"Zhizhi Tongjian" after reading

One year passed in a flash, intermittently, basically before going to bed and after waking up, and finally finished reading the first volume of "Zhi Zhi Tong Jian". When a book is finished, frankly, you can probably remember less than five percent of it, especially if you don't have a chance to retell it or debate it afterwards. But that doesn't stop reading. Reading is like exercise. We can't remember all the details of each movement, but each cell up to the whole body is the result of countless movements. What we think now is the result of countless times of reading and thinking.

Exercise is the reading of the body, and reading is the movement of the mind.

Marx said, "Man is the sum of all social relations." The social relationship mentioned here is not only the existing relationship, but also the historical and future relationship. What makes me who I am is the result of countless historical events. If the first Emperor of Qin had not unified the written language, there would not have been "Zhi Zhi Tong Jian"; Without the Zhou Dynasty's tradition of respecting ancestors, China would not have formed a rigorous historian system. If Chinese history were not systematic, a unified culture would not be so deeply rooted. What we see now is not unrelated to history. We can't change history, but the question of "Why am I me?" A reading of history will no doubt give some context in which to answer such a philosophical question.

With nearly 2000 years of history, wash their minds. Carve your thoughts with the knife of history. The harder you work, the harder you push, the deeper the cut. In this long history of 2000 years, some people were famous before life, but died after the ashes, some young wandering rivers and lakes, hibernating in the mountains and waiting for opportunity and noble people. Some people take the world as their responsibility, the world chaos, give me who. The world is at peace, retreat again. The vicissitudes of historical figures and events are simplified into an action like turning over a book, which is simpler, more direct and more brief than passing by. The sorrows and joys of countless people, their fame and fortune, you gently turn over, and so on... . I found that the weight of my life, is really insignificant. A person's small, small really lucky, no matter how great and lofty in history, in the rolling wheel of history, small as dust. When these, like those figures, come into view, they disappear quickly. You will feel deeply tired and confused, so this is history, they are interested in power and fame, will eventually be eroded, they are so, not to mention you a nobody, think of this point, it is a little sad. Well, what do you care? Others on their own attention, far less than people on their own excessive attention.

Reading the life of thousands of people, after all, can not replace their own life. Other people are not models, we are not replicas, history books tell you what happened in the past world, not what will happen in the future. My future is still the result of the game between me and this era, and the future of society is still the result of the power game between all sides. If one had a better understanding of the past, there might be more options. That's all.

The imaginary and the real Leviathan

When I was ten years old, my sister and I were in the same primary school. My sister, who was one grade higher than me, was always bullied by her male deskmate. Before a morning self-study class, I suddenly appeared in the elder sister's classroom, according to the plan discussed in advance, the elder sister press the head of the male students, my fist rain like falling on the back of the male students. This male student did not yield, a few days after the recess exercise, he took advantage of my attention, to my stomach is a punch, pain so that I could not straighten up. The moment he attacked me, I couldn't think. I subconsciously wished someone would stop him from hurting me. Or I hope that the person who is bullying me will understand my pain through my expression, and then inspire compassion for me. "I was so miserable that he paid me back enough" -- I hoped he would think so. He did not give me a second blow and had already fled for fear of further reprisals.

I told my teacher to settle the childhood grudge.

Six years later, when my sister was already working and I was in high school, one winter vacation, my sister told me that this boy had leukemia. At that moment, I breathed a sigh of relief that I had never felt before. It was an avenger's pleasure. But the pleasure soon wore off, feeling a little dirty about the idea, and pitied him.

The basic model for many of the historical events described in Zizhi Tongjian is consistent with this childhood grudge.

When a strong person uses physical strength, intelligence or asymmetric status and other advantages, trying to force influence the weak, in order to achieve a utilitarian purpose. The story just begins to evolve. The weak will reflexively fight, and when the fight fails, the weak will accept it or fantasize about a greater superpower to protect themselves.

The superpowers in people's minds fall into three categories: religious, moral, and collective violence.

Although I was younger than him, she chose to unite with me to fight against the bully. This is joint violence.

I was attacked by a male classmate, the face of pain. I fantasized that this man would see me in pain, and his compassion would act as a constraint on his own behavior -- I fantasized that the moral super power would act as a constraint on the inflicting of harm. Six years later, when I heard that this boy had leukemia. I had the pleasure of revenge, but compassion still worked. For I and my enemies alike agree that the need to protect the clearly disadvantaged is a moral force that transcends the struggle itself.

This male student only gave me a punch and ran away. He was just trying to save his dignity and did not want to fight too much, because he might not be able to bear the cost of confrontation. This is a limited reaction after the balance of self, which is also a moral force.

When I heard that this boy was sick, I felt that this guy had been punished. This is the power of religion. Six years have passed since I violently imagined that he would be punished.

I finally complained to the teacher to settle the score. Teachers are more powerful in association with violence.

Hobbes, a British political scientist, called these superpowers Leviathan, a mythical beast of immense strength. The state is the ultimate form of political Leviathan. The state is the inevitable development of human group struggle and game, this is the result of Hobbes deduced.

As the highest form of violence, the essence and essence of the daily operation of the state is to deal with the relationship between the government, the elite and the people. If the elite is too strong, the government will be undermined, the people will be overexploited and left unprotected, social governance will fail, and the fight will begin. If the government is too strong, the elite is extremely suppressed, the government rule has no spokesman, no elite, can not effectively organize large-scale social and economic activities, the government rule is not sustainable because of economic or political problems. If both the elite and the government are not strong enough, the people will fall into a disorganized state of anarchy and anarchy, and the country will have no defense against external invasion, and the invading forces will become the new government, or the internal strife will produce new strong forces, and then the new government. The checks and balances between these three groups depend on religion, morality and violence. Violence is the ultimate counterbalance between the three parties. The violent nature of the state remains the same, both then and now.

Give me who, I go to!

Are there any human machinations that are not described in the Guide? I don't think so. The book is an encyclopaedia of intrigue. In each case, the scale and intensity of unrest in China was much greater than in Europe. The diversity and complexity of Chinese society and the vitality of various ideas and cultural components are far more complex than those in Europe, so there is a rich soil for intrigue in the historical evolution of China. In the global game of civilizations. Western civilization, Islamic civilization, Indian civilization, even though these civilizations fight against each other. But China is far and away the most culturally profound, sophisticated and elusive player, for two reasons: first, the philosophy of struggle and the study of intrigue are too well developed. Second, in China's historical tradition, there are indeed people who cherish great love and, despite their weak strength, insist on protecting others and maintaining the basic social order. Whenever the war is in chaos, there are always people with hanging pot to help the world, give me their ambition to stand out. And when we're done, we can hide again. This world is full of great people, they have a weak connection to this world, as if from another world. History, on the other hand, have left their traces, such people used to have, now should also have, whenever the troubled times, their role is more prominent, I used to think it is the expectation of people, after reading the History As A Mirror first volume, I think really exist in the history of this kind of person, this is very good, found that because of the existence of these people, Making history more than just fighting for power, profit and survival. The detachment of these people from worldly values is one of the most fascinating things about Chinese history.