Bǎi jiā zhēng míng

bǎi jiā zhēng míng baijiazhengming百家爭鳴百家争鸣 ‘contention of a hundred schools’, a phrase commonly used to describe the flourishing of intellectual and philosophical activity during the pre-imperial period, evoking dynamic debate among a diverse range of scholars, the bǎi jiā ‘hundred schools’. The phrase itself is modern, first widely used during the 1950s as part of a reinterpretation of classical era as one of ideological contention that catalysed the development of early Chinese thought, including biàn ‘debate’. Drawing on Marxist historical materialism, some scholars emphasise bǎi jiā zhēng míng as the natural result of socio-economic changes during the decline of the feudal Zhou dynasty. The rise of private ownership, the emergence of competing social classes, and the decentralisation of political power created fertile ground for intellectual debate. These ‘contentions’ served not only to explore theoretical questions but also as a reflection of class struggles and practical attempts to address urgent social and political challenges of the time. (See Yáng XXX, Dong XXX.) Cf. zhū zǐ bǎi jiā 諸子百家 ‘masters of the hundred schools’.

bǎi jiā zhēng míng baijiazhengming百家爭鳴百家争鸣。百家争鸣是指中国春秋战国 (公元前770～公元前 221 年) 时期，知识分子中不同学派的涌现及各流派争芳斗艳的局面。“百家争鸣”反映了当时社会激烈和复杂的政治斗争，主要是新兴地主阶级和没落奴隶主之间的阶级斗争。这个时期的文化思想，奠定了中国整个封建时代文化的基础，对中国古代文化有着非常深刻的影响。