In the first year of Teng Wengong (332 BC), Xu Xing led his disciples from Chu to Tengguo. Teng Wengong gave Xu Hang a piece of cultivated land according to his requirements, and the management effect was very good. Sean, a disciple of Chen Liang, a great scholar, and his brother Chen Xin came to Tengguo with farm tools, abandoned the Confucian point of view and became faithful followers of peasant children. In the same year, I traveled to Tengzhou, met Chen Xiang, and launched a famous debate between farmers and Confucianism in history (Mencius Teng Wengong).
The core of Xu Xing's peasant thought is to oppose getting something for nothing. He is mainly engaged in agriculture, but also engaged in handicraft production. He is also aware of the important role of commodity exchange in the market and has a deeper research and understanding of prices. With his unique thoughts and practical activities, Xu Xing had a great influence on the agricultural society and agricultural thinking mode in later generations.
It is advocated that "sages and people share the same cultivation and food, and govern the country by food": sages and people share the same cultivation to get their food, cook their own breakfast and dinner, and handle state affairs. "The granaries and treasuries benefit the people and are used for their own use": Oppose the monarch to set up warehouses for rice, and some treasuries accumulate wealth and goods, thinking that this is hurting the people and supporting themselves, and denying the monarch the real right to own warehouses. It advocates pricing according to the quantity and quality of products, such as length and size. Don't approve of exploitation among businessmen and oppose fraud that drives up prices. The core of Xu Xing's thought is to oppose getting something for nothing.
In the first year of Teng Wengong (332 BC), Xu Xing led his disciples from Chu to Tengguo. Teng Wengong demarcated a piece of cultivated land for Xu Hang at his request. The management effect is good. Sean, a disciple of the great Confucian, and his younger brother came to Tengguo from Song with farm tools, worshiped Xu as a teacher, abandoned the Confucian viewpoint and became faithful followers of peasant children.
Si Youwei's thoughts are mainly the theory of dual cultivation of the monarch and the people and the price theory of "the market is not as good as the market"
Regarding the theory that the monarch and the people cultivated together, Xu Xing said: "The sage and the people cultivated together and ate, so it can be cured." In his view, a wise monarch needs people to participate in farming to eat, cook for themselves and do things for the people. "Lu's Spring and Autumn Love" said: "Shennong taught me: a scholar, who didn't plow that year, starved to death. If a woman fails in that year, the world may be cold.
Therefore, men plow and women weave, so it is beneficial to the people. Jiao Xun's Mencius Justice in the Qing Dynasty regards the above-mentioned "teaching of Shennong" as "the words of Shennong", which is consistent with Mencius' saying that "those who have the words of Shennong will make their wishes", and its content is also consistent with Xu Xing's theory of cultivating both the monarch and the people. Therefore, it can be considered that the material of Lv Chunqiu's Love Course should be Xu Xing's thought.
Xu Hang also believes that if the monarch does not plow with the people, but has a granary to store food and a vault to store money like Teng Wengong, it is to support himself at the expense of the people, and such a monarch is not worthy of virtue. This is Xu Xing's sharp criticism and accusation of the rulers at that time. Because of the frequent wars in the Warring States period, agricultural production was seriously affected, and Xu Xing put forward the theory of both monarch and people. Therefore, he stressed that the monarch must attach importance to agriculture and cultivate it himself to save time.
The corpse driver said that Shennong "worked side by side and called the king to persuade farmers". This corpse is named Shijiao, and it is said that it is Shang Yang's teacher, a native of Lu. Xu Xing's theory of dual-use of military and civilian comes down in one continuous line with teacher's education, which is probably related to academic origin. In the aforementioned twenty Shennong articles of Hanshu Yiwenzhi, Yan Shigu noticed that "Liu Xiang's Bielu is suspected to have the words of Li Kui and Shang Jun". But this statement may not be credible. Li Kui and Shang Yang are both legalists. They advocate land to the tiller, and their emphasis on agriculture is closely related to war, which is different from Xu Xing's theory of combining farmers. Although Shang Yang studied under Shijiao, he developed Shijiao's theory into a policy of land to the tiller and proper use of troops, while Xu Xing was faithful to Shijiao's theory of mutual cultivation between the monarch and the people. Therefore, we think that Twenty Poems of Shennong is probably the work of Xu Xing.
The price theory that "the city is superior to other cities" is another important proposition put forward by Xu Hang. On the basis of advocating social division of labor and mutual assistance, he proposed that people engaged in agricultural labor can directly exchange agricultural products for handicrafts, such as hats, pots and pans, iron farm tools and so on. This is a method of barter. How does the exchange set the price? Xu Xing thinks: "If cloth and silk are the same length, Jia is similar;" If the weight of flax is the same, then Jia is similar; If the number of grains is the same, then Jia is similar; "If it is the same size, Jia is similar." That is, if the cloth and silk on the market have the same length and the price is equal; If the weight of hemp fiber and silk wool is the same, the price is the same; If the grain capacity is the same, the price is equal; Shoes of the same size are sold at the same price. In a word, if the quantity and price of the same kind of goods are the same, the prices of various goods in the market have been uniformly stipulated. In this way, there is only one price for the same commodity in the market, and there is no second price. This is "the best in the city". Xu Xing believes that there will be no more fraud, even if children go to the market to buy things, they will not be cheated.
Xu Xing's thoughts reflected the interests and demands of poor peasants in the Warring States Period. The theory of co-cultivation between the monarch and the people reflected the egalitarianism at that time and the idea of poor farmers working together, requiring everyone to become a self-reliant worker. Mencius thought that this idea could only be a fable and impossible to realize. Xu Xing's proposition is different from what Mencius said: "The industrious rule others, and the industrious rule others; People who rule others eat people, and those who rule others eat people are tit for tat. Xu Hang's price theory reflects the desire of poor farmers to exploit the market and demand price adjustment. This kind of thought is more radical than Yang Zhu's thought of "doing for yourself" and "valuing yourself" instead of "indulging in sex" and "invading things", because Yang Zhu is the representative of small landlords, who just want to protect their own property; On the other hand, Xu Hang represents the interests of poor farmers, who have nothing but to work with their hands to make a living.
In the same year, I traveled to Tengzhou, got to know Chen Xiang, and launched a famous dispute between "agriculture" and "Confucianism" in history (Mencius on Teng Wengong). In order to safeguard the interests of the feudal ruling class, Mencius made a fierce attack on Xu Xingnong School, denouncing it as "if you talk Man Zi, you should be the first to push Wang Zhidao". Xu Xing and his disciples refuted it in theory and practice. The core of Xu Xing's peasant thought is to oppose getting something for nothing. He and his disciples are mainly engaged in farming, but also engaged in handicraft production. They also realize the important role of the market in exchanging goods, such as millet caps, pots, cookers, iron farm tools and other necessities. And pointed out that if everything is homemade, it will be "harmful to farming." There are also profound opinions on the issue of price. They advocate setting corresponding prices according to the quantity and quality of products, such as length, weight, quantity and size, so that "markets cannot compete with each other" and "cannot be bullied". They disapprove of the exploitation among businessmen and oppose the fraud of price gouging and exchange. He also denied that the monarch had property rights to the granary and treasury. He also criticized Teng Wengong's monarchy exploitation system of "relying on people to support themselves". His thoughts reflect the egalitarianism of small-scale peasant economy, show the simple nature of self-reliance of working peasants, express their strong desire to relieve the oppression of reality, and are full of beautiful expectations for an imaginary average society, which has a great influence on future generations. Xu Xing's deeds are not recorded in Historical Records, but his main words and deeds are recorded in Mencius Teng Wengong and other works.
There are 20 historical works, Shennong (lost), which are considered by modern historians to be the works of Xu Xing. The Warring States period was a period of active thinking, a hundred flowers blooming and a hundred schools of thought contending. Among many academic thoughts and schools, peasant families have their own unique thoughts and practical activities. Farmers' thoughts have a long history, which has had a great influence on China's agriculture and agricultural thinking mode for thousands of years. The outstanding representative and leader of Nongjiale is Xu Xing, who was born in Pidu. Han Shu's literature and art
The brief introduction of Xu Xing is an argumentative essay with refutation as the main point.
The author Mencius (372-289 BC), named Ke, was born in Zouguo (now Zoucheng, Shandong) in the middle of the Warring States Period. He is the grandson of Confucius, who inherits and develops Confucius' theory, and is the main representative of Confucianism after Confucius, a great thinker and educator. It is called "Yasheng".
Xu Xing, the original author of Shennong's Ci, said to "Songs of the South Teng Wengong": "People from afar, Wen Jun, are benevolent and willing to be obedient." Public and local. Dozens of people, all dressed in brown, were tied up and made up mats to eat.
Sean, his disciple, and Xin, his younger brother, were defeated by Song Zhiteng, saying, "It is also necessary to administer by the way of saints, and I am willing to protect myself by the way of saints."
When Chen saw Xu Xing, he was very happy. He gave up his studies and learned how to. When Chen saw Mencius, he said, "Honesty has virtue; Although, I have never heard of Tao. Sages and people plow and eat, and govern the country by eating. Today Teng has a granary treasury, which is self-supporting and self-supporting. Evil is virtuous! "
Mencius said, "Will Xu Zi plant millet and eat it?"
Said, "Of course."
"Xu Zi must weave before he wears clothes?"
Said, "No, Xu Zi is dressed in brown."
"Xu ziguan?"
Say "crown"
"off?"
Said: "Guan Su."
Yue: "What is the sum of self-weaving?"
Yue: "No, just use millet."
Yue: "Didn't Michell Maxwell Hsu knit it himself?"
Said, "It's harmful to farming."
Yue: "Do you use a kettle or iron to plow the fields?"
Said, "Of course."
"The sum of self-reliance?"
Yue: "No, just use millet."
"People who use millet as a weapon are not trained for him; Ye Tao is also a farmer who is good at harvesting millet with machines. Why didn't Xu Zi use it to educate his palace? What is the transaction with Baigong one after another? Why don't you worry? "
Yue: "It is impossible for the tiller to have land and be omnipotent." "But the rule of the world, can only rely on training and strive for? There are things about adults and things about villains. And a person's body is prepared for everything. If you must use it yourself, you will lead the world. Therefore: either work hard or work hard, the hard-working people govern others, and the hard-working people govern others; Treat people eat people, treat people eat people, and the world is righteous. "
"When, the world is not flat. The flood crossed the river and flooded the world. Vegetation is lush, animals multiply, while crops are scarce and animals threaten. The way of animal hoof and bird trace is left to China. Yao's worry alone can be cured. Make good use of fire; Mount Yilie burned it, and the animals fled. Nine rivers in Yushu, Luo Ji, and the sea; Resolute Confucianism, thinking, and paying attention to the river; Then China can get and eat. At that time, after eight years away from home, I will not enter the door three times. Although he wanted to plow, what did he get? "
"Hou Ji teaches people to cultivate, and the trees are cultivated with grains, and the grains are cooked and the people are educated. People have ways to eat and wear warm clothes, live in seclusion without teaching, and get close to animals. Sages and sages are worried, making them make friends with Stuart, and teaching people ethics: father and son are close, monarch and minister are righteous, husband and wife are different, young and old have stories, and friends have letters. Fang Xun said: "If you work hard, you can straighten it out. If you help it, you can be complacent and improve your morality." Do saints care so much about the people, but have leisure time to plow? "
"Yao is not suitable for his own sorrow, and Shun is not suitable for his own sorrow. A husband is worried about a hundred acres of land, and so is a farmer. Divide people into wealth, teach people loyalty and kindness, and win the world. Therefore, it is easy for everyone in the world, but difficult for everyone in the world. Confucius said,' Great, Yao is king! Only the sky is big, but Yao is it, swinging around, and the people are incompetent! Jun zai, Shun Ye! This is magnificent, there is a world, it is not embarrassing! "Yao and Shun rule the world useless. It is not used to plow ears! "
"I have heard of summer change, but I have never heard of summer change. Born in Chu, Chen Liang welcomed the way of Duke Zhou and Zhong Ni, and studied China in the north; Scholars in the north either failed or came first. He is also a so-called hero. The son's brother has been doing things for decades, and the teacher's death has doubled. In the past, Confucius did not. After three years, the rule of mankind will return. I bowed to Zigong, wept at each other, lost my voice, and then returned. Zigong rebelled, built a house in the field, lived alone for three years, and then came back. In the future, Xia Zi, Zhang Zi and Zi You will be like saints. They want to do what Confucius did to strengthen Ceng Zi. Ceng Zi said:' No, Jianghan will crush it, and Qiuyang will be violent, which is not enough!' Today, the people who are determined by barbarians are not those who have studied Wang Zhidao and his life before, and they are also different from Ceng Zi. I have heard of people who moved from the valley to the tree, but I have never heard of people who came down from the tree and entered the valley. Truffle said, "Rong Di is a fake, and Jing Shu is a punishment." Duke Zhou's holiday, son's study, is also fickle.
"From Xu Zizhi's way, the city is good and the countryside is not false; Although a five-foot child is suitable for the fair, he should not be bullied. If the length of cloth and silk is the same, Jia is similar; If the weight of flax is the same, then Jia is similar; If the number of grains is the same, then Jia is similar; If the size is the same, then Jia is similar. "
He said: "When things are not harmonious, things fall in love. Or times, or even, or ten million. In contrast, it is also chaotic. How can a giant and a little man be like Jia? From the way of Xu Zi, if you are false, evil can rule this country! "
Translation:
Shen Nong's Xu Xing came to Tengguo from Chu and told Teng Wengong: "People from afar have heard that you practice benevolent government and are willing to accept a residence as your people." Teng Wengong gave him a place to live. Dozens of his disciples wore coarse clothes and made a living by knitting shoes and mats. Sean, Chen Liang's disciple, and Chen Xin, his younger brother, came to Tengguo from Song State with farm tools on their backs. They said to Teng Wengong, "I heard that you follow the political views of saints and are regarded as saints. We are willing to be a people of saints. "
Sean was very happy after seeing Xu Xing, and completely gave up what he had learned and learned from Xu Xing. Chen Xiang came to see Mencius and relayed Xu Xing's words: "The king of Tengguo is indeed a wise king; Even so, he still didn't really understand the way of being a saint. Xianjun should get food, cook and govern the world together with the people. At present, there are a large number of granaries and warehouses in Tengguo, which are used to collect property and cloth, so this is to make the people suffer to fatten themselves, and where can they be regarded as saints! "
Mencius asked, "Does Mr. Xu have to grow his own crops to eat?"
Sean said, "Yes."
Mencius said, "When Xu Zi wears clothes, he must weave his own cloth first."
Sean said, "No, Xu Zi is wearing coarse clothes that have never been woven."
Mencius said, "Does Xu Zi wear a hat?"
Sean said, "Wear a hat."
Mencius said, "What hat to wear?"
Sean said, "Wear a hat made of raw silk."
Mencius said, "Do you knit by yourself?"
Sean said, "No, I exchanged it with food."
Mencius said, "Why didn't Xu Zi weave himself?"
Sean said: "It is harmful to agriculture."
Mencius said, "Does Xu Zi use iron pots and tiles for cooking and iron farm tools for farming?"
Sean said, "Yes."
Mencius said, "Did you make it yourself?"
Sean said, "No, I exchanged it with food."
Mencius said: "it is harmless to potters and blacksmiths to exchange food for farm tools and cookers;" Potters and blacksmiths also exchange their farm tools and cookers for food. Can it be considered as hurting farmers? Besides, why didn't Xu Zi burn pottery and iron himself, so that everything was used in his own home? Why are you busy communicating with various craftsmen? Why is Xu Ziru so afraid of trouble? "
Sean said: "It is impossible for all kinds of craftsmen to work at the same time." Mencius said; "So, then governing the world can be both farming and doing? There are things done by officials and things done by the people. Besides, a person's life needs all kinds of things made by craftsmen. If you must make it yourself and use it again, it will be no peace to take people all over the world on the road. So: some people use their brains, while others use their physical strength. People with brains rule others, and people with physical strength are ruled by others; It is a universal truth that those who are ruled by others support others, and those who rule others get the support of others. "
"In Tang Yao, the world has not settled down. The flood is raging and flooding everywhere. Lush vegetation, animal reproduction, immature grains, and wild animals threaten people. The roads trampled by birds and animals crisscross the Central Plains. Tang Yao was deeply worried about this, so he chose Shun to govern the country. Shun sent people to control the fire, and then expanded it, burning up the vegetation in the swamp area, so all the wild animals fled and hid. Shun also sent Yu to dredge the nine rivers and lead them into the sea; Dig through the supply water and Hanshui River, remove the siltation of Huaihe River and Surabaya River, and let them flow into the Yangtze River. In this way, the people of the Central Plains can farm normally and make a living from it. At this time, Yu has been running around for eight years, passing through the house many times, and has never been in. Even if he wants to farm, can he? "
"Hou Ji taught the people to cultivate and harvest and plant crops. When the crops are ripe, the people will be able to survive and multiply. The truth of being a man is almost the same as that of an animal, that is, simply eating and wearing warm clothes, living comfortably and not being enlightened. Worried about this, he appointed Qi as Stuart to teach people the truth that there should be a relationship between people: there is a blood relationship between father and son, there is a distinction between courtesy and righteousness between monarch and minister, there is a distinction between husband and wife, and there is a virtue of honesty between friends. Tang Yao said: "Let people work hard, make them obey, make them upright, help them, make them feel good, and give them kindness and relief." Tang Yao is so worried about the people, does he still have time to farm? "
"Worry about the loss of Shun, and worry about the loss of Shun. The people who are worried about poor land cultivation are farmers. Giving others property is kindness, teaching others kindness is loyalty, and finding a sage for the world is benevolence. Therefore, it is easier to give the world to others than to find a saint for the world. Confucius said:' Yao is the king, how great! Only Heaven is the greatest, and only Yao can imitate Heaven. Vast and vast, the people can't describe it in words! Shun is really a monarch! Sublime, you own the world, but don't keep it private! Under the rule of Yao and Shun, shouldn't we bother ourselves? Just don't have to farm! "
"I have only heard of using everything in the Central Plains to change the remote and backward areas, and I have never heard of using everything in the remote and backward areas to change the Central Plains. Chen Liang's ancestral home is Chu, and he loves the theories of Duke Zhou and Confucius. He came to the Central Plains from south to north to study. No scholar in the north can surpass him. He can be called a hero. Your brother studied with him for decades, and you betrayed him when he died! Confucius died before, and his disciples mourned for him for three years. After three years, everyone packed their bags and prepared to go home. When I left, I saluted Zigong and said goodbye, crying and crying, and then I left. Zi Gong returned to Confucius Cemetery to rebuild his house, and stayed alone for three years before leaving. Later, Xia Zi, Zhang Zi and Zi You thought that if you were a bit like Confucius, they wanted to respect him with courtesy, and they wanted Ceng Zi to agree. Ceng Zi said, "No, it's just like being washed with Jianghan water. In the summer sun, it's white and flawless." . No one can compare with our teacher. Now, this grotesque southern foolhardy slanders the sage of the former king, while you betray your teacher and learn from him, which is totally contrary to Ceng Zi's attitude. I have only heard of flying out of a dark ravine and moving to a tall tree, but I have never heard of flying down from a tall tree and moving to a dark ravine. "Truffle" said: "North attack Rongdi, South punish Shu Jing." Duke Zhou also wants to attack the south like Chu, but you are learning from him, which is getting worse and worse. "
Sean said: "If you obey Xu Zi's theory, the market price will not be different, and there will be no fraud in capital. Even if a five-foot-tall child goes to the market, no one will cheat him. Cloth and silk, same length, same price; Hemp thread and silk floss have the same weight and price; Whole grains, same quantity, same price; The shoes are the same size and the price is the same. "
Mencius said: "The prices of commodities are inconsistent, which is determined by the nature of commodities." Some are one to five times different, some are ten to one hundred times different, and some are thousands to ten thousand times different. You equate them side by side and make the world chaotic. Making coarse shoes costs the same as making fine shoes. Can people make shoes? To do it in Xu Zi's way is to guide the other side to cheat. How can we rule this country? "
Xu Xing's central idea belongs to farm school. Nongjiale was one of the schools of thought contending during the Warring States Period. This school advocates that all men and women in the world should take part in labor in person, so that they can govern the world without penalty laws. Therefore, it was put forward that "saints and people cultivate food and treat it with food". Farmers advocate that everyone should work, which reflects the simple desire of workers to oppose exploitation at that time, but it also has the defects of absolute egalitarianism. Mencius opposed Xu Xing and Chen Xiang's farm thoughts and demonstrated the inevitability of social division of labor. This article is eloquent, magnificent, logical and persuasive. Grasping the basic viewpoints of farmers' theory, using the weak links of their theory, from small to large, from there to here, from outside to inside, step by step, expounded their own views. Mencius put forward facts and reasons in connection with the reality of life, explaining that the other party's argument is not feasible and putting forward a positive argument. Then it lists the achievements of the sages, expounds whether the monarch is virtuous or not, and points out the mistake of Chen Xiang's brothers changing their homes into farmhouses. Finally, the rationality of different prices is explained by different labor values, and the absolute equalitarianism of the other party is criticized.