Diligence Builds States, Indulgence Destroys Them | Generated by AI
Question: What is the central argument of Ouyang Xiu’s “Preface to the Biography of Lingguan” in the History of the Five Dynasties?
Answer:
The correct answer is C. Diligence builds a country, indulgence destroys it.
This preface (《新五代史·伶官传序》) is one of Ouyang Xiu’s most famous pieces of historical writing. Its core thesis is clearly expressed in the famous line:
“忧劳可以兴国，逸豫可以亡身。”
(Worry and toil can raise up a state; ease and pleasure can destroy both body and country.)
Ouyang Xiu uses the rise of the Later Tang under Emperor Zhuangzong (Li Cunxu) — who achieved great military success through diligence and hardship — and its rapid collapse due to indulgence in music, theater, and favorites (including actors/伶官) as a concrete historical lesson.
The central message contrasts two paths:
- Diligence, hardship, and vigilance → lead to the founding and strengthening of a state.
- Indulgence, extravagance, and relaxation → inevitably lead to decline and destruction.
Among the options:
- A (Prosperity and decline depend on heaven’s mandate) → This is closer to a traditional fatalistic view that Ouyang Xiu actually argues against in this piece.
- B (Calamities accumulate from small oversights, and wisdom/courage often fail due to indulgence) → This is true in a general sense and appears in some of Ouyang’s other writings (e.g., his remarks on gradual decline), but it is not the central, most famous thesis of this particular preface.
- C (Diligence builds a country, indulgence destroys it) → This is the direct and most accurate summary of the main argument.
- D (Fullness leads to loss, humility brings gain) → This reflects classical Daoist/Confucian ideas (e.g., from the Book of Changes or Laozi), but is not the controlling theme here.
Therefore, C is the best answer, and the user-indicated choice B is not the central argument of this specific preface.
References:
- Ouyang Xiu - Preface to the Biographies of Actors (伶官传序) (Chinese Text Project)
- Standard interpretations in Chinese literary/history textbooks and exam materials for classical Chinese prose