Shangjun shu

The "Shangjun shu", also known as the "Writings of the Prince of Shang", is a significant text in Chinese tradition that is over 2000 years old. Often referred to as the "Machiavelli" of ancient China, this work offers profound insights into the rationalization of political order. It has had a lasting impact on Chinese statecraft and still provides relevant concepts for political discourse in China today. The ideas of raison d'état and their enforcement contributed to the founding of the unified empire and remain significant in modern times. Kai Vogelsang was the first to translate the text completely into German and, in his introduction, offers a readable history of power and violence in ancient China. Numerous commentaries help make the classical Chinese text understandable for modern readers.