Philosophers are not confused

Author: Qi Xin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: This book primarily tells the stories of the ancient "scholar-officials," particularly their attitudes toward life and life experiences, hence the title Scholars Without Doubt. The "scholar-official" roughly corresponds to modern intellectuals, but the scope is quite broad—for instance, warriors could also be called "scholar-officials," as could petty thieves. As a group, the "scholar-officials" are diverse, and on an individual level, their means of livelihood, social status, and attitudes toward life vary greatly. However, regardless of these differences, the "scholar-officials" are generally people without fixed property but with steadfast principles. They survive and strive in the world by relying on their skills, so their life attitudes and life experiences possess certain qualities that other social classes do not have, making them worth summarizing and learning from. The book also selects stories of "scholar-officials who achieved success through learning" (i.e., those who became officials), expressing the twists and turns they faced in the dark feudal bureaucracy to maintain their integrity and their rich experiences in struggle. The ancients said, "It is rare to see a smile in this world," showing that life is far from easy. This small book aims to provide readers with some inspiration in their rather difficult journey of life, showing them how predecessors handled various troubles and how their experiences might also benefit later generations. If it achieves this effect, the book will not have been written in vain—though it is also possible that readers may find it all irrelevant after reading it, in which case they might dismiss it with a laugh—then that would be the author's second-highest expectation, allowing readers to take a slight respite from the sentiment that "It is rare to see a smile in this world."