The Unique Cultural Significance of Gui Gu Zi:  An Philosophical Sutra of Ancient China

                                                              Abstract: Gui Gu Zi was an Philosophical Sutra wirtten by the Political Strategists in the pre-Qin period of China. It sums up the lobbing experiences and theories of the persuader starting from the Spring and Autumn period (770－476 B.C.).At present ,this ancient book in the library belongs to the   plays an important role in the phylogeny of argumentation, psychology, philosophy, and so on . Gui Gu Zi

was an ancient book about many aspects, such as the theories of  social intercourse .From the standpoint of  philosophy , the Gui Gu Zi  includes some sectors of materialism.this book ,and this makes it distinguish from the confucianism and the taoism's mentalism and shows its own unique cultural significance.This thsis is going to dicuss the crucial cultural significance and the application of its theory in modern library Science of the Gui Gu Zi .

Key words: Gui Gu Zi ;Political Strategist ;An philosophical sutra;Cultural significance

1.Introduction

  Gui Gu Zi  is the earliest ancestor of the School of Political strategist in the Period of Warring States(475-221 B.C),he becames very famous at least from Han Dynasty .Because he is a mysterious person ,many historians have been researching on him,but until now ,we still do not know who is the Gui Gu Zi on earth .But there is one point we can  sure that he must be a  very sapiential anchoret who do not want to be known .

   The book Gui Gu Zi  is a very mysterious antient book,but the opinions on it are inequable.In the every dynasty of china ,some scholars commend it,some scholars vilipend it.

   Gui Gu Zi was a mysterious and complicated people in chineses history whom had great impact on many areas. His books, affairs and of course himself were attached importance by many scholars in the  academia of every dynasty. No doubt ,Gui Gu Zi  is very important in Chinese history and culture, it’s crucial to research deeply into this cultural phenonmena. In 2001, National Research Meeting of Gui Gu Zi  came into being, and such institution is locate in Taiwan even many yaers before. In fact, Gui Gu Zi  is not only been reseraching and studying in China , but also reseraching and commanding by many countries’ scholars ,including America ,Russia, Japan, Germany, Thailand, South Korea and  Philippines. All of these countries are using this precious doctrine into the construction, military affairs, diplomacy ,economy and so on.

   The form hereinafter shows the system of china's Pre-qin philosophical doctrine  in detail.<> belongs to the item of Political Strategists.

2.The historical background of Gui Gu Zi

All kinds of academic books of the Pre-qin Philosophy are the core of chinese ancient philosophy ,such as  Confucianism, Taoism, Legalists, Mohists and the  School of Logician are the mainstream of it, and there are still, some  non-principal doctrine such as Political Strategists, the School of Positive and Negative Forces and  the Eclectics. The Gui Gu Zi  belongs to the school of  Political  strategist. Among them,  the Confucianism,  created by Confucius and his  pupils,had always held the status of dominion .Nowadays in china,  most library do not have many books about confucianism and the taoism,and these theory are not as popular as in the ancient time.So it is important for chineses libraries to attach importance to such ancient books.

   In the ancient times of China, there is no existence of psychology, even the confucianism, which had the status of domination in that time, did not provide a system about this ,such as the rules of interpersonal relations ,it only teaches people to be honest to your father ,lord and friends ,but the  true-life people's moral level is inequable.Living in a realistic world, you are going to contact with many people of every layer, including men of honour and also some people with low moral level. Distinguished from Confucianism or other doctrine, Gui Gu Zi  had met and dicussed this question directly.

   Confucianism,Taoism and other chinese ancient doctrine are consist of a large series of books,which is being canonized by the classes.Among them ,the confucianism ,created by Confucius is the most important thoery. The books of Taoism and legalists are just  supplement . .Confucianism protest a faithful and kindly way in conducting oneself,and  the peace of  mind .In today's libraries of China, I think the amount  of  these books is not enough.These theories are the most important  thinkings of the wisdom in the ancient times, they can guide the spirit of a nation to a good way.

  The confucianism and taoism have strong social sense of responsibility ,but they had not change the society as they wish because they can not wake up to that under the  regime in that time,there was no political principle expect the will of the lord ,there was no democracy at all. In order to participate in

the political affairs,you must gain the trust of lord on you.Under such conditions,as time passes,some experiences came into being.Gui Gu Zi is just a  philosophical sum-up of these experience .

   The culture significance of Gui Gu Zi

   Gui Gu Zi ,the earliest ancestor of the School of Political strategist,and a important person in the Pre-qin period of ancient China.His real name is Wang Yu or Wang Chan.According to the Records of the historian(written by Sima Qian of the Han Dynasty),Gui Gu Zi is also the teacher of Cu Qin and Zhang Yi(two famous persuasive talker),there are also other books say that he is the teacher of Sun Bing and Pang Juan(two famous militarist).This shows that Gui Gu Zi is not only the earliest ancester of Political  Strategist ,anchorite,but also the earliest ancester of militarist.The recordation about Gui Gu Zi  in official history ,unofficial history and legend help us to understang Gui Gu Zi himself and his theory more .Although the recordation about him  is not exhaustive,but he is absolutely  not a mythological person.In history, he must be a sapiential anchorite who lived in mountain to hide from the troubled society. In that times,there are many sapiential men became anchorite,Gui Gu Zi is just one of them.

  TheGui Gu Zi is the only book of Political Strategist that hand down to us,bacically made up of the experiences of the politician and persuasive talker in Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period. This book consists of 17 chapters, two were missed. It divide into two section, and its contents cover with many subjects, such as politics,military affairs, diplomacy, public relations, psychology, health preserving and management etc.It don't restrict in one aspect,but covering almost every side of people's life.Basically, this book don't embody any separate and idiographic events, so you can not call it a records of history, a literature or a scientific book.In fact, it's a great philosophical sutra.

  As for the direct author of the Gui Gu Zi ,there are three opinion:first,the author is Gui Gu Zi himself;second,the author is the students of Gui Gu Zi ;third,the author is some other people.I think this book is written by the pupils of the Gui Gu Zi.Just like other books in the Pre-Qin period, the Gui Gu Zi

 is not written by one man or in short time,it was finished in relatively late time.But you can not say it is written by other people because the time of its finishment.

  Some scholar deem that the Gui Gu Zi  is the sublimation of the Su Zi of Zu Qing and the Zhang Zi of Zhang Yi which was accomplished by the scholars after Western Han Dynasty(206 B.C-A.D.24),but in fact,even this book was written by the other people,it must be written before Han Dynasty,it is still  related to the theory of Gui Gu Zi ,and it is still  a component of chinese  ancient culture.

   As a sum-up of experience of politicians in Pre-qin Period ,the Gui Gu Zi  discuss some phenomenas neglected by other scholars,and create a series of theory.In that time ,one politician must handled complex  foreign relations,to contact with different country and different king.In order to protect his own country's interests,a politician must know how to persuade a king to do some things or not to do some things.After all, Gui Gu Zi himself always stands in the verso of the history, many things of his book and himself are secrets even today, many things are waiting us to discover them and reserch them.

   Conclusion

  Anyway, Gui Gu Zi is a great philosophical sutra in china's history, it had gone through the history and only history unveils its time-tested value.And such value gives our libraries a thought of  flexible management, provides a new ideation system of taking order with the affairs and problems in library.