Where does the contention of a hundred schools of thought appear?

The contention of a hundred schools of thought refers to the emergence of different schools of thought among intellectuals during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC to 476 BC) and the Warring States Period (475 to 221 BC).

First, political factors. At that time, it was in a period of great social change, with social unrest and disputes among various princely states. In order to gain dominance in the struggle, the kings of various vassal states competed to recruit talents and used different ideas and doctrines to make their countries rich and powerful. This creates a relaxed academic atmosphere for a hundred schools of thought to contend.

Second, economic factors. At that time, the economy had developed greatly, which enabled some people to become the leisure class and have time to engage in their own academic activities.

Third, technological factors. Great progress has been made in science and technology, and aspects such as astronomy, mathematics, optics, acoustics, mechanics, and medicine all reached relatively high levels at that time. These scientific and technological achievements mark the improvement of people's understanding level and enrich people's spiritual world and material life.

Fourth, cultural factors. At that time, "the emperor lost his official position and learned in the barbarians". The result was to break the situation of "learning in the government", which caused the cultural and academic monopoly of the aristocrats to spread to the lower classes of society and move down to the people (this historical phenomenon is called " "Culture moved downward"), resulting in "the flourishing of private schools".

Fifth, the factor of academic freedom. Each academic group is relatively independent from political power. Although they started from the interests of different social groups and wrote books one after another, discussed current affairs, expounded philosophies, and each had their own opinions, they were not political vassals or attached to a certain political power group. I will go".

In addition, various schools of thought and different schools of the same school not only struggle with each other, but also learn from each other. This is another important factor that contributes to the contention of a hundred schools of thought.

The contention of a hundred schools of thought is a general term for the various academic schools that emerged in the pre-Qin period that argued with, learned from, and borrowed from each other, forming a situation of great cultural development and prosperity in which various ideological propositions coexisted. Later generations often used the phrase "a hundred schools of thought contend" and a hundred flowers bloom to encourage people to have different opinions and not to restrict people's thoughts. The term "a hundred schools of thought contend" first appeared in Sima Qian's "Historical Records" and was used to describe the debate between various theories during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Of course, "hundred schools" is just a fictitious reference. It does not mean that there are exactly one hundred people, but it generally refers to many schools. This was an unprecedented period of ideological emancipation in Chinese history. Although it was politically fragmented, culturally it was flourishing, and great thinkers, educators and philosophers such as Confucius, Mencius, Laozi and Mozi emerged. People with different opinions and opinions traveled between countries to publicize and promote their own views, and jointly created a win-win situation. The kings treated each other with courtesy and gave high officials generous salaries, and the scholars did their best to repay the kindness of knowing and encountering them. It doesn't matter if you don't agree. If you don't agree with each other, then you can find another one. As long as you have real talent and learning, you will definitely be appreciated.

The reason why later generations envy that era is partly for this reason. The king is thirsty for talents, and the ministers must serve to the death. The king and his ministers cherish each other and become confidants. This is the most important thing for a scholar and official. In an ideal era, although there are wars and killings, these can prevent scholars from traveling around the country to recommend themselves and their knowledge. This is an era of openness that has never been seen before in Chinese society. Everyone can speak, every family can write books, and people can make the best use of their talents. The contention of a hundred schools of thought is the foundation of Chinese traditional culture in later generations. It has a profound impact not only on China, but even on the entire East Asian cultural circle, forming a unique Eastern system that is very different from Western culture.

There were many academic schools during the period of Contention of One Hundred Schools of Thought, and they were also very complex. Various academic schools attacked each other and learned from each other, forming a very active and open situation of cultural prosperity. No matter which school it was, Each sect has a certain influence on future generations. The beginning of the contention of a hundred schools of thought originated from the debate between Confucianism and Mohism. Because they represented different interests, their views were very different. But no matter which school of thought is perfect, it all has flaws. We should analyze it dialectically and take the essence and discard the dross.

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the achievements of various ideological and academic schools complemented the ancient Greek civilization of the same period; the three major philosophical systems represented by Confucius, Laozi, and Mozi formed a prosperous situation in which a hundred schools of thought contended.

But when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty implemented the policy of "deposing hundreds of schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone," Confucianism represented by Confucius and Mencius became orthodox and dominated Chinese thought and culture for more than two thousand years.