In the pre-imperial china, most of the individuals who were eloquent made their living from the declamation shrewdness. The state of the Zhou dynasty crumbled in the warring period of the state, and that was in spring and autumn. It was this time that some small kingdoms were formed.in the quest of the political powers, this kingdoms fought each other so as to control territories. The advisory boards were composed of individuals who were learned and were recruited by kings and lords. Research study analysis indicates that, it was mainly in government policies, astronomy, the righteous way of life and the military strategies that, these learned men argued with each other. The literati completion was encouraged by the vying for benefaction. A flourishing a hundred schools of thought were subsequently on the rise due to the atmosphere that was liberal in the intellectual field. The literati were soon identified with particular schools. It came as a result of the scholarly training and philosophical orientations. These schools were headed by some few masterminds. The literati learned from one another about their rhetorical strategies, world views and thoughts as there were always debates and discussions which were frequent between these schools. It was an argument that was made in the discussion by two sides on the policy about the government fiscal, and it was during the time of the former or western Han dynasty (206BCE-8CE). It was in the court of the Han Emperor Zhao that the debate took place in 81 BCE. Lord grand secretary, Sang Hong yang, led the government officials, and a group of the Confucian scholars gathered together so as to debate about the policies of the economy of the preceding emperor who was emperor Wu. The state monopolies on two essential goods were the main policies that were the most famous. These goods were the iron and salt.
China became re-united under Qin in 221BCE. After the reunion, the first Chinese imperial state, primarily the state continued to use debates in order to solve the issues that were political and also to fill the positions in the government. Under the context of righteousness, virtue, and culture, the literati were hired by the regional governments. They were recruited to advise the emperor on the affairs of the state. The government posts could be received by those whom their arguments were favored by the emperor through the court debates. During the western Han, at least seventeen such court debates were being held. Confucian scholar, Dong Zhongshu argued in one of these advisory discussions that only the Confucian school of thought should be studied. He further pointed out that other schools in the imperial academy should be eradicated. This debate was being supervised by emperor Wu. Scholars of Confucian classics endowed position were created by the emperor. They then recruited students’ so as to study under their guidance. The classicists frequently debated issues that were exegetical issues mainly in public and at times they had to request the emperor to decide the disagreement. The questions always over showed decisions on politics. In the debate where the classists tried to resolve a dispute surrounding all the major Confucian that took place in the Shiquge was the most noted debate that ever happened.. The completion of the salt and iron discourses took place during the reign of Emperor Xuan Kuans record writing of a policy that took two days in the debate. This incident was during the reign of Zhao of Hans sixth year between the ministers of the central government and more than 60 literati who had been summoned to the court from around the country.
Psychological studies indicate that, when one takes two strategic options that are proceeding and their supporting choices as well as logic. He proceeds to put them under three different situations of military, the results comes out a map that is complete of the Chinese thinking and options strategies. As indicated, under different military situations, the ministers and the literati’s proposed strategic options that were opposing, they none the less represented different academic schools dramatically. The hundred schools of thought band only worshiped Confucianism much after the Wu emperor of Han abolished. In defense of their arguments throughout the two days of the debate, almost all western officials of Han were Confucian classics. The manifestos that the Confucian thought had are the office ideology, and the other is the philosophical manifestation of confusion culture.
The reflection of the official Confucian culture ideology is the ministers thought. The belief function inclines towards the deterrence and use of force. The philosophical Confucian approach that maintains Confucians purity of ideas and more concern with Lessing the indigenous of the hardship of the common people are what the literati’s opinions represented. Its priority was under all situations was to maintain the national political order. Glorious, relations and national and secure foreign whose foundations were safeguarded by the literati’s idea are what the ministers strategic opinions indeed created in practice. At the times when the middle kingdoms power was at it strongest is when the recommendations by the ministers were fully implemented,and it was under the leadership of few outstanding Hans emperors and tang dynasties. In Chinese history, the philosophical approach was very popular for they had an advantage of moral appeal and theoretical. For the practical purposes, this then could be seen as too broad and inflexible. Zhao emperor representing the western Han government chose the local literati options as final imperial authority after the great debate was lessening the common people’s adversity was their primary apprehension.
Throughout the Chinese history of 2000yeras since the dynasty of western Han, ten influences of these three models have been apparent in major decisions on the strategy of foreign. The two major strategic options that have been put into practice eventually are what they represent as apparent in the dynasty of Tang reward and punish policy towards the Turkic tribes. The japan and the Ming dynasty dual policy towards Mongols of the preceding dynasty of Yuan as well as the china’s virtuous demeanor appeal to Korea and japan. Offers of amnesty, as well as the virtue-oriented policy, have been used to accompany the military assaults towards the entities of politics such as the Vietnam, Korea, and the Ryukyu Islands. Non-aggressive purposes, and virtuous were also seen in the general Zhen’s historical western ocean expedition. Inferred from all this practices is the dual use and fluctuation of the two extensive strategic options.
The china dynastic rulers all employed the traditional Confucian virtue although the ideas by literati had an influence that was stronger. They as well used righteousness in dispersal virtue and ethical aureole. This incident was done even to other people who challenged china with the punishment of military threat. They also instruct them with civil teachings and virtue after that. A stable national order was maintained by the literati strategic approach by inhibited imperial rulers carried out from excessive spending on foreign expansion as it gave top priority to the domestic political stability.
It is worth mentioning that collapses indeed occurred in the at times when the opposition to the strategic culture to the literatis view was held away such as during the Qin and Sui dynasties. There has been proof by historical lessons the correctness of strategic options that is virtue the oriented, the central bureaucracy, imperial rulers’ succession and also the elite scholars have, therefore smitten with them.
Documentary records indicate that, in the people of the republic of china diplomatic history is also an apparent influence of the two strategies in aggressive situations perceivably. This trend is seen in disputes in the smaller countries that are surrounding in Southeast Asia, and relations between Asia, Africa and Latin American third world countries. The options of the ministers have been more pursued when dealing with enemies who are powerful such as the United States and the Soviet Union. Mao Zedong, for instance during the Korean war, the Vietnam war as well as a treasure island conflict is among the first cohort of leaders to instrument this strategy. However, this was predominantly during the time of a ‘use force counter violence. It does not indicate the inflexible undertaking by china of the latter two stages of minister’s proposals that were ‘use force against force. Finally, the other being ‘used force to destroy power when dealing with countries that are hypothetically threatening.
Double utilization and fluctuation of these two strategies are also obvious under the standard no-offence in a condition of national defence. As the national budget is expands and the modernization of defence is accelerated by china, in this new period. It also increases its worldwide soft power whereby it is new forms of both tangible and intangible virtuous models of defence are implemented.
Conclusion
During the Han dynasty in china is when the discourse of salt and iron debate was said and it took place at the majestic court in the national policy. Emperor Wu, the previous emperor, had reversed the policies of leissez-faire of his predecessors, and he imposed broad variety of intervention of the state. As revealed, during the reign of emperor Zhao of Han, after the death of emperor Wu, all the scholars of the empire were called by Huo gusng the regent to come to the capital. Chan;an so as to debate the economic policies of the government. There were two opposing factions that characterized the debate, the modernists, and the agitators. The Confucian scholars are the ones who largely made the reformists. They demanded the monopolies of salt and iron abolition, which was an end to the state stabilization schemes of the prices. As indicated, big cuts in the spending of the government so that the citizenry budget could be reduced. The continuations of the emperor Wu policies were much supported by the modernists so as to fund the military and the colonization campaigns in the North West. They wanted to oppose the profits of the private merchants into the funds of the state. There was a mixed result of this debate. The policies of the modernists were followed through most the western Han after emperor Wu. By then the modernists were largely successful. The activists retracted these strategies in the Eastern Han.
Most of the policies of the modernists are intact and hence they survived this debate. Through the rest of former Han, the reformists gradually gained more power. This approach came about as a result of modernist’s unsustainable growth of policies. Wang Mangs regime imposed ultra-modernists policies but after his throw, the government of later Han resumed earlier laissez faire policies and surrendered regulating of these productions to secluded businessmen.
Works Cited
Ebrey, Patricia Buckley. Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook, 2nd Ed. new york: Simon and Schuster,, 2009.
