Dilemmas of Determinism of Common Aspiration of the People—Study on Downfall of the Qin Dynasty and Establishment of the Han Dynasty

In Chinese history, the change of dynasties and the rulers often resorted to the violence of war, but the outcome of the war was not decided by people's emotional attitude. For a long time, common people were the governed and the powerless compared with the imperial family and the officials. Common people lacked effective means to resist external assault, and they were unable to determine the ownership of land. Determinism of common aspiration of the people cannot explain the changes of political situations in Chinese history. The Confucian advocating of popular feelings only represented a pursuit of values, and it was difficult to be proved by strong evidence. In the historical process of the Qin and Han Dynasties, the governors fought one another regardless of the people's feelings. They adopted a series of policies for victory in the war as a way to decide who would be the ultimate victor. This was also the general logic in regime changes in ancient China.