More than 2,600 years ago, Guan Zhong, a great politician who helped Qi Huangong become the first hegemon in the Spring and Autumn Period, said: "Jun regards the people as the sky, and the people take food as the sky. Those who can know the sky can do it." Under Guan Zhong's management, the economy of Qi developed rapidly at that time, which laid a solid foundation for Qi Huan's hegemony. "Food is the most important thing for the people" has also become a famous saying, especially in the era of famine, which has strong practical significance. After decades of reform and opening up, hunger and poverty have gradually left us, and the practical significance of "food is the sky for the people" has also weakened.
In the Han Dynasty, Sima Qian quoted another passage from Guan Zhong when he wrote Biography of Historical Records of Huo Zhi: "The granary knows etiquette, and food and clothing know honor and disgrace." In today's situation, Guan Zhong's exposition on economic development and spiritual civilization construction has once again attracted attention. Faced with many strange phenomena and unhealthy trends in society, some people lament that "a granary may not know etiquette, and food and clothing may not know honor and disgrace."
In the original text of Guanzi-Herdsmen, this sentence is "granary actually knows etiquette, food and clothing know honor and disgrace". In the process of quoting Historical Records, one word was changed: "Ze" was changed to "Er". The ancients cherished ink as gold and used words with caution. We should not underestimate this change. There are many articles in it.
In Guanzhong era, the political order established by the Zhou royal family still existed, but it was declining, and everything was ready except the east wind. At that time, it was still an orderly society, and social customs could still form effective constraints on people of all countries. At that time, the ethics of the whole people had not been effectively challenged. For all countries, the "world" environment is similar, but the difference is the level of economic development of each country. Therefore, Guan Zhong used the word "Ze" to explain the relationship between "having ample food and clothing" and "knowing the honor and disgrace". Guan Zhong's keen sense of political smell gave Qi a head start in ruling other countries.
In the era of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, where Sima Qian lived, the environment was very different. After the famous rule of Wenjing in history, the economic development level of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty reached an unprecedented height. However, there was a special imperial edict in the fifth year of Han, Yuan and Shuo, which reflected the social outlook at that time. The imperial edict said: "Gaiwen guides the people to be polite, and the wind enjoys it." Today, the ceremony collapsed. I am embarrassed. Therefore, I want to extend the world-famous people and recommend them to all dynasties. He ordered the ceremony officer to persuade students to discuss the news, to raise the legacy and promote the ceremony, thinking that it was the best in the world. "
The early Western Han Dynasty was a political pattern of "one country, two systems": that is, the traditional feudal system of "closing land to build houses" in the Zhou Dynasty and centralization of authority initiated by the Qin Dynasty coexisted in the Han Dynasty. By the time of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, the social high-level gradually recognized the centralized system and began to reform, which led to social unrest such as the "Seven Kings Rebellion". During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, although the economic development reached an unprecedented level of prosperity, the old social order was broken, the new order had not yet been established, and social contradictions were still outstanding.
Liu Che, the brilliant Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, himself felt that it was still an era of "ritual collapse and bad music". It is not difficult for us to understand the confusion of social development during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty: the momentum of economic development is optimistic and gratifying, but the whole society always looks very disharmonious and wrong.
From this imperial edict, we can know that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty has realized that there is not an inevitable connection between "strengthening the granary and having ample food and clothing" and "knowing etiquette and knowing honor and disgrace". In today's words, "a solid warehouse with adequate food and clothing" is a necessary condition, not a sufficient condition, for "knowing etiquette and knowing honor and disgrace". In other words, "a solid warehouse and adequate food and clothing" is only a prerequisite.
When Sima Qian wrote Historical Records, he changed Guan Zhong's original words and used the word "Er" to explain the relationship between "solid existence, ample food and clothing" and "knowing etiquette and knowing honor and disgrace". From top to bottom, the tacit understanding between the supreme ruler and historians embodies a rare consensus formed by high-level officials at that time, and creates an era that is still praised by people today.