; In life, they no longer abide by the strict hierarchical etiquette system formulated by the Duke of Zhou, but trample on it wantonly.

well-behaved

Under such circumstances, many people with lofty ideals began to think about how to rebuild social order. Because of their different identities, status and experiences, their views are not the same. In Rulu area, influenced by the culture of Zhou rites, Confucian scholars here will propose to restore the past hierarchical system, taking "self-denial, self-discipline and self-cultivation" as an example, represented by Confucius and Zuo Qiuming; However, the living environment in Sanjin area is bad because of the disappearance of public office. Therefore, scholars here put forward to keep pace with the times and advocate reforming and strengthening the country. Their representatives are You Chan, Guo Yan, Shang Yang and Shen Buhai. In the early Chu state, the productivity was relatively backward, the land was vast and the population was sparsely populated, and the scenery was beautiful, which led people to return to nature and escape from reality, and Taoist thought appeared here. Qi has the advantage of "fishing for salt", the prosperity of industry and commerce, and the model of a big country, so it has become a place where hundreds of ideas are integrated.

Second, the demand for hegemony has promoted the demand for talents in various countries. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, all countries were in a dangerous competitive environment. The so-called born in sorrow, died in happiness. In order to survive in the fierce competition, all countries must change the cronyism system of "close relatives and close friends" in the past, and then extensively select and appoint talents. Some of these talents can put forward social reform programs to increase the country's economic strength and strengthen centralization; Some can fight like gods and defend national security militarily; Some have the advantage of speaking, can be domineering in diplomacy, make friends far away and attack near, which provides a good international environment for hegemony. Even those who "crow and steal" can be reused.

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, many monarchs were thirsty for talents. Their status may not be noble, but they are capable. For example, Qi Huangong didn't take personal animosity, so he used Guan Zhong, Chu Zhuangwang used Sun Shuaio, and Qin Mugong used Priscilla, who was born a slave. During the Warring States Period, there were even many subjects, such as Wei Wenhou, Qin Xiaogong, Qi Weiwang, King Wuling of Zhao and Yan Zhaowang, who ordered the recruitment of talents and even set up special institutions to train scholars, such as Gong Xue in Xia Ji of Qi, Jieshi Palace in Yan and Xianyang Palace in Qin. The number of talents can even change the fate of a country. As the saying goes, "all the princes in the world want to fight for heroes and help themselves." This is the autumn when a scholar prospers and a scholar dies.

Xia Ji College

In addition to the monarch, scholars are also popular, such as Wei Xinlingjun, Zhao Sheng, Zhao, Huang Xie, Chun of Chu, Tian of Qi, etc. They adopted thousands of scholars and were later called "Four Childes of Warring States". At the end of the Warring States Period, Lv Buwei also trained 3,000 scholars. The main purpose of scholar-officials is not to serve the country, but to deal with political enemies. Many poor scholars have no worries about food and clothing because they are reused by literati, and even have a successful career.

In short, during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, scholars received unprecedented attention and their status was improved. In addition, he is not unified among all ethnic groups, and the personal freedom of these scholars has not been greatly restricted. They don't have to worry about being suppressed, and they don't have to worry about food and clothing. Under such circumstances, they wrote books and made biographies, spoke freely and expressed their opinions, forming a prosperous situation of letting a hundred flowers blossom and competing for beauty.

Third, learning provides a cultural foundation for the people. During the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties, culture and education were monopolized by nobles, that is, "learning was in the official". The characteristics of education at this time are the unity of officials and teachers and the unity of politics and religion. The object of education is mainly aimed at aristocratic children, and the content of education is mainly "Six Arts". This situation led to the monopoly of education and culture by nobles for generations, while the people were always ignorant. "Only officials have books, but the people have no books; Only officials have devices, and the people have no devices; Only officials have learning, while the people have no learning "is a summary of this phenomenon." "

Six Arts-Rites (Rites)

However, in the Spring and Autumn Period, things changed. Due to the decline of Zhou royal family and the rise of princes, the past academic monopoly began to be broken. Huang said: "The stone boat moved eastward and solved the problem, and the school was in chaos." The school system in Wang Ji has been greatly destroyed, which leads many scholars to live in princes or folk. "Historical Records and Almanac" records: "After seclusion, Wei, accompanying the minister, was in power, and the history was not remembered, so you did not tell the new moon, so the domain was scattered, or in the summer, or in Yidi, because of abandonment." . Sima Qian's own family history also illustrates this phenomenon. In the Sima family, he was in charge of books and classics for the Zhou royal family for generations, and in the early Spring and Autumn Period, he also dispersed to various countries.