Francis Bacon, a famous British philosopher, scientist and thinker, strongly advocated that "history makes people wise, poetry makes them witty, mathematics makes them thoughtful, natural philosophy makes them profound, ethics makes them solemn and logical rhetoric makes them eloquent". Bacon was called "the true ancestor of British materialism and the whole modern experimental science" by Marx.
Is history really so magical that it can make people wise and knowledgeable?
Yes, anyone who knows history knows that there is no doubt about it. That's why so many celebrities advise people to study. Li Kuchan, a master of Chinese painting, said: "Birds want to fly first, and people want to learn first." Chairman Mao said, "You can stay awake for a day without eating or reading." "Learn for the rise of China," Zhou Enlai said. In fact, the most important thing in reading is reading history. Because poetry, mathematics, natural philosophy, ethics and logical rhetoric all promote personal accomplishment or skills, only those who truly see through history, together with their previous accomplishment, have the power and ability to change the world.
Why is history so magical? Because history records experience and engraves lessons. Old people in history pass on their experiences and lessons to future generations. Without history, modern people are different from ancient apes. Mankind always stands on the shoulders of predecessors, as Newton said, "If I see far, it is because I stand on the shoulders of giants." Read history, draw nutrition from it and get enlightenment. Draw lessons from the past and avoid repeating the same mistakes; Learn from the past and try to learn from it. Therefore, it is an indisputable fact that history has the function of drawing lessons from senior officials and enlightening the mind.
Why is history so magical? Because history records the rise and fall of others' honor and disgrace. Reading history means reading people. Think about how people who have tasted the ups and downs come step by step, and how people who enjoy the wealth of the world come step by step. After learning about the success of others, we can also climb to the top; Seeing through the reasons why others are going downhill, we can avoid repeating the same mistakes and climb from the peak to a higher peak. As Qin Shihuang wished, "I am the first emperor. There are many descendants, and two or three will last forever and spread endlessly! "
Anyone who knows the history knows that Qin Shihuang established China's first centralized, multi-ethnic feudal unified country by balancing the six countries and establishing counties. However, many people don't understand. This great achievement is not only due to his efforts. This is inseparable from the national strength accumulated by Qin Shihuang, the commercial reform of rich countries, the loyal ministers who dared to speak out in the court, the generals who dared to kill the enemy on the battlefield, and especially the Qin people who sacrificed constantly. The will of the people is invincible. Qin Shihuang just followed the trend and won the world. Nothing magical. This is a natural result. However, why did Qin Shihuang soon lose the world? Losing popularity, Qin Shihuang was too eager for quick success. At that time, after hundreds of years of division and war, people decided that it was in line with the people's hearts that Qin unified the whole country. If we can temporarily recuperate and develop people's livelihood, after several decades, it will not be too difficult for the Qin Dynasty to complete it, whether it is to build the Great Wall, gallop the road or take hundreds of steps, nor will it encounter the tragedy of political interests and national extinction. Although Qin Shihuang unified the territory of the six countries, he did not gather the hearts and minds of the six countries. Qin Shihuang could not develop people's livelihood according to his own will, but built a large scale of construction, expanded his territory, went against public opinion and lost the world. This is the truth that those who win the hearts of the people win the world, and those who lose the hearts of the people lose the world.
After Qin Shihuang, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was also a "war madman". He unilaterally ended the pro-Xiongnu policy since the Mayi War in 133 BC, began to formally declare war on Xiongnu, and sent Wei Qing and Huo Qubing to conquer and expand the territory of the western regions. At the same time with the northeast and southern operations. It is really militarism! Ideologically, what is the difference between his "ousting a hundred schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone" and Qin Shihuang's "burning books to bury Confucianism"? I think it's essentially the same, except that Qin Shihuang's way is more cruel and Han Wudi's way is more moderate. Qin Shihuang wanted to govern the country purely according to "law", while Emperor Wudi of Han Dynasty combined Confucianism with law and "Confucianism showed law". The skill of governing the country by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty is consistent with the current way of governing the country, with different views and the same essence. The legal system in the era of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty is different from that of the present, and it is more reasonable than that in the era of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, which is the place where the times have progressed.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, like Qin Shihuang, had both sides, but he did not destroy the country like Qin Shihuang did. Why? Because what Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty did was not beyond the reach of the people. This is "degree". Everything goes too far, and things go too far. This is what China people often call the "golden mean".