As the earliest and most complete preserved historical and cultural classics in China that systematically introduces the ancient Chinese agricultural civilization, the agronomic thought of Qi Min Yao Shu has many aspects and directions. Although the Qi Min Zhi Shu is a book of agriculture, Jia Sixun, as a magistrate, deeply felt the suffering of the people under the turbulent situation of the Wei and Jin Dynasties and the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and also deeply realized the importance of agricultural production as the foundation of the country. The word "Qi" in the title has two meanings: the first is equality, there is no distinction between noble and inferior. This angle is based on the "Nature of The Mandate of Heaven" in the "Zhongyong" and Mencius's theory of human nature that "everyone has an intolerable heart", affirming that everyone's human nature is good and has a universal significance at the moral level; the second is the meaning of commoners, facing the common people. This is based on the specific content of the ten volumes of the "Qi Min Zhi Shu", from grain and fruit planting to livestock, aquaculture, to agricultural and sideline products processing and the introduction of the source of crop varieties at that time, all of which provide important knowledge and experience for laborers engaged in agricultural production, and have the practical significance of enriching the people and the people. The concept of political ethics based on Confucian idea of benevolence and love is a concentrated embodiment of the above two aspects, which can be further encompassed into three aspects.
Food is the head of the government, and the people are fully used
Since ancient times, China has attached great importance to agricultural production, Jia Sixun said, "Gai Shennong is a qi qi, to benefit the world; Yao Order four sons, respect the people; Shun's life is hou ji, food is the head of the government; Yu made soil fields, all countries are a beggar", which means "Shennong made the qi qi, let the people use it, and improved production efficiency." Emperor Yao ordered the four ministers to carefully announce the season of cultivation to the masses. Emperor Shun issued an order to his chancellor Hou Ji to make the issue of grain production a top priority in governance. Emperor Yu planned the system of land and acres, and all places had tracks to follow." Jia Sixun mentioned that there is also a historical portrayal of the "difficulty of harvesting" in the Book of Shang, and in the "Book of Shangshu Hongfan", Jizi taught king Wu of Zhou the "Nine Domains" of the Great Law of Governing the Country, of which the third domain emphasized eight administrative affairs, that is, "one food, two goods, three Rituals, four Sikong, five Situ, six Sikou, seven Bin, and eight Masters". Among them, the first is food, that is, food is the head of government. Jia Sixun further quoted the huainanzi's assertion that "the eater, the people, the people, the country", reiterated the fundamental significance of agricultural production to the Confucian concept of political ethics of "the people are the state, the people are the state".
The purpose of attaching importance to agricultural production is to stabilize the people, and the specific method is to make full use of the people and not to seize the time. It is Jia Sixun who quotes the Huainan Zi as saying, "For the basis of governance, it is necessary to be safe; the foundation of the people lies in sufficient use; the basis of sufficient use lies in not taking away the time." "Don't take the time" can be divided into three levels: First, respect the laws of nature, and do not blindly expand production. Jia Sixun repeatedly quoted the passage in Mencius's "Widows in the Country": "When it is not against the peasants, the valley cannot be eaten" and "the house of five acres, the tree is mulberry", believing that only by respecting and understanding the laws of nature can we properly use the laws of nature for agricultural production, and then "the seventy people are clothed and eat meat, and the people of Li are not hungry and cold, but those who are not kings, there are not.". Second, to promote the cultivation virtue of frugality, open source needs to be thrifty. Jia Sixun quotes the Filial Piety Sutra as saying, "Use the way of heaven, according to the benefit of the earth, use it sparingly, and use it sparingly to support your parents", and treat food with respect, because every grain is given by heaven, the gift of the earth, and the sincerity of mankind. Third, giving the people fully legitimate and lawful rights and interests is a necessary condition for cultivating political ethics. In the Analects, Lu Aigong asked Confucius's disciples if they had the way to govern, and if they said, "The people are enough, and the kings are insufficient?" The people are insufficient, and the king is full? "Only when the people are rich and live and work in peace and contentment can those who serve the government achieve real longevity." Because traditional Confucianism emphasizes the isomorphism of the family and the country, the concept of "home rule, so the rule can be transferred to the official", Jia Sixun pointed out that this is consistent with the political ethics concept of "if the family is poor, it thinks of a good wife, and when the country is chaotic, it thinks of a good wife".
Rich and teach, poetry books ploughing
Jia Sixun believes that "the prosperity of Yin Zhou, as described in the poems and books, should be taught in peace with the people and the rich." The Book of Shang and the Book of Poetry depict the picture of good governance in which "Yin Li I can speak", "Depressed Wen Zhao, I conform to Zhou". The key behind this is whether it can be "rich and teach". When Confucius arrived at Weiguo, Ran had an attendant, and Confucius was very happy to see that the Population of Weiguo was very large. Ran You asked Confucius how to let these people be well governed, Confucius said "rich", Ran You asked again, Confucius replied "teach". It can be seen that attaching importance to indoctrination is one of the core ways of Confucius's political philosophy. Attaching importance to indoctrination to cultivate political morality was the social trend of "respecting the order of the people, applying for filial piety, and those who give the white deeds do not live up to the road" discussed in mencius, so that the social trend of "being honest and honest, knowing etiquette; having enough food and clothing, and knowing honor and disgrace" as discussed in "Guan Zi" can also be achieved.
Poetry and liturgy are the direct source of Confucian benevolence in the classical era, and it is also an important way to cultivate political ethics. In addition to recording agricultural production, the Qi Min Zhi Shu also attaches great importance to educating the people. It quotes the "Four People's Moon Order" and says that every year on the first day of the first lunar month, young children and teenagers in the family should pay homage to the elders of the family with "pepper wine" and "praise the birthday of The Lifting", which is a harmonious atmosphere. In early spring, when the agricultural affairs were not up every year, the parents ordered the "chengtong" over the age of fifteen to study the "Book of Poetry", "Shang Shu", "Li Ji", "Zhou Yi", and "Spring and Autumn" scriptures. When the Yantai was no longer frozen, he ordered the "young children" to enter the primary school and learn chapters such as "Liujia", "Jiujiu", "Urgent", and "Sancang". Moreover, every year, "after completing the agricultural work in October, ordering children to enter the Taixue School, such as the first month of the month", it can be seen that Jia Sixun attaches great importance to the education of children and adolescents, so as to inherit the Confucian tradition of benevolence. Every November, when the Yantai was frozen and could not write, young children were ordered to read the "Filial Piety Sutra" and "Analects". In December, he gathered his clan friends and held various ceremonial activities, such as weddings and courtesies, so as to "speak well of peace and etiquette, and to honor the discipline." Suspending the peasants and servitude, Hui will be under the water", laying the foundation for agricultural production in the coming year. In addition, Jia Sixun also attaches great importance to the preservation and maintenance of books, which also reflects his character as a reader.
Show kindness, hope for sages
As mentioned above, "Shen Zhi is the righteousness of filial piety", in the second chapter of the opening chapter of the Analects, It is also said that "those who are filial piety are the essence of man". Valuing filial piety is the basic way to cultivate a person's benevolent heart and the key to enlightenment for taking the first step in life. With love for parents, brothers and sisters, it shows the inherent goodness of human beings, which is what Mr. Mou Zongsan said, "Sex is manifested by the heart.". The manifestation and expansion of benevolence is a process, this process must first conform to the characteristics of human nature and human feelings, "those who do not love their relatives but love others, it is called contrary to morality" The original meaning is to emphasize that the implementation of benevolence is a process of practice from relatives to alienation, otherwise it is "rural plains". "Benevolence" was further extended to family governance, and Jia Sixun quoted the "Four People's Monthly Order" as saying: Every year in March, the grain stored in the homes of the poor may be insufficient, and the new wheat is not yet ripe, at this time the rich should follow the goodness of the Heavenly Dao, accumulate more yin virtue, and provide support for the poor, "Do the nine tribes, starting from the relatives." If the autumn harvest is acceptable, and every household has savings, when there are people in the family who are poor and cannot be buried, the disciples who are still well off should "unite the clan and raise them together; take the relatives of the poor and the rich as a difference, and be at peace with each other, and there is no cross-fertility; first self-depletion, so as not to follow the rate." Jia Sixun recognized that such a clan event should be paid for according to the distance of relatives. The rich should set an example in order to show their benevolence, so as to inspire clans that are reluctant to contribute money and help, so that they can govern their affairs well.
Jia Sixun clearly pointed out in the "Qi Min Zhi Shu": "The end of the life is not the end, the sages are not; the day is rich and the poor, the hunger is getting cold." Therefore, the matter of shangjia is not recorded. What is "Ben"? It is based on the prosperity of civilians and the stability of society. The gap between the rich and the poor brought about by the rendering of the style of shangjia was obvious at the time, and Jia Sixun was deeply worried about it, and then did not introduce it when writing "Qi Min Zhishu", he preferred that agriculture as an "industry" would receive universal attention from society, and then realize his ideal of political ethics as a sage. And what should a "sage" look like? He believes that "Shennong, Cangjie, and the saints are also; they are also unable to do anything." Therefore, Zhao Guo began to cultivate cattle, and won the benefits of Qi Qi; Cai Lun intended to make paper, was it not the trouble of Fang Qi and Mu? And Geng Shouchang's constant closing, Sang Hong's sheep's average loss method, benefiting the country and the people, and the art of immortality. It means, "There are still certain things that saints like Shennong and Cangjie can't do." Therefore, When Zhao Guo began to use cattle to cultivate the fields, it was much faster than the efficiency of shennong's creation; Cai Lun invented papermaking, which was much more convenient than using sackcloth and jianmu. Like the Changping Warehouse advocated by Geng Shouchang and the equalization method created by Sang Hongyang, these are all economic regulation and control methods that are beneficial to the country and the people." This embodies the two characteristics of Jia Sixun's political ethics in economic and social aspects: First, industrial thinking and the spirit of seeking truth from facts. Jia Sixun is a scholar who can perceive the Confucian spirit of benevolence and at the same time rationally view social progress, he has a high sense of Confucian responsibility, and practices it, starting from reality, considering how to highlight his personal value in the economy and society and open up his own style of practice for the life appeal of the inner saint and the outer king. Second, innovation is the driving force for society to move forward. The purpose of "Fa Xian Wang" is to highlight the era and historical inevitability of attaching importance to agricultural production, and Jia Sixun does not stick to this, and advocates innovative economic management methods with the historical concept of progressive development, "new day by day, new day by day, and new by day", which is the theoretical exercise of his concept of political ethics.
In summary, Jia Sixun's concept of political ethics is concentrated in the book "Qi Min Zhi Shu", especially his reference to the classics of his predecessors to demonstrate his own political outlook. Taking "food as the first in government, and making full use of the people" as the theoretical starting point and practical purpose of his political ethics thinking, he used "teaching the rich and cultivating poetry and reading" to educate future generations, harmonize with his relatives, and handle grass-roots governance and economic and social regulation and control with "showing benevolence and admiring sages" and "showing benevolence and admiring sages." Together, the three constitute Jia Sixun's concept of political ethics with Confucian benevolence as the core.