Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 553: Socrates originally meant to respect women, but Aristotle misinterpreted it
Facing Guo Kang's answer, Eudosia smiled bitterly.

"The result of my research is that with my status, I can't do anything under the current order." She shook her head and said.

"You can't say that." Zhu Wenkui didn't believe it: "I often deal with people at the bottom. It's not that I don't know that their lives are difficult. However, this is two different things from being unable to do anything."

"No matter how bad your situation is, you still have Brother Li to help you and someone to support you. It's pretty good here. My great-grandfather was alone in the troubled times of the late Yuan Dynasty. He was homeless and had to beg for food for three years. . It’s much more difficult and dangerous than your situation. I don’t see him complaining that he can’t do anything because of his poor situation.”

"How can that be the same?" Eudosia said helplessly: "You don't really think that he is just asking for help. I have never been to the Central Plains and don't know the situation at that time, but even in a relatively stable and wealthy city like Dadu, In this place, ordinary beggars are just like other low-class people, they can die easily and cannot live for long. "

"If he persisted for three years and still had nothing to do, it must have been more than just begging. He probably led a group of people to violently beg for food, which was more or less the same. However, later he became a decent person, and when he told others about this experience, he had to He emphasized that he was staying on his own terms and was not intending to rebel; it was hard to say directly that he had been robbing families and homes every day even before the incident. So, I just used this relatively euphemistic way of saying it, which is not a lie. People can directly understand the meaning. ”

"He can do this because his combat effectiveness is ridiculously strong." She analyzed to Zhu Wenkui: "If ordinary people want to start from scratch, they must not only have the ability to organize people. Because according to historical experience, when we first recruit people and start doing During major events, many battles must be fought by oneself. Only by slowly accumulating experience and prestige can one's power grow stronger. Therefore, personal martial arts is also very important."

"Whether it's Seris or Rome, the easiest way for people at the bottom to climb to high positions is through war. This is true even to the emperor. You should know very well that people like Emperor Wu of the Song Dynasty and Taizu of the Ming Dynasty are particularly good at fighting. Only people have the ability to truly change society. Even if you have some family background, it is best to have superior martial arts like Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty and Taizu of the Song Dynasty. Force is the most fundamental power, and the only one who has almost nothing can do it. Something to rely on.”

"However, these are people who are not common in the entire history. How can ordinary people learn from them?" She shook her head and admitted: "I was unwilling to accept it, and also thought about learning some martial arts, hoping to at least be able to defend myself. Moreover, If martial arts can be practiced, it will be able to gain some say in the environment in which the troupe is located. But in the end, only the running skills have become more proficient, and other aspects are just ordinary, obviously not this material. .So, I have to give up.”

"A little girl can't do this as well as a man. It's also hard work..."

Seeing this, Theodora took the initiative to speak and took over the topic.

"Climbing up in this way is indeed easy to be looked down upon by soldiers and bureaucrats who are taking the right path. But if someone is excluded from the right path, then even if she does not take the right path, she should not be regarded as unjust. Because of this The situation is not due to her personal choice, but is determined innately, so she does not need to bear the corresponding moral responsibility. "

"Men are trying to climb up, and women are also trying to climb up. People on both sides are the same mixed bag, and there are all kinds." Theodora pointed out: "Women who go to various upper-class social places and try to enter the palace circle , many of them only have looks, and lack the ability and wisdom to match their ambitions, and the latter is undoubtedly the most important; many people also do not have enough moral standards and sense of responsibility, and if they are allowed to enter the center of power, I am afraid that there will be consequences Disaster."

"At the beginning, you might as well try to get in touch with higher-ups with the help of him and other wealthy businessmen. This is also a way. At least, if I knew you in advance, with your learning ability and knowledge level, I would definitely try to recruit you Yours,” she promised.

Even among the interrogators here, he could probably barely beat Guo Kang, and he was really embarrassed to comment on the topic of force. This question belongs to which pot and which pot should not be raised...

"In big cities, these positions are limited. If you don't try to occupy a position, it may be occupied by other people who are not as capable and moral as you. If you feel that you have enough ability to do things, and you have enough motivation, To change society with a sense of justice, it is better to join the Roman order than to oppose it blindly. "To be honest, I still admire you. It's a pity..."

"I've never heard of a woman being able to found a country. That's probably why."

"What you said makes sense. A woman at the bottom will indeed be more powerless than a man. However, the prince is right. You also have some advantages." She said: "Heavenly Father is fair. If you are restricted in one aspect, you will be given extra favors in other aspects. Ordinary men will not get so much help from Mr. Li. You should make good use of your existing conditions."

"Why do you still want to recruit people?" Tuohuan couldn't hold it back and said: "Many of the positions you occupy have exceeded the traditional rules. No matter who you replace, they are not in compliance with the rules. It's time , and you still teach others not to learn well.”

Others already knew about her escape from prison. Moreover, everyone also discovered that she is actually very "motivated" - at least much more positive than Li Xuanying. Therefore, they just talked about it for a few words, and they were not too surprised that she had also practiced martial arts.

Tuo Huan and others looked at each other for a few times and remained silent for the time being.

"Your Majesty, since you understand the life at the bottom, you should be able to understand how difficult it is to survive there." Odosia asked Zhu Wenkui: "If you were in this kind of environment, to what extent could you do it?"

Zhu Wenkui couldn't answer for a while. After all, neither his father nor he seemed to have inherited much of the martial arts skills of his ancestors. Many of his previous actions were carried out by Captain Jashka and others, and these people were actually recruited by his father using the name of King Wu. . Grandpa still knew how difficult the situation was back then. If he were thrown into such a truly low-level environment and started from scratch, he probably wouldn't be able to survive.

"Yes, there are very few weirdos like your sister. And it can't just be brute force."

"There is nothing wrong with what I said." Theodora said nonchalantly: "Since there are men and women in the world, they have their respective responsibilities. Men have the power provided by the court and official positions, and women also have corresponding positions. This is also Is there anything wrong?"

"It is wrong for women to compete for the power to dominate the country." Tuohuan replied: "We in Rome have always been generous and benevolent. It does not mean that we should look down on anyone, but we just need to put the right people in the right positions. On the surface, you Even using this reason is actually just changing the concept, because women’s position does not include running the country.”

"Aristotle has long said that women are not suitable for the work of governing the country, so they should be kept away from power. If we continue to let it go, even if we succeed for a while and gain huge power, the result will be Empress Lu of the Han Dynasty , the fate of Empress Wei of the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, it is like not letting a child play with fire. It seems to be restricting freedom, but in fact it is protecting him. ""The nature of power is actually bloody and cruel, and it is far more harmful than anything else. How can they withstand the flames? Even if they are as smart and vicious as the Empress Wu, they will lose their troops and lose their territory in the end, and they will not be able to protect themselves. After all, we are also hurting. Because I love the people of the world and love these women, I forbid them to do this. "

"What you mean is that lower-class women have fewer opportunities than men. Everyone agrees on this, and there is no need to hide it." He turned to Eudocia and said: "But this is not that we are discriminating against anyone. It is a requirement for fair governance.”

"The foundation of our Rome is the legion. Even if male citizens are poor, they can join the legion and serve the country, so they deserve to be rewarded. But women's fighting ability is inherently inferior to men, and they are basically unable to serve the legion and the country. If the state provides equal help, then the state can only give them relatively little power. If they must have the same power as men, let these people who cannot serve as qualified soldiers compete for limited official positions and benefits. It’s not fair. What will the veterans think?”

"When Rome and Carthage fought, Roman veterans could get fields, wealth, and slaves, but Carthage's veterans didn't get their due rewards. Instead, they were suppressed and massacred at every turn. As a result, Carthage was eventually destroyed. , Those who enjoy the success without respecting the soldiers have not received good results. Isn’t this lesson enough?”

"It's not that we don't give them a chance." He continued to explain: "It was stipulated in the Augustus era that mothers who gave birth to more than three children could break away from the shackles of patriarchal authority and obtain a status equal to that of men. Because she Although we have not fought in person, we have provided enough troops for the country and deserve this status. We still retain this policy because it is in line with the basic principles of justice."

"In your case..." He hesitated and said, "If you want to obtain formal status, you need to have enough legal descendants with him; if you want to legalize your marriage and offspring, you need to obtain a higher official status... It seems that the logic is stuck, and I admit that there are some difficulties, but it can be solved without violating the principle of justice.”

When he finished speaking, Eudocia just continued to smile bitterly and did not answer, but Theodora disagreed.

"The words of Aristotle that you quoted are just changing the concept." She retorted: "Plato recorded that Socrates discussed the issue of endowment with Glaucon, but that was not what he said. "

"Socrates said that some people are bald and some have long hair. This is a difference in endowment, and everyone can see it directly. However, if we use this as a reason to prohibit bald people from being shoemakers, or If people with long hair are prohibited from becoming shoemakers, everyone will think this rule is too ridiculous, because this kind of talent has nothing to do with the qualities required for shoemakers.”

"Similarly, the quality of building and managing a country comes from education, not inherent differences in gender. Therefore, Socrates believed that women can also become guardians of the country and participate in management responsibilities. Aristotle's statement , that’s what it means to deviate from the master and the teacher.”

"Socrates and Plato originally analyzed well, but Aristotle insisted on tampering with it and adding his own ideas. As a result, for nearly two thousand years, everyone praised Aristotle's discussion but forgot Is this the true meaning of philosophy?”

"Princess." At this time, Eudocia interrupted her.

"I'm very grateful that you can understand me, but in this matter, Taiji is closer to the truth than what you said." She said, sighing: "I think we need to first understand what Rome is. And Your understanding in this regard seems to be somewhat biased.”

"I have read the history of Rome and the history of Seris. I believe you must have read it too. But in fact, Rome is not a country like Seris. It is a shell of the army. The entire country and its All policies are centered on the military. If we cannot always see this, we may not be able to understand so many problems.”

"Taiji has just said why some people get preferential treatment." She said to Theodora: "The logic here is actually very simple."

"The Roman government was actually an auxiliary department supporting the legions. The most basic purpose of setting up workshops was to provide armaments and farming equipment; to conduct commercial activities was to obtain military expenditures; to manage and encourage fertility and education was to Provide qualified recruits.”

"The legion is responsible for the two core tasks of war and farming. They protect farmland through war, or acquire more farmland; and then through farming, they maintain their own survival and provide the consumption needed for the war. Dozens This system has been operating like this for many years, and it is indeed combat-friendly and efficient. The entire Mediterranean world has probably not seen this kind of system for a long time.”

"Unless they suffer a serious defeat and prevent this cycle from continuing, the country and the army will be forced to stop and collapse. However, I don't think any of the forces around them can stop it." Ou Dorthea shook her head:

"Moreover, the vastness of the barbarian areas has far exceeded that of ancient Rome; our development capabilities have also improved too much. This has made the benefits of war and development huge, and most people have indeed gained more or more from this. There is little or no benefit, and I don’t see the possibility of this system stopping in the short term.”

"Isn't this a good thing?" Tuo Huan asked.

"Yes. But such a system, through strong organization, forcibly improves the efficiency of social operations to an astonishing degree. Its efficiency is indeed very high, and it can make the most efficient use of all manpower and resources. Maybe, That’s why it’s so powerful in combat.” Eudosia thought for a while and said:

"But equally, if you are not needed by the Legion, then these resources will be far away from you. And because of their efficient organization, there is almost no room for maneuver in this situation."

"I have been thinking that even without the special experience of the Li family, my profession would have received far more contempt than other parts of Europe. In ancient Greek dynasties and in other parts of Europe, there were actresses who became kings and nobles. Their mistresses, even wives. But here..." She shook her head: "I realized early on that this is not even determined by the Li family's own attitude."

"And you should also consider this issue." She reminded.

(End of this chapter)