turbo_swami (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} turbo_swami) wrote,@ 2006-11-02 09:22:00 |
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Song Dynasty Reform
Wang Anshi (d. 1086 (?)) was a Confucian during the Song dynasty (960-1276) who created government institutions on the local level in order to promote self-sufficient living. Wang Anshi was criticized by other Confucians such as Sima Guang for being anti-Confucian in the practice of promoting common wealth through profit. Wang Anshi proposed granting government loans to peasants that would allow peasants to produce specialized crops such as sugar cane and silk worms, without having to rely on landlords. During the Song dynasty minted coins were produced as the first currency in China. Previous to the Song dynasty bolts of silk were the main basis of trade. Traditional Confucians believed that profit was something that was not useful because it was antisocial in that it brought people into competition and derailed mutual obligations that are the basis of Confucian society. Wang Anshi believed that the Song dynasty was far removed from the era of the Sage Kings and the old system could not handle China’s large population of around 100 million by the year 1100.
Sima Guang believed that China should revert to a more traditional society by removing Buddhism left over by the Tang dynasty’s turn outward to India. Sima Guang thought that Buddhists produced nothing for China. According to traditional and Han Synthesis Confucian beliefs, only four classes were needed for the basis of society, Confucian scholars for governing, farmers for producing food, artisans for producing good, and merchants for selling goods. Sima Guang believed that merchants were the lowest in society because they did nothing but sell goods, that they acted like parasites for profit, but that they were needed in a heavily populated society because they promoted trade. If Buddhist monks are allowed in China, then the farmer has a greater burden to feed those who produce nothing. Chinese Buddhist monks countered Sima Guang’s argument by claiming that the Sage Kings were involved in Buddhist practices by using incense during the Buddha’s life on Earth, which meant that the Sage Kings were linked by the mind of the Buddha. Sima Guang was not convinced, neither were the Buddhist monks nor Wang Anshi persuaded from their views; however, the Song emperors followed the economic reform that Wang Anshi suggested.
I can't decide who to vote for in the Michigan gubernatorial elections. I will vote for either Democrat incumbent Granholm or Douglass Campbell of the Green Party.
Wang Anshi (d. 1086 (?)) was a Confucian during the Song dynasty (960-1276) who created government institutions on the local level in order to promote self-sufficient living. Wang Anshi was criticized by other Confucians such as Sima Guang for being anti-Confucian in the practice of promoting common wealth through profit. Wang Anshi proposed granting government loans to peasants that would allow peasants to produce specialized crops such as sugar cane and silk worms, without having to rely on landlords. During the Song dynasty minted coins were produced as the first currency in China. Previous to the Song dynasty bolts of silk were the main basis of trade. Traditional Confucians believed that profit was something that was not useful because it was antisocial in that it brought people into competition and derailed mutual obligations that are the basis of Confucian society. Wang Anshi believed that the Song dynasty was far removed from the era of the Sage Kings and the old system could not handle China’s large population of around 100 million by the year 1100.
Sima Guang believed that China should revert to a more traditional society by removing Buddhism left over by the Tang dynasty’s turn outward to India. Sima Guang thought that Buddhists produced nothing for China. According to traditional and Han Synthesis Confucian beliefs, only four classes were needed for the basis of society, Confucian scholars for governing, farmers for producing food, artisans for producing good, and merchants for selling goods. Sima Guang believed that merchants were the lowest in society because they did nothing but sell goods, that they acted like parasites for profit, but that they were needed in a heavily populated society because they promoted trade. If Buddhist monks are allowed in China, then the farmer has a greater burden to feed those who produce nothing. Chinese Buddhist monks countered Sima Guang’s argument by claiming that the Sage Kings were involved in Buddhist practices by using incense during the Buddha’s life on Earth, which meant that the Sage Kings were linked by the mind of the Buddha. Sima Guang was not convinced, neither were the Buddhist monks nor Wang Anshi persuaded from their views; however, the Song emperors followed the economic reform that Wang Anshi suggested.
I can't decide who to vote for in the Michigan gubernatorial elections. I will vote for either Democrat incumbent Granholm or Douglass Campbell of the Green Party.
