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商君書

By Yang Shang
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History - AncientPhilosophy & EthicsPolitics

About This Book

A series of advisory essays and legal statutes advocate transforming governance through centralized authority, codified laws, and strict sanctions. It prescribes measures to prioritize agriculture and military service, discourage commercial and leisurely pursuits that drain labor, standardize taxation and administration, control markets and movement, and measure land and population to allocate resources. Through dialogues, edicts, and detailed policy rules it promotes merit-based appointments, uniform procedures, and calibrated rewards and punishments intended to increase productivity, concentrate state power, and secure military strength.

About the Author

Shang, Yang portrait

Yang Shang

Shang Yang, also known as Shangzi, was an influential Chinese philosopher and statesman during the Warring States period. He is best known for his work "商君書" (Shangjun Shu), which outlines his legalist philosophy and reforms that aimed to strengthen the state of Qin. His ideas emphasized strict laws and centralized authority, laying the groundwork for the eventual unification of China under the Qin dynasty. Shang Yang's contributions to political theory and governance have had a lasting impact on Chinese thought and are studied for their insights into statecraft and legalism.

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