Popular support as the tactical: a study on the evolution of confucian military thought during the warring states period: on the attribute and academic Value of the Law of existenceand extinction of a state
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K223;B222;E892

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    Abstract:

    The Tsinghua Bamboo Slips The Law of Existenceand Extinction of a State discusses the Confucian thought of popular support through the concept of military science and ways of speaking. The text is clear and very important in the integration of military and Confucianism, as well as in the history of pre-Qin Confucianism. Confucius' thought is open and diverse, and his military thought implies the attitudes of Mencius and Xunzi,also and other Confucian scholars' attitude of war and military science. Among them, the mainstream Confucian scholars in pre-Qin period, represented by Mencius, strongly criticized war, lacked common knowledge of war, opposed military thought and denied the objective role of war in the historical process. The The Law of Existenceand Extinction of a State proposes that "Popular Support as the Tactical" and uses the concept of military science to express Confucian thoughts on popular support. Obviously, this is not a work of Mencius or Mencius. In the late Warring States period, Xunzi adhered to Confucianism, actively understood war, and actively studied the military systems and weapons of various countries. Especially Xunzi actively and fully absorbed the military thought, such as valuing the role of generals, valuing the timing of battles, and valuing the value of rewards and punishments in military governance. In Xunzi's military theory, the specific operational aspects of how to win are no less than the famous military books at that time. On this basis, Xunzi regarded these military techniques as important ways to achieve the Confucian military and political doctrines. It was precisely through his full absorption of military ideology that he completed the culmination of the Confucian theory of military. From the perspective of the history of pre-Qin Confucianism, the emergence of On Military Affairs of Xunzi was not accidental. Documents such as The Law of Existenceand Extinction of a State were the concrete efforts of pre-Qin Confucians before Xunzi to integrate military ideology, and were the precursor of Xunzi's discussion of military. The clue of the fusion of military thought by pre-Qin Confucianism has always been hidden and not obvious, and the discovery of The Law of Existenceand Extinction of a State has made this hidden line known to the academic community, and may have activated some Confucian literature on military that has been misunderstood for a long time, which has very important academic significance for enriching the understanding of Confucianism.

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白立超.“民心是阵”:战国儒家兵学思想演变考论——兼论清华简《天下之道》学派属性与学术价值[J].重庆大学学报社会科学版,2023,29(5):148~158

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  • Online: October 24,2023
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