The Book of Lord Shang, by Yang Shang (introduction)

T h e B o o k of

LORD SHANG A P O L O G E T I C S O F S TAT E P OW E R I N E A R LY C H I N A

SH ANG YANG

EDITED AND TRANSLATED BY YURI PINES

ABRIDGED EDITION

INTRODUCTION

T

he Book of Lord Shang Shangjunshu ĺ•†ĺ?›ć›¸ LV RQH RI WKH PRVW LPSRUWDQWÂł DQG OHDVW VWXGLHGÂł WH[WV RI WKH IRUPDWLYH DJH RI &KLQHVH SKLORVRSK\ DQG SROLWLFDO FXOWXUH WKH VR FDOOHG DJH RI WKH +XQGUHG 6FKRROV RI 7KRXJKW ËĄIWKÂ˛ WKLUG FHQWXULHV ŕ¸„ ŕ¸— ŕš€ 7KH ERRNÂˇV LPSRUWDQFH LV WKUHHIROG )LUVW LW LV RQH RI WKH IRXQGDWLRQDO WH[WV RI HDUO\ &KLQHVH SROLWLFDO WKRXJKW D ULFK UHSRVLWRU\ RI EROG DQG QRYHOÂł HYHQ LI KLJKO\ FRQWURYHUVLDOÂł LGHDV DERXW VWDWHÂ˛ VRFLHW\ UHODWLRQV KLVWRULFDO HYROXWLRQ KXPDQ QDWXUH DQG WKH OLNH ,W LV DOVR WKH HDUOLHVW VXUYLYLQJ WUHDWLVH RI D PDMRU LQWHOOHFWXDO FXUUHQW RI WKDW DJH WKH VR FDOOHG /HJDOLVW 6FKRRO fa jia ćł•ĺŽś 1 6HFRQG WKLV ERRN LV DWWULEuted to Shang Yang ĺ•†éž… D N D *RQJVXQ <DQJ ĺ…ŹĺŤéž… or Lord of Shang ĺ•†ĺ?› G ŕ¸„ ŕ¸— ŕš€ 2 the singularly successful political practitioner whose reforms propelled the state of Qin ç§Ś to supremacy in the world RI WKH :DUULQJ 6WDWHV =KDQJXR ćˆ°ĺœ‹ Â˛ ŕ¸„ ŕ¸— ŕš€ (YHQ WKRXJK WKLV attribution is not entirely correct because portions of the book were FRPSRVHG ORQJ DIWHU 6KDQJ <DQJÂˇV GHDWK WKH Book of Lord Shang remains D PDMRU WHVWDPHQW WR WKH LGHDV RI 4LQ UHIRUPHUV WKH DUFKLWHFWV RI WKH IXWXUH 4LQ (PSLUH Â˛ ŕ¸„ ŕ¸— ŕš€ 7KLUG WKH ERRNÂˇV YLVLRQ RI HPSRZering the state by establishing total control over its material and human resources had a lasting impact on Chinese statesmen. As the earliest ZRUN WR DGYRFDWH WKH SROLF\ RI Â´HQULFKLQJ WKH VWDWH DQG VWUHQJWKHQLQJ WKH DUP\Âľ fuguo qiangbing ĺŻŒĺœ‹ĺźˇĺ…ľ WKH Book of Lord Shang EHFDPHÂł GHVSLWH LWV QRWRULHW\ LQ WKH H\HV RI WKH PDMRULW\ RI LPSHULDO OLWHUDWLÂł DQ

4 PA RT I : I N T R O D U C T I O N

LPSRUWDQW WH[W IRU VXSSRUWHUV RI WKH VWDWHÂ·V VRFLRHFRQRPLF DQG PLOLWDU\ DFWLYLVP WKURXJKRXW &KLQDÂ·V ORQJ LPSHULDO KLVWRU\ DQG ZHOO LQWR WKH twentieth century. ,WV LPSRUWDQFH QRWZLWKVWDQGLQJ WKH Book of Lord Shang remains ODUJHO\ RXWVLGH WKH IRFXV RI :HVWHUQ 6LQRORJ\ $OWKRXJK 6KDQJ <DQJÂ·V LGHDV DUH GXO\ GLVFXVVHG LQ PRVW LQWURGXFWRU\ OHYHO VWXGLHV in-depth analyses of the Book of Lord Shang are woefully lacking. The translation WKDW -DQÂ¬- / 'X\YHQGDN SXEOLVKHG LQ Â³ RQH RI WKH Ë¡QHVW 6LQRORJLFDO SURGXFWLRQV RI WKDW WLPH EXW QRZ PXFK RXWGDWHGÂ³ UHPDLQV WKH VLQJOH English monograph dedicated to the Book of Lord Shang VHH 'X\YHQGDN > @ ,W LV MRLQHG E\ WZR YROXPHV RI WUDQVODWHG &KLQHVH DUWLFOHV DQG D IHZ DUWLFOHV E\ :HVWHUQ VFKRODUV \HW WKHLU RYHUDOO QXPEHU LV minuscule. The situation in other major European languages is quite VLPLODU WKH PDMRU H[FHSWLRQ EHLQJ D EULHI SHULRG RI LQWHUHVW LQ WKH Book of Lord Shang E\ 6RYLHW 6LQRORJLVWV LQ WKH V DQG V $V D UHVXOW UHFHQW DGYDQFHV LQ VWXGLHV RI WKH WH[W LQ &KLQD DQG WR D OHVVHU H[WHQW LQ Japan have passed largely unnoticed in the West. There are several reasons for the lack of scholarly interest in the Book of Lord Shang 6RPH DUH WHFKQLFDO WKH WH[WÂ·V EDG VWDWH RI SUHVHUYDWLRQÂ³ IRU H[DPSOH QXPHURXV LQVWDQFHV RI WH[WXDO FRUUXSWLRQ DQG RFFDVLRQDO ODFXQDHÂ³ DV ZHOO DV WKH SDXFLW\ RI JRRG FRPPHQWDULHV KLQGHU LQ GHSWK VWXG\ RI LWV FRQWHQW 2QJRLQJ GRXEWV DERXW WKH WH[WÂ·V GDWLQJ DQG DXWKHQticity further discourage scholars from systematically addressing its LGHDV 7R WKHVH SUREOHPVÂ³ ZKLFK PDQ\ RWKHU :DUULQJ 6WDWHV SHULRG WH[WV VKDUHÂ³ RQH VKRXOG DGG SHFXOLDU UHDVRQV IRU GLVOLNH RI WKH Book of Lord Shang in particular. Some scholars consider it too oriented WRZDUG WKH SUDFWLFDO DQG ODFNLQJ VXË¥FLHQW SKLORVRSKLFDO VRSKLVWLFDtion; RWKHUV PD\ EH GLVFRXUDJHG E\ WKH H[FHVVLYHÂ³ DQG VRPHZKDW JURWHVTXHÂ³ SROLWLFL]DWLRQ RI WKH Ë¡JXUH RI 6KDQJ <DQJ GXULQJ WKH LQIDPRXV DQWL &RQIXFLDQ FDPSDLJQ RI Â² VHH FKDSWHUÂ¬ SDUW , DQG \HW RWKHUV SUREDEO\ VKDUH WKH LPSHULDO OLWHUDWLÂ·V GLVWDVWH IRU D WH[W WKDW JDLQHG QRWRULHW\ EHFDXVH RI LWV EODWDQW DVVDXOW RQ WUDGLWLRQDO FXOWXUH DQG PRUDO YDOXHV 7R D FHUWDLQ H[WHQW 6X 6KLÂ·V è˜‡è»¾ Â² PLOOHQQLXP ROG VWDWHPHQW WKDW Â´IURP WKH +DQ æ¼¢ > à¸„ à¸— à¹€ Â² à¸— à¹€ @ RQZDUG VFKRODUV KDYH EHHQ DVKDPHG WR VSHDN DERXW 6KDQJ <DQJ Âµ PD\ UHË£HFW WKH DWWLWXGHV RI QRW MXVW PDQ\ WUDGLWLRQDO EXW DOVR PDQ\ modern scholars.

Introduction 5

Yet now technical problems can no longer justify the neglect of the Book of Lord Shang ,Q UHFHQW GHFDGHV VFKRODUO\ XQGHUVWDQGLQJ RI WKHÂ¬WH[W LQ &KLQD DQG WR D OHVVHU H[WHQW LQ -DSDQ KDV DGYDQFHG WUHPHQGRXVO\ 7H[WXDO VWXGLHV KDYH FXOPLQDWHG ZLWK D QHZ FULWLFDO HGLWLRQ E\ =KDQJ -XH ZKLFK JUHDWO\ IDFLOLWDWHV VFKRODUO\ HQJDJHment with the Book of Lord Shang RWKHU PDMRU VWXGLHV PRVW QRWDEO\ E\ =KHQJ /LDQJVKX > @ DQG <RVKLQDPL 7DNDVKL > @ KDYH EURXJKW DERXW D PXFK PRUH VRSKLVWLFDWHG XQGHUVWDQGLQJ RI WKH WH[WÂ·V GDWLQJ DQG FRPSRVLWLRQ ,Q DGGLWLRQ D VHULHV RI UHFHQW UHPDUNDEOH SDOHRJUDSKLF GLVFRYHULHV DOORZ XV WR FRQWH[WXDOL]H WKH Book of Lord Shang LQ WKH DFWXDO VRFLRHFRQRPLF SROLFLHV RI WKH VWDWH RI 4LQ EULQJLQJ DERXW D TXDOLWDWLYH OHDS LQ RXU XQGHUVWDQGLQJ RI WKH WH[WÂ·V LGHDV VHH H J 7RQJ :HLPLQ )DFLQJ IHZHU WHFKQLFDO REVWDFOHV WKDQ RXU SUHGHFHVVRUV ZH FDQ DOVR OLEHUDWH RXUVHOYHV IURP WKH VKDFNOHV RI SROLWLFDO H[SHGLHQF\ ZKLFK GRPLQDWHG VWXGLHV RI WKLV WH[W LQ WKH WZHQWLHWK FHQWXU\ ,W LV WLPH WR HQJDJH WKH Book of Lord Shang not as a foil in ideologiFDO GHEDWHV SUR RU FRQWUD PRGHUQ WRWDOLWDULDQ RU VWDWLVW LGHRORJLHV EXW as an important monument of political thought of the Warring States SHULRG D WH[W WKDW FRQWULEXWHG FRQVLGHUDEO\ WRZDUG WKH IRUPDWLRQ RI WKH &KLQHVH (PSLUH D SUHFLRXV UHSRVLWRU\ RI LQVLJKWIXO DQG LQQRYDWLYHÂ³ HYHQ LI KLJKO\ FRQWURYHUVLDO DQG DW WLPHV IDLUO\ DOLHQDWLQJÂ³ LGHDV 2QO\ KDYLQJ XQGHUVWRRG WKH WH[W RQ LWV RZQ WHUPV DQG ZLWKLQ FRQWHPSRUDQHRXV SROLWLFDO DQG LGHRORJLFDO FRQWH[WV FDQ ZH DVN ZKLFKÂ³ LI DQ\Â³ RI its ideas are relevant to our times. 0\ HGLWLRQ FRQVLVWV RI WZR SDUWV 3DUW , GHGLFDWHG WR WKH VWXG\ RI WKH WH[W LV GLYLGHG LQWR IRXU FKDSWHUV ,Q WKH Ë¡UVW FKDSWHU , LQWURGXFH the career of the putative author of the Book of Lord Shang 6KDQJ <DQJ DQG WKH EDFNJURXQG RI WKH ERRNÂ·V IRUPDWLRQ ,Q WKH VHFRQG VOLJKWO\ DEULGJHG IRU WKH SDSHUEDFN HGLWLRQ , GHDO ZLWK WKH ERRNÂ·V WH[WXDO KLVWRU\ FRPSRVLWLRQ DQG GDWLQJ RI LQGLYLGXDO FKDSWHUV 7KH WKLUG FKDSWHU GLVFXVVHV WKH ERRNÂ·V PDMRU LGHDV DQG WKH IRXUWK GHDOV ZLWK WKH KLVWRU\ RI LWV UHFHSWLRQ LQ LPSHULDO DQG PRGHUQ &KLQD ,Q SDUW ,, , SUHVHQW DQ DQQRWDWHG WUDQVODWLRQ RI WKH WH[W LQFOXGLQJ D EULHI LQWURGXFWLRQ WR HDFK LQGLYLGXDO FKDSWHU , KRSH WKDW P\ VWXG\ will contribute to renewed interest in the Book of Lord Shang among both Sinologists and scholars of political philosophy in other cultures and regions.

compiLeD iN chiNA iN The fouRTh–ThiRD ceNTuRieS Bce, The Book of Lord Shang argues for a new powerful government to rule over society and turn every man into a diligent tiller and valiant soldier. The Book of Lord Shang’s intellectual boldness and surprisingly modern-looking ideas shine through. This abridged and revised edition of Yuri Pines’s annotated translation is ideal for newcomers to the book. Pines highlights the text’s influence on political thought and political practice in traditional and modern China.

— pAuL

R. GoLDiN , author of Confucianism

“This is a gem of a book! Pines casts new light on one of the most important works in Chinese political thought and transforms the ancient, somewhat obscure text into a surprisingly accessible and refreshing work of political philosophy. Pines’s careful rendition, which turns this ancient text into a classic philosophical work with relevance to today’s political landscape, is a great service for not only sinologists but also those in the general fields of political theory and philosophy.” — choice

“It is to be hoped that Yuri Pines’s valuable translation, textual study, historical contextualization, and philosophical elucidation of this important but, somewhat inexplicably, neglected work of ancient Chinese political thought will rekindle scholarly interest in the intellectual architect of the Qin unification and in the impact of his thought during the early imperial era and beyond.” — BuLLeTiN

of The SchooL of oRieNTAL AND AfRicAN STuDieS

ShANG yANG (d. 338 BCE) was a Chinese statesman and reformer active during the Warring States Period.

yuRi piNeS is Michael W. Lipson Professor of Asian Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His books include The Everlasting Empire: Traditional Chinese Political Culture and Its Enduring Legacy (2012) and Envisioning Eternal Empire: Chinese Political Thought of the Warring States Era (2009). T R A N S L AT I O N S f RO M T h E A S I A N C L A S S I C S

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS / NEw YORk

T h e B o o k o f Lo R D S h A N G

“No one in the world is more qualified than Yuri Pines to present this new translation of the infamous The Book of Lord Shang, which has both fascinated and repelled readers throughout Chinese history. Accompanied by a superbly informed study of Lord Shang’s place in his political context and the reliability of the text attributed to him, this is sure to be the standard translation for decades to come.”

Sh ang Yang

wINNER, 2017 ChOICE OUTSTANdINg ACAdEMIC TITLE

T h e B o o k of

LORD SHANG A p o Lo G e T i c S o f S TAT e p ow e R i N e A R Ly c h i N A

Sh ang Yang

eDiTeD AND TRANSLATeD By yuRi piNeS

Printed in the U.S.A.

cup.columbia.edu Cover design: Noah Arlow Cover image: China: An officer, from the terracotta army guarding the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of a unified China (r. 246-221 BCE), Xi’an/Pictures from History/Bridgeman Images

COLUMBIA

ABRiDGeD eDiTioN

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook