Emperor Taizong is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, emperor in all of Chinese history. His “Reign of Zhen Guan” is the golden age of Chinese history, under which China flourished economically and militarily.

Weizheng, one of his former enemy,  was known for being outspoken and argue with the Emperor all the time. When Weizheng died, Taizong said the following, “With a bronze mirror, one can see whether he is properly attired; with history as a mirror, one can understand the rise and fall of a nation; with men as a mirror, one can see whether he is right or wrong.” “以铜为镜可以正衣冠，以人为镜可以明得失，以古为镜可以知兴替”.

Just started a new The Teaching Company’s course: The Wisdom of History, in the first lecture Professor J.  Rufus Fears listed the following as his view on history, Read the rest of this entry »