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The Book of Lord Shang: Difference between revisions
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''[[The Book of Lord Shang]]'' (商君书, ''Shang Jun Shu'') is the most important and well-known text of the Legalist school of Chinese philosophy. It was written over a period of about 100 years during the Warring States Period, lasting roughly 400 BC to 200 BC. Though it is traditionally attributed to Shang Yang, and he did indeed appear to have written ''part'' of it, the last few chapters refer to people and events which didn't occur until after his death.
The book expounds on how one should run a state. The main points are to keep the people occupied with agriculture, war, and nothing else. Trade should be heavily taxed to avoid people gaining money and merit by means other than farming and fighting. The law should provide far more punishments than rewards, and the punishments for minor offenses should be severe so as to discourage anyone from [[Jumping Off the Slippery Slope]] into more serious crimes. However, there are some palatable arguments; the authors maintain that promotion and advancement should be based entirely on merit, and have nothing to do with [[Nepotism|one's family]] or other circumstances. They also advocate that all people, from the Emperor to the lowest peasant, should be treated equally by the law.
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[[Category:The Book of Lord Shang]]
[[Category:Literature]]
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