Guanzi (text)

The Guanzi (Chinese: 管子) is an anonymously written, foundational Chinese political and philosophical text. Compiled in the early Han dynasty, earlier, similar versions are suggested to date back to the late Warring states period, with ideas ranging farther back; despite its later dating, it is arguably one of the most representative texts of the concepts of political economy that developed during the Spring and Autumn period. At over 135,000 characters, it is one of the longest early Chinese philosophical texts, originally comprising 86 chapters, of which 76 survive. It covers broad subject matter, famously including price regulation of commodities via the concept of "light and heavy" (轻重). Ming dynasty agricultural scientist Xu Guangqi still frequently cited the Guanzi and the Xunzi.