The Shangjunshu 商君書 "Book of Lord Shang", also called Shangzi 商子 "Master Shang", is written by Gongsun Yang 公孫鞅 or Wei Yang 衛鞅, the Lord of Shang. Of the original 29 chapters (pian) only 24 are extant. Some chapters were definitely written after Shang Yang’s 商鞅 death, but they reflect his political philosophy which belongs to the school of legalism. Shang Yang, as advisor of Duke Xiao of Qin 秦孝公 (r. 361-338) during the Warring States period (Zhanguo 戰國, 5th cent.-221 BCE), was able to convince his lord of a thorough restructuring of the government and its politics. He advocated the use of a system of reward and punishment to be exerted by a strong ruler. The traditional aristocracy was to be replaced by a meritocracy, through which the ruler only employed persons of high abilities. A strong government would rely on only two other classes of people, namely peasants, and soldiers to nourish or to defend the state. The Shangjunshu at a relatively late point of time attracted the interest of scholars. The first commentary was thus only written during the Qing period 清 (1644-1911), namely by Yan Wanli 嚴萬里 (Yan Kejun 嚴可均). More recent commentaries were compiled by Wang Shirun 王時潤 (Shangjunshu jiaoquan 商君書斠詮), Zhu Shiche 朱師轍 (Shangjunshu jiegu dingben 商君書解詁定本), Jiang Lihong 蔣禮鴻 (Shangjunshu zhuizhi 商君書錐指) and Gao Heng 高亨 (Shangjunshu zhuyi 商君書注譯) Source: Zhongguo da baike quanshu, Zhongguo lishi, vol. 2, p. 897 f. Contents 1.更法 Bianfa The Reform of the Law 2.墾令 Maoling An Order to Cultivate Waste Lands 3.農戰 Nongzhan Agriculture and War 4.去彊 Quqiang The Elimination of Strength 5.說民 Shuomin About the People 6.算地 Suandi The Calculation of Land 7.開塞 Kaisai Opening and Debarring 8.壹言 Yiyan The Unification of Words 9.錯法 Cuofa Establishing Laws 10.戰法 Zhanfa The Method of Warfare 11.立本 Liben The Establishment of Fundamentals 12.兵守 Bingshou Military Defense 13.靳令 Jinling Making Orders Strict 14.修權 Xiuquan The Cultivation of the Right Standard 15.徠民 Laimin The Encouragement of Immigration 16.刑約[缺] Xingyue Compendium of Penalties (lost) 17.賞刑 Shangxing Reward and Punishments 18.畫策 Huace Policies 19.境內 Jingnei Within the borders 20.弱民 Ruomin Weakening the People 21.[缺] (lost) 22.外內 Wainei External and Internal Affairs 23.君臣 Junchen Ruler and Minister 24.禁使 Jinshi Interdicts and Encouragements 25.慎法 Shenfa Attention to Law 26.定分 Dingfen The Fixing of Rights and Duties

Exemplarious translation: ３．農戰 凡人主之所以勸民者，官爵也；國之所以興者，農戰也。今民求官爵，皆不以農戰，而以巧言虛道，此謂勞民。勞民者，其國必無力。無力者，其國必削。 The means, whereby a ruler of men encourages people, are office and rank; the means, whereby a country is made prosperous, are agriculture and war. Now those, who seek office and rank, never do so by means of agriculture and war, but by artful words and empty doctrines. That is called "wearying the people". The country of those, who weary their people, will certainly have no strength, will certainly be dismembered. 善為國者，其教民也，皆從壹空而得官爵。是故不以農戰，則無官爵。國去言則民樸，民樸則不淫。民見上利之從壹空出也，則作壹，作壹則民不偷。民不偷淫則多力，多力則國彊。今境內之民，皆曰：「農戰可避，而官爵可得也。」是故豪傑皆可變業，務學詩書，隨從外權，上可以得顯，下可以得官爵；要靡事商賈，為技藝：皆以避農戰。具備，國之危也。民以此為教者，其國必削。 [...] Those, who are capable in organizing a country, teach the people that office and rank can only be acquired through one opening, and thus, there being no rank without office, the state will do away with fine speaking, with the result that the people will be simple; being simple, they will not be licentious. The people, seeing that the highest benefit comes only through one opening, will strive for concentration, and having concentration, will not be negligent in their occupations. When the people are not negligent in their occupations, they will have much strength, and when they have much strength the state will be powerful. But now the people within the territory all say that by avoiding agriculture and war, offica and rank may be acquired, with the result that eminent men all change their occupations, to apply themselves to the study of the Odes and History and to follow improper standards; on the one hand, they obtain prominence, and on the other, they acquire office and rank. Insignificant individuals will occupy themselves with trade and will practise arts and crafts, all in order to avoid agriculture and war, thus preparing a dangerous condition for the state. Where the prople are given to such teachings, it is certain that such a country will be dismembered... 今為國者多無要。朝廷之言治也，紛紛焉務相易也。是以其君惛於說，其官亂於言，其民惰而不農。故其境內之民，皆化而好辯樂學，事商賈，為技藝，避農戰，如此則亡國不遠矣。國有事，則學民惡法，商民善化，技藝之民不用，故其國易破也。夫農者寡，而遊食者眾，故其國貧危。今夫螟螣蚵蠋春生秋死，一出而民數年乏食。今一人耕，而百人食之，此其為螟螣蚼蠋亦大矣。雖有詩書，鄉一束，家一員，獨無益於治也，非所以反之之術也。故先王反之於農戰。故曰：百人農，一人居者，王；十人農，一人居者，強；半農半居者，危。故治國者欲民之農也。國不農，則與諸侯爭權不能自持也，則眾力不足也。故諸侯撓其弱，乘其衰，土地侵削而不振，則無及已。聖人知治國之要，故令民歸心於農。歸心於農，則民樸而可正也。紛紛，則不易使也；信，可以守戰也。壹，則少軸而重居；壹，則可以賞罰進也；壹，則可以外用也。 But now, those who run a state, for the most part, overlook what is essential, and the discussions at court on government, are confused and efforts are made to displace each other in them; thus the ruler is dazed by talk, officials confused by words, and the people become lazy and will not farm. The result is that all the people within the territory change and become fond of sophistry, take pleasure in study, pursure trade, practise arts and crafts, and shun agriculture and war and so in this manner the ruin of the country will not be far off. When the country has trouble, then, because studious people hate law, merchants are clever in bartering and artisans are useless, the state will be easily destroyed. Indeed, if farmers are few, and those who live idly on others are many, then the state will be poor and in a dangerous condition. Now, for example, if various kinds of caterpillars, which are born in spring and die in autumn, appear only once, the result is that the people have no food for many years. Now, if one man tills and a hundred live on him, it means that they are like a great visitation of caterpillars. Though there may a bundle of the Odes and History in every hamlet and a copy in every family, yet it is useless for good government, and it is not a method whereby this condition of things may be reversed. Therefore the ancient kings made people turn back to agruculture and war. For this reason it is daid: "Where a hundred men farm, and one id idle, the state will attain supremacy; where ten men farn and one is idle, the state will be strong; where half farms and half is idle, the state will be in peril." That is why those, who govern the country will, wish the people to take to agriculture. If the country does not take to agriculture, then, in its quarrels over authority with the various feudal lords, it will not be able to maintain itself, because the strength of the multitude will not be sufficient. Therefore the feudal lords vex its weakness and make use of its state of decadence; and if the territory is invaded and dismembered, without the country being stirred to action, it will be past saving. A sage knows what is essential in administrating the country, and so he induces the people to devote their attention to agriculture. If their attention is devoted to agriculture, then they will be simple, and being simple, they may be made correct. Being perplexed it will be easy to direct them, being trustworthy, they may be used for defence and warfare. Being single-minded, opportunities of deceit will be few and they will attach importance to their homes. Being single-minded, their careers may be made dependant on rewards and penalties; being single-minded, they may be used abroad. Translated by J. J. L. Duyvendak.