citation
In nature, "species diversity" is very important, and a single species that is too strong will only gradually encroach on the living space of other species, and once there is too much homogeneity in nature, it will inevitably lead to all kinds of unpredictable disasters!
Drawing on the laws of nature, shouldn't human society also preserve cultural diversity?
The impact of a hundred schools of thought
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there was a phenomenon of "a hundred schools of thought contending" in the history of philosophy in the mainland, and many sages of different ideas tried to find a better direction for the development of mankind in the future.
Although "a hundred schools of thought contend" has its limitations, the spirit of active exploration of the sages is the light of hope for human development and the spiritual driving force for social development and progress.
What if contemporary society still allows "a hundred schools of thought to contend"?
Confucianism
Since the founding of Gaozu in the Han Dynasty, after many years of military disasters, the Wenjing period followed the Huang Lao thought, ruled by inaction, and gave the people time to recuperate, and the accumulation of wealth at this stage was also the basis for Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to crusade against the Xiongnu. It can also be seen from this that Huang Lao's thought is very suitable for the development stage of the country's recuperation.
Since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, as the establishment of the belief in the rule of Huang Lao gradually lost power, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty began to establish the "exclusive respect for Confucianism" of the statecraft, Confucian people are aggressive, too much attention to fame, far more like to make a difference than Taoist people, naturally more tossing than Taoist people, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to crusade against the Xiongnu and his admiration of Confucianism, good joy of the idea is completely in the same vein.
Judging from the results of "the emptiness of the sea and the halving of the population" in order to conquer the Xiongnu during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Confucianism has completely become an "ideological weapon" in the hands of the emperor after being transformed by the emperor's family! Even if it caused such a great social harm, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty only needed an "edict of sin", raised it high, and gently put it down, but it did not cause huge social turmoil, and it is no wonder that most of the ignorant emperors in later generations didn't care what the people thought!
One-size-fits-all, simple and brutal
Lao Tzu said in the Tao Te Ching: "To govern a big country, if you cook a small fresh." ”
Lao Tzu is admonishing the emperors and princes to be very cautious in governing the country, just like when cooking small fish, you must carefully flip it, and you must also master the heat, if you go too far, the small fish will be damaged.
But for most emperors, a one-size-fits-all approach to statecraft is their favorite, because it's worry-free! Therefore, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty used Confucianism, which had been reformed by the ruling class, as an ideological weapon to educate the foolish people, so as to facilitate his own "one-size-fits-all" governance! This is also why he is not afraid of the backlash of the people at the bottom after the war.
Ideological unity is also a way of "one-size-fits-all", and the greater benefit is to clean up the soil of other ideas that may breed resistance from the people at the bottom, because after "exclusive respect for Confucianism", other ideas also lose their living space.
The antithesis of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty
Historical circles often say: "Strong Han and prosperous Tang", why was the Han Dynasty strong but not prosperous? Because the Han Dynasty emphasized military force rather than literature, "exclusive respect for Confucianism" was a disguised ideological imprisonment, so the culture of the Han Dynasty was not prosperous, only the military force was strong.
The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty lies in the combination of civil and military affairs. Many emperors in later generations were following the old road of "exclusive respect for Confucianism" to facilitate their rule, but the Tang Dynasty was an exception, the Tang Dynasty emperors respected Confucianism and Taoism, and even most did not reject Buddhism, and Tang Taizong was even more inclusive and did not exclude any normal school of thought.
We must be clear, governing the country first governs the officials! Since the emperor took the lead in advocating frugality, promoting thrift, and then preventing official corruption and appointing people on the basis of merit, how can there be a country with poor governance?
Li Shimin's Zhenguan rule can be very simple to argue: "Confucianism alone is not a good medicine for governing the country!" ”
Respect the poison of Confucianism
In a word, exclusive respect for Confucianism is another kind of ideological imprisonment!
The purpose of ideological imprisonment is to facilitate rule, which is also the fundamental reason why most emperors follow the "exclusive respect for Confucianism".
Why didn't the Industrial Revolution happen in China?
If the contention of a hundred schools of thought took place during the Ming and Qing dynasties, there was a chance to lead the "industrial age" with the intelligence of the Chinese!
Unfortunately, history has no if, the ideological imprisonment of Confucianism completely suppresses the thinking and intelligence of the Chinese within the scope of tolerance of the ruling class, and any novel ideas are estimated to be branded as heretics and then turned into powder!
summary
At that time, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty "respected Confucianism alone", rejoiced in his achievements, and recklessly fought the army, but the result was only to defeat the Xiongnu, at the cost of an empty treasury and halved the population, which could not be regarded as good governance in any case!
With the influence theory, it promoted the "one-size-fits-all" governance method of later emperors, and at the same time opened the poison of ideological imprisonment, which led to the emergence of faint kings in later generations, and the ideological progress was strongly suppressed, which is evil government!