进步观还是变易观——《商君书》历史观再认识

《商君书》虽然认识到历史演变的阶段和当时社会发展的趋势,但它并没有对这种演变发展做出后胜于前、今胜于古的价值判断;它也没有描绘出理想社会的蓝图,只不过是要建立一个很现实的高度集权的专制制度;它不承认一般人有认识和掌握历史趋势的能力;它的最高认识也只是“当时而立法,因事而制礼”,这是战国时代很普通的变易观,不是进步观,也不是进化论。因而它的历史观并不比其他各家进步,而它奉行的严刑峻法、与民为敌的政策毋宁说是一种倒退。

Rethinking of History Outlook on Shang Jun Shu(《商君书》)

Although Shang Jun Shu recognized the history evolution of different stages and the trend of social development,yet it did not indicate that during the period of development the later generations were superior to the former one,it did not depict the blueprint of the ideal society,and it did not admit that the common people had ability to understand and control the history trend.These features showed that outlook of Shang Jun Shu is the change outlook,but not the evolution outlook,nor progressive outlook.Thus its history outlook is not more progressive than the other schools of thought.