Well……
Good question!
It sounds reasonable and enlightening.
When I saw the homework, I was completely confused and didn’t know anything!
What productivity.
What the ability to grow food.
What production relations...
Yan Jiaoran was actually a little dizzy and couldn't get around it.
But feeling Qin Yuan’s burning gaze, it was not easy to let him down (be disappointed or scolded).
I could only lower my head and whisper, "I understand, I understand!"
"Do you really understand?" Qin Yuan asked doubtfully.
"Really!" Yan Jiaoran said with a stiff upper lip.
"Well, tell me, why were the Xia Shang so cruel to their slaves?"
Qin Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly and asked with a smile.
Yan Jiaoran: “…”
You bastard, can't you be a human being?
Don't bring up anything that is not related to the topic!
"This...that..." Yan Jiaoran hesitated.
"Hmm?" Qin Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly. "Tell me quickly, what is your answer?"
Yan Jiaoran was pressed into a corner and gave a hasty answer: "The reason why the Xia and Shang dynasties were so cruel to their slaves was because they couldn't grow enough food!"
"Are you sure?" Qin Yuan looked at her with a smile and asked slowly.
"Sure..." Yan Jiaoran didn't have much confidence.
"Are you sure?" Qin Yuan asked again.
"No... not sure..." Yan Jiaoran rejected her own answer.
Qin Yuan shook his head. "Look, you don't know. Otherwise, why would you lose confidence when I asked you?"
Still... is it still possible?
Yan Jiaoran was dumbfounded.
Qin Yuan rubbed her head and explained, "During the Xia and Shang dynasties, the production method was still very crude, slash-and-burn farming, and most of the production tools were stone tools."
"The level of productivity is limited, and food production is not high enough to feed the entire population."
"Under such circumstances, there will always be people who go hungry, and the lives of the slaves at the bottom naturally become cheap."
"Even if all the slaves died, we could just go to war and plunder another tribe to replenish their supply."
"In this case, the lives of slaves are naturally of no importance."
"The rulers naturally appear cruel."
Yan Jiaoran raised her eyebrows.
Oh!
Dog man!
I am not right!
Be a human being!
By constantly questioning myself, I can deny myself.
This bastard’s tricks are too deep!
Qin Yuan continued his eloquent speech, saying, "In the Book of Songs, Zhou Song, Zai Jian, it is said: 'They cut the weeds and plow the oaks, they till the marshes; a thousand couples weed the fields, they go to the marshes and to the boundaries.'"
"This shows that at the end of the Shang Dynasty and the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, the mode of production underwent a major transformation, from individual labor to collaborative work, and farming tools also evolved from stone tools to bronze tools."
"This has greatly improved the efficiency of farming and led to a huge increase in productivity."
"Increased food production can support a larger population, and in order to open up more land for farming, more slaves will naturally be needed."
"In order to gain more profits, slave owners will naturally value the lives of their slaves more."
“This is called—productive forces determine production relations!”
"Ma'am, do you understand?"
Yan Jiaoran nodded. This time she really understood!
"Okay then," Qin Yuan asked again, "Based on what I've said tonight, explain to me how productivity determines production relations. And how was this reflected during the Shang and Zhou dynasties?"
Yan Jiaoran took a deep breath.
While recalling what Qin Yuan had said in his mind, he stammered and replied:
“Productivity is the ability to grow food…”
“The ability to grow food determines the ability to produce food…”
"Who owns all the resources, and what is the relative position of those who produce and those who own the food..."
"Also, who will ultimately distribute the food..."
Yan Jiaoran spoke more and more fluently, and even followed Qin Yuan's train of thought, vaguely grasping a hint of inspiration, and blurted out:
“Although food has always been in the hands of slave owners and distributed by them, innovations in production methods and tools have led to the development of productivity and increased food production.”
“Thus, as slaves of labor, the status and importance of nature in production have been elevated!”
"Well, that's good. I finally understand it." Qin Yuan nodded with satisfaction.
Why does this compliment sting so much?
This bastard is getting more and more annoying!
I'll chop off your dog head... Forget it, I can't bear it... I'll step on you under my skirt!
Seeing that his wife understood, Qin Yuan continued, "Due to the advancement of farming technology, productivity has greatly developed."
"The population began to grow explosively, and the Shang Dynasty's extensive tribal governance model was simply unable to adapt to the new governance needs."
"Furthermore, Zhou was a small state, while Shang was a large one. After King Wu united the armies of the empire and destroyed Shang, the Zhou dynasty also had no way of ruling all the regions. If it were to divide the country into tribes like the Shang, it would be unwilling to do so."
"Thus, the 'establishment of states' came into being, and the process of transition from a slave dynasty to a feudal dynasty began."
"Since we've chosen the feudal system, most of the vassal states were granted fiefdoms by descendants of the Zhou royal family. If disputes arose, wouldn't it be disheartening to see them fighting among themselves?"
"So, Duke Zhou formulated the Rites of Zhou, which established distinctions between the old and the young, the noble and the humble, and promoted the patriarchal system, resolving disputes through a clear hierarchy."
"From then on, we entered the Spring and Autumn Period."
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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