Why did a large number of thinkers and philosophers appear all over the world in 400-500 BC?

Why did a group of great thinkers break out in the world from 300 BC to 500 BC?

Their appearance has basically framed the pattern of human social life and spiritual culture for thousands of years. To this day, we have not escaped from the circle delineated in their bones. For example, no matter how great changes have taken place in China's technological and social environment, there are basically two kinds of people in our bones, either Confucius or Laozi.

Around 300 BC, ancient Greek philosophy suddenly flourished, producing great philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. Their thoughts have influenced western society for thousands of years. To this day, westerners still think that "all western philosophy is just a footnote of Plato's philosophical thought." Christianity was formally formed around A.D., and its predecessor, the Old Testament, already existed in BC, and its early thoughts can be pushed back to several hundred BC, and we guess it is around 400 BC. Needless to say, the influence of Christianity on western society.

Although the Indian Buddha's lifetime is controversial, it is roughly equivalent to China's Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period, that is, around 500 BC, Sakyamuni established a profound Buddhist system, making Buddhism one of the three major religions in the world. Its thoughts of twelve causes and effects, recurrent retribution and eight senses have influenced Asia for thousands of years. Now, the spirit and practice method of Buddhism are crossing the ocean, and its influence in Europe and America is growing.

China's situation is more special. Around 400 BC, while China was in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, China suddenly ushered in a period of ideological and cultural prosperity. At that time, all the vassal States seemed to be very literate, and the "scholars" who jumped everywhere ran from one vassal state to another, expressing their views and propagating their opinions everywhere. Ancient history is called "a hundred schools of thought contend", which is an era that every China intellectual misses, but unfortunately it is gone. A large number of puzzling thinkers suddenly appeared in China, and Guan Zi, Lao Zi, Confucius, Mozi, Mencius, Sun Zi and others left us with rare ideological wealth.

Strangely, since 400 BC, there has not been a similar ideological prosperity in the world. Take China feudal society as an example. In the long 2000 years, there was not a successful thinker. Metaphysics in Wei and Jin Dynasties and Neo-Confucianism in Song and Ming Dynasties did not break through the circle defined by Laozi, Confucius and Mozi.

Isn't this phenomenon strange? Only the cultural prosperity of the Renaissance in history is similar to this phenomenon. But you're welcome to say that the similarity we say is only formal. In terms of content, degree and influence on human society, it can't be compared with the Big Bang around 400 BC. For example, can Leonardo da Vinci compare with Plato? In later history, no one can compare with any thinker at that time. Since 400 BC, it is no exaggeration to say that no philosopher in the west can achieve the same results as Plato. At best, they are only phased philosophers.

Comparison between Chinese and Western Thoughts and Thinkers (1)-The stars are brilliant and shine all over the world.

Ancient Egypt, ancient India, ancient Babylon and China are called the four "ancient civilizations", which have made indelible contributions to human history. Recently, the ancient Egyptian, Indian and Cuban Babylonian civilizations gradually declined, while the ancient Greek civilization flourished for a while, which can echo the China civilization. At this time, the eastern and western civilizations, especially the thoughts and thinkers, could not communicate face to face across the space distance, but they had special historical similarities on the same planet, which was the most glorious period in the history of human civilization at that stage.

1, ancient civilization era. In the era of the Yellow Emperor in China, around 3000 BC, the western civilization at this time was the most brilliant in ancient Egypt. Ancient Egypt invented writing around 4000 BC (later than Babylon), and from the end of 4000 BC to the beginning of 3000 BC, the king of ancient Egypt built pyramids. By about 1800 BC, ancient China was roughly equivalent to the end of the Xia Dynasty, and ancient Egypt conquered the Sikh Semu people and the civilization declined. The ancient Babylonians were more combative than the ancient Egyptians. They conquered by war, and they occupied a dominant position around 2 100 BC. The ancient Babylonians made the oldest code known to mankind-code of hammurabi. Ancient Egyptian civilization and early Mesopotamian civilization are both agricultural civilizations that originated from the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Greek civilization is a rising western civilization after ancient Egypt and Babylon. The first famous child of Greek civilization was Homer's epic, which was produced between 750 BC and 550 BC, which was about equivalent to Zhou Pingwang's era in China's Zhou Dynasty.

2, the era of Greek civilization. In the 6th century BC, Greek science, philosophy and mathematics were formed. An iconic representative figure appeared in this period, and he was Pythagoras. In 523 BC, he was in his heyday. He explored many fields of thought and disciplines, and his main contribution was mathematics, which combined mathematics with theology, but he opened the door to scientific and rational thinking. In the world at that time, in the eastern civilization, China's Confucius (55 BC1-479 BC) was a great contemporary, and he founded Confucianism and school. China's Laozi (contemporary and older than Confucius, who once asked for gifts from Laozi) had an important influence on later Taoism, and at the same time.

There was an equally great figure in ancient India, that is, Sakyamuni, who founded Buddhism, and his religious thoughts still have an important influence on mankind until modern times. After Pythagoras, there appeared many great thinkers and geniuses in Greece, and Greek civilization was held up by these talented thinkers. For example:

(1) Heraclitus (born around 500 BC) is a mystic, and his thoughts tend to be dialectical and idealistic. He thinks that "everything is born from one, and everything is born from one", which is similar to China's philosophy of "Tao gives birth to one, two, three and three things", but Heraclitus thinks so.

(2) parmenides, who flourished in the first half of the 5th century BC, created a metaphysical form of argument. Some people say that he created logic (similar to China's "prestigious school"), but what he really created was metaphysics based on logic. (3) empedocles (born around 440 BC) was a contemporary of parmenides. He is a philosopher, a prophet, a scientist and a liar. He made research and contributions in later physics, biology, medicine and astronomy, and was a learned man.

(4) Although Anaxagoras can't compare with Pythagoras, Heraclitus and parmenides, he inherited the tradition of science and rationalism. He was the first person to introduce philosophy to the Athenians. He thinks everything can be divided indefinitely. He was the first to explain that the moon is a person who shines by reflection and put forward the correct theory of eclipse. He influenced Socrates, another great man in the history of Greek civilization.

(5) Socrates (469- 399 BC) is a great name, and he initiated a new era of thought and knowledge. Greek civilization in Socrates' time gave way to Athenian culture. Athenian culture contributed two great philosophers, Socrates and Plato (428- 348 BC).

(6) Plato inherited and developed Socrates' knowledge. He was a student of Socrates and Aristotle (384-322 BC) was a student of Plato. Socrates' disciples, Plato and Aristotle, were the most influential philosophers in ancient times, the Middle Ages and modern times. Socrates, his disciples and grandchildren's achievements in thought and scientific knowledge reached an unsurpassed peak in a certain period of Greek civilization.

(7) Aristotle was born at the end of the creative period of Greek thoughts. After nearly two thousand years of death, the world produced a philosopher who can be regarded as roughly equivalent to him. His authority is almost as great as that of the Christian church. However, what makes people think and reflect is that his authority in science and philosophy and people's superstition and unsurpassability have always been obstacles to the progress of human thought. From the beginning of17th century, almost every kind of cognitive and knowledge progress actually started from attacking some of Aristotle's theories, breaking Aristotle's authoritative superstition and making progress in science. (8) After the great Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, Stoicism and Epicurus appeared in the history of western philosophy. Epicurus was born in 342 BC and died in 270 BC, almost like Mencius in China (37 BC1

Zhuangzi (369 BC-286 BC) was a contemporary, and they did not surpass their predecessors, just as Mencius and Zhuangzi did not surpass Confucius and Laozi, but they further improved their predecessors' theories. (9) The end of the Hellenistic world. In the second century BC, Rome conquered small countries and established the Roman Empire, ending the Hellenistic world era. Although the Roman Empire built straight streets, solid cities and boundless territory and made great achievements in architecture and sculpture, the Romans were parasites of the Greeks in thought and philosophy. The Romans did not form any original philosophical system of their own, nor did they make scientific inventions. They built the outer shell of the empire, but their inner ideology and culture inherited the Greek civilization. (10) Plotinus (AD 204-AD 270) was the last great philosopher in ancient western countries, and his life almost coincided with the most chaotic period in Roman history. After him came the dark Middle Ages, when Christianity and the church and the Pope ruled, scientific reason was suppressed, and superstition and religion prevailed until the Italian Renaissance. It is generally believed in the western world that the beginning of "modern" history is marked by the decline of church prestige and the gradual rise of scientific prestige. The Renaissance brought about profound changes in thought, and science and scientific thought changed the whole world.

3. The prosperity of oriental thought and culture. Compared with Greek civilization, China produced many famous thinkers and schools in this historical period, which was also the most active period of ideology and culture. For example:

(1) Confucius (55 BC/kloc-0 BC/-479 BC) was born in Shandong during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and lived in roughly the same era as Pythagoras (active in 523 BC), Heraclitus (active around 500 BC) and parmenides in ancient Greece. Confucius is a great teacher. He founded the Confucian school and Confucianism, and made great contributions to mankind in ethics and morality.

(2) Laozi, a contemporary of Confucius, is older than Confucius. Confucius once asked to be polite to Lao Zi. His Tao Te Ching has a great influence on Taoism.

(3) Mozi (479- 38 BC1) was a fighting missionary and a chivalrous man. During the victory of the Spring and Autumn Period, Mozi was as famous as Confucius, and his influence was no less than that of Confucius. Confucius is the apologist of ancient culture, Mozi is the critic of ancient culture, and Mozi criticizes Confucianism. Mozi put forward the idea of universal love. Mohism believes that ghosts and gods exist, which is idealistic. Mohism believes that the state must practice centralization and totalitarianism.

(4) Mencius (37 BC1-289 BC) carried forward Confucius' theory.

(5) Zhuangzi (369 BC-286 BC) inherited Laozi's theory and created many new ideas. His thoughts and Laozi's thoughts were later collectively called "Laozi and Zhuangzi", advocating nature, with materialistic elements and dialectical thoughts.

(6) Famous scholars, such as Hui Shi (350-260 BC) and GongSunLong (284-259 BC), are good at distinguishing and have made certain contributions to logical debate.

(7) Other families. In addition, there are Yin and Yang experts who are good at astronomy, calendar, mathematics, physics and divination. There are legalists, such as Han Fei, Shang Yang and Shen Buhai. They advocate the rule of law, are politicians and are good at politics. There are also military strategists, such as grandchildren.

In a word, a hundred schools of thought contended in the pre-Qin period is one of the most active periods in the history of China. In many ways, he has made contributions to mankind.

(8) Qin and Han dynasties were unified, and Confucius was the only one. Qin Shihuang unified China. In order to unify his thoughts, he not only wrote books in the same language, but also burned books to bury Confucianism, while hundred schools of thought "remained unmoved".

In the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty adopted Dong Zhongshu's idea of "ousting a hundred schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone", so Confucianism dominated the whole country and became the mainstream ideology and culture in China feudal society for more than 2,000 years. Confucian culture has achieved the glory of China culture, but also hindered the progress and development of China's ideological culture. Just as Aristotle's thought hindered the progress of western countries' thought and scientific understanding, Dong Zhongshu's rejection of Confucianism and his admiration for the authority of Confucianism also seriously hindered the progress of China's thought, especially the imperial examination system of feudal emperors, which hindered China intellectuals' exploration and understanding of other sciences and disciplines. "Everything is inferior" and "reading is an official", while Confucianism emphasizes "self-cultivation" and exploration of ethics.

After the death of Han Dynasty in 220 AD, it was divided and chaotic for a long time until the Sui Dynasty unified China in 589 AD. During this period, the political society was dark and turbulent, and pessimism prevailed, much like the darkness of medieval Europe. During this period, Christianity became the dominant force in Europe, and Buddhism developed rapidly in China.

In the heyday of the Tang Dynasty in China, China was no less than Western Europe in politics, economy, culture and national strength, but it was the Tang Dynasty Empire that made China proud, which was the watershed of Chinese and Western ideology and culture. Then came the Italian Renaissance in Europe, where scientific ideas led mankind to a new industrial civilization, commercial civilization and modern civilization, while China missed several historical opportunities to communicate with the West.