During the Spring and Autumn Period, the social and economic development of Qin fell far behind other big countries. In 594 BC, Lu completed the reform of "initial tax mu", and Qin began the reform of "initial grain rent" after 186. In other words, as the fundamental economic system of the country at that time, the system of farmland management and use, Qin fell behind other advanced countries for nearly 200 years. Due to the limitation of national strength, Qin has never presided over any alliance meeting in diplomacy, and it is also called one of the "five tyrants in the Spring and Autumn Period".

In 359 BC, Shang Yang entered Qin, and the comprehensive national strength of Qin rose rapidly, and its territory began to expand to the Central Plains. Within 20 years, it jumped from the third world to the ranks of superpowers. Since Qin Xiaogong, emperors of all dynasties have ruled the country by "law" and have always been superstitious about the idea of legalism. Since then, almost every generation of monarchs has achieved brilliant martial arts, which seems to confirm the absoluteness and necessity of governing the country by legalism again and again. Monarchs and courtiers of past dynasties could not see the congenital deficiency and acquired defect of Legalism when they watched the territory of Qin State expanding continuously. What they didn't expect and can't imagine is that the legalist idea of governing the country is an uncontrollable double-edged sword, and they also cut themselves when waving to the road of reunification.

By the time of the first emperor of Qin dynasty, the first emperor only saw the glory of the former monarch governing the country with "law", but could not see the huge contradictions and hidden dangers it brought, and firmly believed that he understood and mastered the legalist thought. Qin Shihuang brought the utilitarian purpose of legalist thought to the extreme, at the same time, he also brought the fatal defects of legalist thought to the extreme, and also accumulated social contradictions and class contradictions to the extreme. By the time of Qin Ershi, the exiled laborers with sticks and bamboo poles easily lit this huge powder keg, and the Qin Dynasty soon perished.

Qin dynasty didn't die in II or Qin Shihuang. When Qin Xiaogong and Shang Yang decided to reform, they not only nailed the first nail on Shang Yang's coffin in the future, but also nailed the first nail on the coffin of Qin Empire in the future. Since then, monarchs and important officials of the state have been accumulating conditions for the rapid demise of the Qin Dynasty when they regard the advanced nature and limitations of legalist thought as the standard for using it.

First, the light and hidden dangers brought by Shang Yang's political reform coexist.

In 356 BC, Qin began to reform. Politically, Shi Qing Shi Lu was abolished, the title was determined by merit, counties were established, and the martial arts system was implemented. The greatest epoch-making promotion of productive forces is to implement private ownership of land, abandon mines and open houses, encourage production and unify measurement through national political decrees. (Sima Qian. Biography of Historical Records and Shang Jun, Volume 8. Writers publishing house. Page 284, July 2005) 16 years later, he defeated Wei, who was in full swing at that time, and won the land of Xihe. Being able to get their hands on Sanjin shows that Qin has become a superpower. In the past 20 years, the state of Qin has changed from "the state is worried about its affairs, but it is not obvious, and the princes are inferior to Qin, which makes it ugly" to "the son of heaven sends a message to Bo, and the princes pay tribute to him". This is similar to today's small African countries, which have undergone earth-shaking reforms and become permanent members of the Security Council within 20 years with their rapidly rising comprehensive national strength. This incredible success has established the leading position of legalist thought in Qin administrative concept, and also established the leading position of legalist thought's limitations and defects in Qin administrative concept. From then on, the monarch and important officials of the country will certainly not correctly sublate legalism. On the contrary, they aggravated the congenital defects of legalism from generation to generation, cultivated the acquired defects of legalism from generation to generation, and finally cultivated the A Qin Dynasty, which brought the fatal defects of legalism to the extreme and accumulated social contradictions and class contradictions to the extreme, and finally cultivated a unified Qin Dynasty like a huge powder keg.

(A) the extreme vicious expansion of absolute monarchy

Compared with the Kanto countries, Qin's sovereignty originally lacked moral and institutional constraints. Shang Yang's political reform did not further sanctify the sovereign rights, but further absolutized the sovereign rights with the system and specific criminal acts. Qin Xiaogong issued a decree that the prince committed a crime (in fact, it was a criticism) and Shang Yang punished the prince. As a scapegoat, he stabbed a teacher in the face and then cut off a teacher's nose (Sima Qian. Biography of Historical Records and Shang Jun, page 8. Writers publishing house. July 2005). On the surface, this shows Qin Xiaogong's determination to reform, but it is also a terrible signal. Princes who have not rebelled and disobeyed the monarch's laws will also be punished (although only in name). As a nobleman, the prince's teacher enjoys the privilege of being a doctor without punishment and is also punished by corporal punishment. "Don't be intimate, don't be extremely noble and divorced from the law" (Sima Qian. Brief introduction of Shi Ji Tai Shi Gong Zhonghua Book Company. 1982 version. 329 1 page), in the face of absolute sovereign sovereignty, everything can be punished. Since then, legalist thoughts and legalists have further strengthened this point. I am a minister, my son is a father and my wife is a husband. If the three are combined, the world will be ruled, and if the three are reversed, the world will be chaotic. This is the usual way in the world. If Wang and Fu Yi are wise, though their masters are greedy, I dare not invade them "(Han Fei. Han Feizi. Huangshan Bookstore. 2002 edition. 86 pages); "Although the crown has shortcomings, it must be worn on the head." If you take five steps, you must put them into practice. ".(Han Fei. Han Feizi. Huangshan Bookstore. 2002 edition. Page 89) Qin Shihuang was very happy to be taught. Although there was still a contradiction between monarchical power and relative power in Qin State, this historical problem was basically solved in Qin Zhao Haoqi period, and absolute monarchical power reached its climax in Qin Shihuang period.

(2) The policy of ignorance is institutionalized and absolute, which leads to people's ignorance.

"The people are weak, the country is strong and the people are weak. Therefore, in a country where there is a way, we should focus on the weak "(Shang Yang's Shang Jun's Book of the Weak, Yuelu Bookstore, 1990 edition). Why the weak? Because "those who can control the world in the past must first control their people;" "If you can defeat a strong enemy, you must first defeat him" (Shang Yang. The book of Shang jun Painting strategy. Yuelu Bookstore. 1990 version). This administrative goal first pushed the monarch to the opposite side of the people in terms of policy system and morality, which predicted the ruin of the Qin empire in the future. How to weaken the people? It is to force people to "prostitution" and return to "simplicity", which makes people stupid and numb, deprives people of IQ and EQ, and destroys people's independent thinking ability. The specific means is to directly list rites, music, poems and books as prohibited books harmful to the custom of subjugation (Shang Yang, Shang Jun Jin Shuling Yuelu Bookstore, 1990 edition), prohibit reading, giving lectures, cultural and entertainment activities, and prohibit other schools. Only the voice of legalism can be heard throughout the country. Knowledgeable and expressive intellectuals "can't get rich, can't judge punishment, can't independently discuss Chen Qi" (Shang Yang. Book of Shang Jun. About punishment, Yuelu Bookstore. 1990 version). In the eyes of Legalists and Qin Jun, an ignorant policy is a panacea. As long as ignorance, will set off a large-scale production movement. "Ignorant farmers don't know that without good knowledge, they won't farm. As long as the people are ignorant, the army will improve its combat effectiveness and countless combat heroes will emerge. " Soldiers die, farmers don't steal "(Shang Yang. Book of Shang Jun. Agricultural War, Yuelu Bookstore. 1990 version). The difference is that the legalists who keep pace with the times will only regard the policy of obscurantism as a temporary panacea, but judging from the results, Qin Jun and important officials of the past dynasties have regarded the policy of obscurantism as a panacea, although there are exceptions, such as Lv Buwei and his Lv Chunqiu.

We know that human wisdom can't be stopped by any social system, and foolish policies can only lead to the stupidity of fools in the end. When they thought they had achieved the goal of fools, the monarch of Qin and the important officials of that country had already suffered from autism; When it is found that the fool's goal has not been achieved and the fool's policy is based on torture, there will be self-destructive behaviors such as burning books and burying Confucianism. At this time, ignorance not only leads to self-stupidity, but also inevitably leads to self-destruction

(3) Torture became the fundamental means for Qin to carry out government decrees.

At the beginning of the reform, Shang Yang set the tone for the administrative means of Qin in the next century, that is, governing the country according to law. Law basically refers to criminal law, misdemeanor and felony torture. The most typical, barbaric and poisonous method is the leftist method: "If you don't sue the traitor, you will be punished by beheading the enemy, and the traitor will be punished by surrendering the enemy." If it is not reported in time, one person will be beheaded for "raping" nine other neighborhoods in the same house. One person "flows", nine families "flows", one person "prisoners" and nine families "prisoners". Since then, this series of sitting methods have been continuously processed by monarchs and important officials of Qin, and they have become more and more dense and demanding. Finally, a hundred years later, the unified Qin dynasty has been processed into a national concentration camp.

The fundamental reason for the great success of Shang Yang's political reform in a short period of time is that its economic system reform successfully adjusted the relations of production and promoted the development of productive forces. Using harsh laws as the fundamental means to implement government decrees and realize reform can only be used at this time, not at that time, and only for a period of time, not for a lifetime. "If you don't rule the world together, you don't have to learn from the past" (Shang Yang. Shang jun Shu Geng method Yuelu Bookstore. 1990 version), but Qin has severely punished torture for hundreds of years since then. The monarch and etiquette of the Qin dynasty are eager for quick success and instant benefit, waiting for him. They simply didn't see the advanced nature of the legalist thought, and refused to consider the profound connotation of the legalist thought of "loving the people because of the legalist school". The violent means of Shang Yang's political reform is regarded as an eternal law and passed down from generation to generation. "Morality softens China, and punishment punishes four oceans" (Hong. Zuo zhuan in the spring and autumn period. Zhonghua Book Company. 1987 version. 323) In the hands of Emperor Qin, it was changed to punish China and four foreigners. The extreme of punishing Shang Yang with punishment has gone to the extreme, "Those who abandon ashes in the Tao die"-throwing domestic garbage on the traffic road for public execution, which is probably the bloodiest environmental protection statute law in history (bamboo slips of Qin Tomb in Sleeping Tiger Land. Cultural relics publishing house. 1990 version. Page 79). "Cautious punishment alone" (Sun Xingyan's Notes on Shangshu Ancient and Modern Literature). Zhonghua Book Company. 1986 version. 359) was completely abandoned in the hands of filial piety. Since then, the punishment has become heavier and cooler, and "the six generations have continued to kill". Finally, the execution ground has spread all over the territory of Qin during the first emperor's period.

Second, Qin Shihuang's legalist school became a shovel to bury the Qin Dynasty.

After a hundred years' accumulation, the congenital deficiency and acquired defect of legalist thought finally cultivated the period of A Qin's first emperor, which brought the fatal defect of legalist thought to the extreme, accumulated social contradictions and class contradictions to the extreme, and finally cultivated the unified Qin Dynasty like a huge powder keg.

(A) the vicious expansion of absolute monarchy reached its peak.

On the surface, Qin Shihuang's methodology seems to be too linear. Although he has a high degree of education, he is interested in the so-called "Five Emperors Using Virtue" (Hentan. New theory. Wang Ba. Shanghai People's Publishing House. 1977. Page 2), and "The way of Yao and Shun is just filial piety" (Yang Bojun. Notes of Mencius. Under the accusation. Zhonghua Book Company) .00000000000105 did not mention the law of "respecting an adult's life" (Sun Xidan: The Book of Rites. Zhonghua Book Company. 1989 version. Page 583), and "everything depends on the law". (Sima Qian. Historical records. Biography of Qin Shihuang, Writers Publishing House. July 2005, page 33) What is the "law" here? "Law" is the king, "Everything in the world, big or small, depends on it" (Sima Qian. Historical Records of Qin Shihuang, Writers Publishing House. On July 34, 2005, the law is the monarch, and the monarch is not just the law. "Everything should be done in all directions, the central authorities should do it, the sages should insist on it, and all directions should take effect" (Han Fei. Hanfeizi Yangquan Yuelu Bookstore. 1990 version). Although Han Fei died in Qin prison, his extreme monarchy thought will live in the heart of Qin Shihuang forever. The first step of establishing dictatorship after Qin Shihuang came to power was simple, cruel and effective-destroying Guanzhong and Lv Buwei (Sima Qian's Twenty-fifth Biography of Historical Records of Lv Buwei, Writers Publishing House, July 2005, p. 389). This is not because Lv Buwei's political ideas and administrative means are incompatible with Qin Shihuang, but because Guan Zhong's wisdom is too high, his achievements and influence are too great, and he is too grateful to win politics. Victory politics is not a "law" or a "saint" in front of him, and even dictatorship is not complete. This signal tells us a bloody truth: there is only one end to obstructing the "sage's persistence", even if it is Qin Shihuang's half-brother or benefactor "Guan Zhong".

After Reese became prime minister, Qin Shihuang's absolute dictatorship mode had a faint dissonance, but it was quickly put out by Qin Shihuang. Due to Li Si's legalist thought and Qin Shihuang's meticulous thought, his talent and ability were greatly appreciated by Qin Shihuang. Coupled with the irreplaceable contribution in the process of Qin Dynasty reunification, Xiang Quan grew unconsciously and became a heart disease in Qin Shihuang's heart. Qin Shihuang occasionally saw Prime Minister Reese traveling on the high platform in the palace, with thousands of followers, which was huge and unhappy. When Reese learned about it, he reduced the size of the honor guard and the guard when he traveled the next day. Qin Shihuang was furious after meeting on the high platform of the palace, thinking that someone in his entourage had tipped him off the day before and killed dozens of people. This was a terrible event for Qin Shihuang and Li Si. As far as Qin Shihuang is concerned, his subtle message was passed on to a very important prime minister without saying a word. Now the power and influence of the Prime Minister are unknown. This is a serious warning for Reese. You don't know the result without convergence. Since then, the fate of this legalist who envied the official position has become clear.