Mencius said that "there was no righteous war in the Spring and Autumn Period", the five tyrants were sinners of the three kings, and the warring states governors were sinners of the five tyrants. This is debatable. Mencius has always valued the past but neglected the present. He thinks that history is retrogressive, and he can't get used to current affairs. He can't see the positive significance and historical trend of the merger of the five tyrants to the historical development of China.

Looking back on the distant Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, the land of China has always been full of ministers. Although there was an emperor in the name of Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties, he was actually a vassal of Fiona Fang thousands of miles away and did not really unify the whole country. The source of these many princes in the country is the natural scattered tribes in primitive times, and each tribe has its own surname and leader. It is said that there were 10,000 people (governors of all ethnic groups) in Xia Dynasty and 3,000 people in Shang Tang. After the merger of Shang and Wang, there are still 1800 left. In the early Spring and Autumn Period, there were hundreds of governors. (Note: "Zuo Zhuan" contains: "Hui Yu is a vassal of Tushan, and all countries hold jade and silk." The Century of the Emperors said: "When the Tang Dynasty was ordered, there were more than 3,000 countries ... By the week, there were 1,773 countries with five-grade seals ... After the merger of princes, there were 1,200 countries in the Spring and Autumn Period. ..... As for the Warring States Period, there are more than ten survivors. " Lu Chunqiu's World Outlook: "There are more than 400 Zhou Feng, serving the country for more than 800." Geography of the Book of Jin also said that the governors in the early Zhou Dynasty were "all 1,800 countries." According to historical records, the Tang Dynasty canon said: "Tang Yin was ordered to save the country for more than 3 thousand." By the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty, "there were still 1,800 countries." Later, the princes merged with each other, and there were still "1,200 countries" in the late Western Zhou Dynasty. )

Among them, Qi, Chu and Jin were originally tiny places, but they also expanded their territory in the competition among governors, including the pockets of surrounding governors, and became the biggest forces in some areas, that is, overlords.

It was through the annexation war of two thousand years that the number of vassals became smaller and smaller, and the area of a single vassal became larger and larger. This process of decreasing quantity and increasing area reflects the process of China from primitive to civilized, from pluralism to unification, which is close to today's state. Therefore, the war of vassal annexation in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period is an inevitable process of civilization from primitive dispersion to civilization convergence, and it is a war to promote the progress of historical civilization. But also broke the separatist regime and isolation, and strengthened the blending and mutual stimulation of technology, culture and ideas between different regions.

From the perspective of historical development, the long-term military expansion of the five tyrants in the Spring and Autumn Period and the merger of small countries also have positive significance. Egypt's Pharaoh, India's Asoka, and the birth of the world's great empire all started from such a small country merger movement. From the initial large number of small city-states to the Egyptian Empire and the Babylonian Empire. It was from the annexation war of thousands of small counties that China began to form an empire that dominated the world, such as the Han and Tang Dynasties, making China people a big role that cannot be ignored in the world. If I hadn't completed the merger and unification as soon as possible, I was afraid that I would eventually be carved up by Xiongnu or other "external" forces and become another "empire". The so-called "warlord melee" is actually positive.

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Viewpoint 2:

The War of Meaninglessness in the Spring and Autumn Period expresses Mencius' historical view and reflects his political view. Confucianism believes that "the conquest of rites and music comes from the emperor", which is reasonable. However, in the Spring and Autumn Period, "the ritual collapsed and the music was bad" and "the conquest of rites and music came from the princes", so there was no righteous war.

Mencius' thought still comes from Confucius. Confucius once said in the Analects of Confucius Ji Shi: "If there is a way in the world, rites and music will be conquered from the son of heaven;" If there is no way in the world, the rites and music will be conquered by the princes. " Rites and music were conquered in the Western Zhou Dynasty and in the Spring and Autumn Period.

War is indeed closely linked with politics, so there are indeed just wars and unjust wars. From today's perspective, the standard to measure a just war and an unjust war mainly depends on whether it is in the interests of the overwhelming majority of the people.

The biggest victims of war are the people. The War of Injustice in the Spring and Autumn Period embodies Mencius' thought that "harmony is precious and man is precious". Respect life, respect human rights and keep people away from war.

Photo: Mencius pursues benevolent government (click on the picture to enlarge)