Painting Strategies

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

3.8

Word count: 1.7K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

In the age of Haoying, people felled trees and killed beasts, for people were few and trees and beasts many. In the age of the Yellow Emperor, fawns and eggs were not taken, officials had no retainers to provide for, and the dead could not use outer coffins. Their practices differed, yet all were kings—because the times differed. In the age of Shennong, men plowed and ate, women wove and wore clothes; without penal administration there was order, without arms there was kingship. After Shennong died, the strong overcame the weak and the many oppressed the few; so the Yellow Emperor established the righteousness of ruler and subject, superior and inferior, the rites of father and son, elder and younger brother, and the union of husband and wife, used knives and saws within and arms without—because the times had changed.

Editor's review

"Painting Policy" is a short essay on the relation between circumstances and modes of governance, tracing the ages of Haoying, the Yellow Emperor, and Shennong to make its core point: "their practices differed, yet all were kings—because the times differed." The shifts from felling trees and killing beasts to governing by plowing and weaving, and then to rites and arms together, display the author's plain historical observation that institutions change with the age. Its value lies in raising the proposition of "changing times" in extremely brief compass; the prose is clean and the logic clear, making it a good primer for thinking about traditional views of governance and historical stages. Note its argumentative method: it sets different eras' practices side by side, then concludes with "the times differed"—a structure worth learning from. Suited to readers interested in pre-Qin thought, institutional change, or short-essay writing, for a brief reflection on the commute or over tea.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Beginning readers interested in pre-Qin thought and historical stage theory
Writing learners needing short argumentative essay material
Commute readers who enjoy distilling views from short pieces
Thinkers concerned with the relation between governance and the conditions of the age

Not a good fit for

Researchers expecting systematic scholarship or detailed historical analysis
Readers who prefer long narrative and literary description
Professionals needing practical modern management cases

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the "changing times" thread, then review how the three eras' practices support the conclusion.
After reading, ask yourself which governance or organizational practices today face "changing times," and write a short commentary.
Read alongside "Notes on Painting Styles" in the same book, comparing the different reading paces of an image-centered piece and an argument-centered one.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
画策第十八

FAQ

What is the core argument of this essay?

The core is "the times differed"—different ages face different conditions, so governance should change accordingly. The essay lists the differing practices of Haoying, the Yellow Emperor, and Shennong to show that no institution is immutable; the key is adapting to the times.

Are the eras mentioned real history?

Haoying, Shennong, and the like are designations of remote legendary ages; the essay uses them to build an argumentative framework rather than to provide strict historical fact. Read them as examples in a conceptual argument, not as verifiable history.

Is it suitable for middle-school students?

Short and clearly argued, it suits middle-school students as classical Chinese short-essay practice. Focus on its structure of parallel examples and inductive conclusion, but note that its concepts are abstract; annotated or teacher-guided reading is advised.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.