Guan Zhong

The Warring States Period of the Zhou Dynasty was a time of great political upheaval and intellectual creativity.  This was period of the "Hundred Schools of Thought," during which philosophers debated subjects ranging from ethics to the nature of the cosmos.  Some of the most intense debates occurred between political thinkers such as the Confucians, Mozi, and the Legalists.  Many of these thinkers were also practical statesmen who applied their theories in the service of their states.  One of these was Guan Zhong, an official for the state of Qi, about whom you read in Chapter 4 of McKay, A History of World Societies.  Explore the resources below to learn more about Guan Zhong, his thought, and his world. 

1. Read this brief overview of the Warring States, giving special attention to the map.  How many warring states were there? Where was Qi? Who were its neighbors?  What were the major developments of the period?
2. You have read about Sun Wu, author of The Art of War.  Another notable military theorist was his descendent, Sun Bin, who, like Guan Zhong, helped to build the power of Qi.  How did he rise to prominence in Qi? What wrere his accomplishments? What principles of warfare did he articulate?
3. Much of our information about Guan Zhong comes from the work of Sima Qian, an official of the Han Dynasty (see McKay, A History of World Societies, Chapter 7).  His collection of biographies, Records of the Grand Historian of China, contain accounts of other Zhou Dynasty figures.  Read his accounts of Pu-Shih and Chi An.  Why do you think Sima Qian included these figures in his history? What lesson(s) might he want his readers to draw from their experiences? Recall what you know of Guan Zhong: do Pu Shih and Chi An resemble him in any way?
4. The book of teachings known at the Guanzi was long attributed to Guan Zhong.  Today, however, scholars no longer acknowledge him as the author.  Even so, the principles articulated in the Guanzi are consistent with many prevalent during the period of the Hundred Schools of Thought.  Read the following excerpts from the Guanzi.  Would you describe this text as the work of a Confucian, a Daoist, a follower of Mozi, or a Legalist? Why?
5. While political thinkers debated the best way to achieve a stable and secure state, hundreds, if not thousands, of Zhou artists created some of the most beautiful objects in the history of Chinese art.  Take a look at some examples of Zhou art.  Scroll down the page and click on images to view them more closely.  How do they resemble and differ from each other? After you examine the images, make a list of what you think are the defining characteristics of Zhou art.