Key points of China develops as human civilization

The key points of China developed as humanized civilization

  Frank（Hongde）Li   July 31, 2024, in  Canada

The process of the humanistic development of the civilization of China was the process of constantly summing up experience, taking measures, and avoiding repeating suffering historical mistakes.

In compared with the sadness of the west, the key of China is able to develop as humanized civilization is at that in the turning points of history, rational people emerge to turn the wheel towards humanity from inhumanity. Moreover, in most cases, rational people are able to gain domination and take lessons to avoid the mistakes of history.

However, the west has been in satisfying as is by maintaining the outdated world order and consensuses. So that German philosopher Hegel (1770—1831), who sighed: “What experience and history teach is this, that peoples and governments have never learned anything from history, and have never acted on the lessons that should have been learned from it.” This was the reason that the west has been living in the Law of Jungle in the warlike threat life until this day.   

Since ancient time, China unified dozens of races as one country avoided wars in feudal centralized govern by choosing a polymath from outside the royal lineage to govern. The quality people on power promoted intellectual engine of people thinking and pursuing towards humanized way of focusing on how to make better social governance.

In China with the accumulation of Chinese characters (about 3000) to realize written expression, in Zhou dynasty (1046 BC – 256 BC), the development of civilization entered its heyday. Purposefully developed Ritual and Music system culturing people in music, etiquette, hierarchy and abiding by law, morality and social norms to have made a orderly; also for the control of remote regions, made enfeoffment of royal families as vassal states of independent economies for war machines as that of the aristocrats in Europe to have planted seeds for wars.

In 771BC, the endless enfeoffment weakened royal lost control on vassal states and fell into 550 years of wars between about 100 vassal states. The wars were killing between members of royal families, which show that the people of China also share the similar instinct for looting and killing once society lost control.

The wars enlightened that ideologies can be used to deceive people for wars and reshape the mentality of people as warriors; and the enfeoffment in Vassal State is in planting independent economy war machines.

Therefore, after more than10 years efforts, in 221BC, the Vassal State Oin cleaned up all of vassal states of war machines to have reunited China, gave up enfeoffment to centralized govern in ministries, provinces and counties (This has been copied globally) by selecting learned people as officials in Technocratic Democracy, later developed Imperil Examination for selecting learned people as officials (this one is no one copy).

China burned books in touting enfeoffment for plating war machines, while live buried 460 scholars who insisted to restore the enfeoffment with armed riots, later outlawed all schools of thought to respect Confucian as only moral guidance.

The warlike tragic life enlightened thinkers promoted the humanized development of civilization; to the time of 140BC outlawed all schools of thought to respect Confucianism as only moral guidance; under Gov-conduct, China has basically established social elements to this day in leading philosophies, ideologies, religions, politics, medicine, etc..

No one mention this point yet; but I believed the actual effects as so: By dialectic philosophy Daoism settled down the relationship between man and nature; by moral guidance Confucianism settled down the relationship between man and man; by legal system Legalism settled down the relationship between man and society; and by government specially sent people to invite Buddhism from India to have comforted the relationship between man and mind.

Thus, the quality people under quality social governance created quality wealthy life to have promoted people in collective genes and developed Collectivistic Civilization with Collectivistic Values. Since ancient times, the neighboring countries people were attracted to share Confucian values to have formed Confucian Asia in Asian Values.

I call such a civilization as China Confucianism based Eastern collectivistic civilization; due to it was originated by purposefully culturing people as quality people, so that all of its social elements are suitable for the survival of human being.

Today China is still in Technocratic Democracy by engineers; entrepreneurs; economists and quality social elites as lawmakers as part time in self-reliance; the top leadership is a politburo of 7 members that promoted based on quality from grassroots gradually; without consensus from meeting; no one allowed to talk at will; thus avoided personal dictatorship and ensured the collective wisdoms in governance under the most strict accountability globally.

Now tracks back the history of China, it was always selecting rational people in dominated social governance; so that it was able to timely sum up the lessons and good experience to map new blue print promoting progress. But you will see below that the Europe bloody based West is always in low quality idiots dominated.

We can say that the civilization of China was originated from using rituals, music and Confucianism to teach people to be qualified people by selecting quality people as officials.

Tracking back at the history of world widely in the development in human culture or civilization, we may generally say that, to a large extent, it was a history that was created by certain individual; who promoted human or inhuman.

In China, at every critical historical juncture that faced social transformation, there was always rational thinker appeared to correct the wheel of history to further promote the civilization of China developing towards humanized.

Guan Zhong (720–645 BC), who designed frame of social governance of China             Back to Top

A philosopher of chancellor of the vassal state Qi, who designed comprehensive forms in politics and society in geography, officials selection, tax collection, legal system, etc.. The officials were strictly assess-promoted; impose taxation and economic autocracy directly reaching village level. He proposed "by law ruling country" and defined the relationship between legal power, responsibility, lawmaking, enforcement and law-abiding. In a larger extent, the ideas was inherited to this day to have laid foundation for orderly social governance.

To a large extent, Guan Zhong, who drew a blueprint for social governance of China on a blank paper.

Qin Mugong (659–621 BC), who initiated quality people as officials

Qin Mugong, who was the King of weak Vassal State Qin, who recognized that people are in different quality, some are smart and some are not, so that he initiated the practice of guest minister invited from other Vassal States with group of capable people as consultants. Since then China formed trend of choosing learned people as officials to govern.

Sun Tzu (545—470BC), suggested subduing the enemy without fighting            Back to Top

He wrote the Art of War in 5th century BC; the purpose was not how to win the war; but how to avoid war with that supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.

Confucius (551–479 BC), who found moral guidance Confucianism                Back to Top

Confucius, who was a philosopher in vassal state Chu, he lifelong strives to establish social order by restoring the war destroyed rituals and music system; his followers edited his sermons to be respected as Confucian or Confucianism and it was continuously developed in lasting centuries by adding the thoughts of thinkers.

Confucius was not limited in empty preaching, but killed people with potential for evil. Confucius was not a dogmatist in just simply kindness preaching, but also flexibly put own thoughts into social governance personally; even kills the man with crime potential as prevention for bad results.

According to historical record, Confucius once worked as judicial officer of the State Lu, only 7 days after he took the position, he killed a man named Shao Zhengmao who has not committed any crime at all, but was just in a possibility of committing crime according to his speeches and potential mentality. Confucius believed that people have five evils, as long as a person has one of them, it cannot escape from the killing by the gentleman; but the theft is not included.

1... It is sober in introspection, but, is sinister in actual.

2... It is sinful in action but stubborn in unrepentant.

3... It is in hypocritical and is also in good at sophistry.

4... It is memorized something in weird, messy and numerous.

5... It is a clear mistake but still beautifies it.

Enlightenment leader Voltaire admired Confucius very much and says that Confucius completed the moral science, in Philosophical Dictionary, he wrote that:

I knew a philosopher who had no other portrait than that of Confucius in his study. At the bottom of it were written the following lines:

Without assumption he explored the mind,

Unveiled the light of reason to mankind;

Spoke as a sage, and never as a seer,

Yet, strange to say, his country held him dear.

Ximen Bao (445–396 BC), who uprooted soil for religions in 400 BC     Back to Top

Ximen Bao, who was a philosopher, a government minister of Vassal State Wei. Oct. 2, 2014, I once wrote article Why did China not produce harmful native religions said that “People appreciate the 5,000 years continuous civilization of China, however, most of people have overlooked the nature of the civilization, the valuable point, is not in the length of time, but, in the continuously documented historical facts – the facts in success and failure, which made valuable references, so that the future generations can avoid to repeat mistakes with lesser Detour. The accumulation of experiences is wisdom.”

In 2400 years ago China, in Ye County, today Henan Province, China, took the chance of frequently floods, the local officials with witch conspiracy levy money by the name of presenting a girl as wife to please river God to avoid river flooding, and thus drowning innocent girl every year, and defrauds wealth of people into own pockets by the name of wedding. Ximen Bao who thrown the witch and her accomplices into the river with the name of sending a message to the river God, he will chose a more beautiful girl as wife later.

In order to eliminate the disaster of flooding, Xi Menbao suggested excavating canals to Irrigate farmlands and eliminate floods, but, people refused to do such a hard job, then, Xi Menbao forced them to dig twelve canals as a water irrigation system that serves to this day.

At that time, Ximen Bao made a famous comment: the ordinary people can only share enjoying the fruits but can never willingly share the hardship for planting the fruits. Government must force them to do something that will benefit to them, but, does not hope to convince them in advance.

The story has been widespread in China with many history books and textbooks, until to this day. I think that it is the main reason that China did not form any harmful Religions. 

Ximen Bao has created meaningful warnings for officials of all generations to uproot the cheating by Gods and related behavior and more importantly that Government must force people to do something that will benefit to them, never hope convincing them in advance to do stupid things that don't work.

Shang Yang (390–338 BC), who proposed standard legal terms and made equality before the law

A guest minister came from vassal state Wei to Qin, a Legalist who proposed standard legal terms, made equality before the law, and the loyalty to the state is above that of family. He introduced material rewards into law by making twenty military ranks and rewards system, based upon battlefield achievements with rewards of lands and other life necessaries. More achievements more rewards.

Shang Yang deprived the privileges of nobility in bloodline inheritance and made them in same rights as common civilians. He introduced land reforms, privatized land to farmers, and rewards farmers who exceeded harvest quotas. He encouraged migration of peasants from other states into Qin by providing them with farmland and life supports; this policy simultaneously increased the manpower of Qin and weakened the manpower of Qin's rivals.

Shang Yang made many legal reforms in effective social governance and helped weaker vassal state Qin built the military power.

The records say that the rewards made Qin citizens willing to join the army and made all efforts to get more achievements from battlefield for getting more rewards. On the battlefield, the soldiers threw away their armor in bared chest and back to chase the enemy, chasing preys, chasing rewards of money and property. This was the reason in centuries later; the guest Minister Li Si was able to clean up all of Vassal States to have reunited China and uprooted soil for wars.

However, since then, in the West, the war machine aristocracies have ruled for more than 2,000 years. In today's modern democracy, the state still plays the role of war machine, bombing everywhere and destroying human world and now is in pushing humans towards atomic bomb cremated.

Li Si (280–208 BC), who initiated centralized govern in ministries, provinces and counties

A guest minister came from vassal state Chu to Qin, who initiated to clean up the enfeoffed vassal states of war machines in 221BC and turns to centralized govern in ministries, provinces and counties (copied globally) by selecting learned people as officials. He burned books in advocating enfeoffment and live buried 460 scholars who deadly insist to enfeoffment for war machine with armed riots. Li Si instrumental in systematizing standard measures and currency in post-unified China; he unified the width of the carriage rails, unified and systematize the written Chinese language by banned use of other forms of written patterns; and many other unified efforts in social elements in post-unified China to have made foundation on Chinese culture for thousands of years.

Dong Zhong Shu (179–104BC) who simplified Confucianism as easy remembers and implement

A Confucian scholar in Han Dynasty, who systematized scattered recorded Confucianism as easy remember and implement – the son obeys to father, the wife obeys to husband; the minister obeys to monarch, the young respects elderly, everyone must abide by law; keep promise, do not do unto others what self would not have them do unto self, etc..

Emperor Wu (156–87 BC) who outlawed schools of thoughts and initiated Imperial Examination

Han Dynasty (202BC–220 AD), who mandated Confucianism as moral guidance in 140BC by outlawed all schools of thought by the suggestion of Dong Zhongshu, Otherwise, Confucianism may not benefit to society.

Emperor Wu held first Imperial Examination for selecting talent people as officials from grassroots and by which set model for subsequent dynasties used occasionally; and held annually in Song dynasty (960–1279) until 1905.

He kept talents to live in royal palace and later started their political career as top officials.

It is impossible that hopes Confucianism helping to create a peaceful world.

Today, in West, there are many people hoping that Confucianism is able to help to create a peaceful world, such as, in 2022 Athens Democracy Forum, once held a special section of Aristotle and Confucius. Jeffrey Sachs, the professor at Columbia University, who once wrote article Confucius' Wisdom Can Assist us in Overcoming Modern Challenges in 12 October 2023.

But that is impossible according to the rational practice of China. In china all of rational measures were Gov-enforced. Because of, the people of China understand the reality that good measures often infringe on the interests of irrational people, they will strongly oppose it. Also many people are irrational that cannot do something willingly.

More importantly, Confucius's collectivist thoughts are in fatal conflict and are incompatible with the individualistic thoughts that worshiped by the people in the West. People would never realize the sad reality that it is just the individualistic thoughts in killing the economy and the life of the West and world widely.

In 1953, China initiated Five Principles governing China’s relations with foreign countries.

The Five Principles, as stated in the Sino–Indian Agreement 1954, are listed as:

1... Mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty,

2... Mutual non-aggression,

3... Mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs,

4... Equality and co-operation for mutual benefit, and

5... Peaceful co-existence

Dialectic Philosophy Daoism guided China as humanized civilization            Back to Top

Dialectic philosophy Daoism is the leading philosophy of China as cornerstone of the civilization of China 

Philosophy affects the way of people in thinking and therefore affecting the way of people in behaving; and which will affect people in thinking and pursuing of the intellectual engine in driving the outcomes of people in social activities; and which will affect the quality of its accompanied civilization.

Philosophy Daoism (China, 500-400BC) dialectically views the universe as a system of the unity of opposites, which is composed of many components - subsystem with own feature of unity of opposites in the state of dynamic balance. The two sides of unity of opposites are interdependent as the part of each other’s existence. Dao embodies the harmony of the unity of opposites by regulating the natural processes and nourishing the balance of the opposites. By Yin and Yang represent the two opposites in symbiosis coexists, one ebbs and another grows, and vice versa. Yin represents the dark, negative, the female, cloudy, cold and the Earth, etc.. Yang represents the bright, positive, the male, sunny, hot, and the Heaven, etc. They are in accompanying coexistence; there would be no male without female, no bright without dark. 

                                   

Therefore, the universe is a system that is in the state of dynamic balance through continuous self-balance. 

Due to the Daoism is developed by observing the real world in geography, astronomy, society and daily life, rather than by idealistic fantasy, so that the primitive dialectical view generated in thousands of years ago is well coinciding with the objective world and modern science in nature world.  

In objective reality

In micro perspective, as small as atom, extranuclear electrons cloud with the nucleus are both in the state of attraction and repulsion, the electronics rotating around the nucleus in dynamic equilibrium. They are in the state unity of opposites. Atoms are the components to compose of natural substance; also, include human body.

In macro perspective, the planets with the sun in solar system, and solar system with other galaxies are all in the continuously rotating in the state of self-regulation by attraction and repulsion of each other. They are also in the state of dynamic equilibrium of unity of opposites.  

In subjective reality            Back to Top

The dialectical thinking is very important when dealing with the social contradiction. In social life, various social contradictions or problems are also the unity of opposites, the two sides of contradiction are the integral part of each other in co-exist or co-perish; the strong and weak position of the contradiction is in the state of dynamic converting. 

Daoism is the cornerstone of the civilization of China             Back to Top

The dialectical thinking is very important when dealing with the social contradiction. Daoism is best matching with both objective reality and subjective reality without false illusions. Therefore, the Daoism is perfect rational for dealing with the complex issues naturally, socially and physically. 

The way of dialectically view of Daoism helps people of China to look at, analyze and solve social problems from multiple perspectives, the factors in positive and negative, and the potential consequences, as detailed as possible. In which way, the solution will be more realistic and less error-making.

As one of the important ancient philosophies of China, the Daoism is the cornerstone of the civilization of China with influencing the social governance and the civilization of East & South Asia, and the population from China globally. 

The dialectical philosophy Daoism cultured people of China with the quality of dialectical thinking; so that the people of China carefully dealing with anything by looking at problems from different angles, at different sides and at different levels, the good consequence and the bad consequence in detailed without omissions or mistake. 

Due to that rational reasoning can be deep into many levels with series of possible consequences as that of judging domino effect; so that lesser reckless; never positively aggression and plundering others besides defense; which was the reason that China built Great Wall to avoid wars, rather than simply fight back to destroy enemy.

This is the reason that China built Great Wall to avoid wars and the big Zheng He fleet 7 times around the world without looting and colonizing; and bringing books to Italy to trigger the Renaissance. This is the root reason that the people of China and the people in neighboring countries are able to enjoy a long peaceful life. 

However, friendly and kindness of China was viewed as weak and deceivable by the people who are with distorted reasoning function, which was the reason that foreigners repeatedly invaded China.

In comparison, the most of Westerners are lack of dialectical reasoning, so that they look at problem from intuitive appearance, rarely touches the deep level, and rarely takes into account of the bad consequences, which was the one of reasons that U.S. has been at war for all but 16 years of its 242-year history.

The humanized practice of China derived from the humanized guidance of rational dialectic philosophy Daoism; due to that it is the philosophy in determining people’s way of thinking and thereby deciding the practice wrong or right. 

The retired U.S. Army Colonel; government official; and an author, consultant, and television commentator, Dr. Douglas Abbott Macgregor who once indicates that, “Chinese are not like us. They think carefully. They consider all the options. For them the use of force is the last resort. But once they decide to use it, they go all the way to the end to be successful.”

Sep. 16, 2020, the founder and co-chairman of Bridgewater Associates, Mr. Ray Dalio who published article Changing World Order, Chapter 6: The Big Cycle of China and Its Currency; in which, he pointed out the different quality of people between China and the US: “Chinese leaders study history to learn lessons that help them plan for the future and deal with the cases at hand.  Believe me, the lessons learned from these histories are now guiding Chinese leaders’ decision making.”

“While the most of Americans focus on particular events, especially those that are now happening, most Chinese, especially their leaders see evolutions over time and put what is happening in the context of them. While Americans fight for what they want in the present, most Chinese strategize how to get what they want in the future. As a result of these different perspectives the Chinese are typically more thoughtful and strategic than Americans, who are more impulsive and tactical.”

The feudal royal rule helped China keeping in relative longer peace            Back to Top

Here I have to indicate that, in China, until 1911, Qing dynasty ended; it has been in feudal royal rule. It is worth appreciating that in any Dynasty, the officials were chosen society-wide outside of the royal bloodline, this is the most critical practice in social governance of China to ensured talents on power. Also feudal royal rule was able to keep government stable for hundreds years long to largely reduced social unrest due to the replacement of ruling power. Such as, the last royal rule of Qing dynasty (1644–1911) was last 267 years long.

The ballast stone made the civilization of China last 5000 of years             Back to Top

Historically, many settled farming civilizations were wiped out by barbaric nomads. Ancient Egypt, ancient Babylon, ancient India and China are collectively known as the four ancient civilizations; but other three were eliminated. Only the civilization of China uninterrupted last 5000 of years, why?

The so-called “wiped out” or “eliminated”, actually was the replacement of culture, mostly by religions. In China the famous dynasty, the Tang Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, were established by invading nomadic tribes. However, the nomadic tribe cannot carry out cultural replacement, and has to continue to use Chinese characters, respect Confucianism, respect ancestors, and continue to use the imperial examination system to select talents out of royal bloodline to govern the country. They also used the barbaric nature of the nomads to expand territory and developing culture; which has greatly developed and strengthened the civilization of China.

In my opinion, that outlawed all school of thoughts respect Confucianism only, and by imperial examination selecting officials become the cultural basis of civilization of China. Even if it was ever-changing in dynasty replacement and foreign invasions, but the cultural basis of China acted as a melting pot of foreign ethnic groups and cultures. Numerous foreign races and cultures trickle down into the long river of civilization of the China. It is said that 30% of Chinese vocabulary comes from Buddhist teachings of ancient India.

China once tried democracy; but found it was a demon for social garbage blood sucking

In 1912, facing humiliation of foreign aggressions, China once tried democracy; but found it was a demon for social garbage blood sucking by the name of democracy; then elects quality social elite in self-reliance as lawmaker in Technocratic Democracy.

The history of China was a history of summing up lessons to make improvements

Above I cited some representative person, who contributed the most to social governance; which showed the main trajectory of humanization of China; from which people would be convinced that the success of China today is root in long history.

French professor who commends the rigor in policy formulation in Ancient China

French professor who teaches Ph.D.s from China said that suppose you learnt the rigor in restricting the policy formulation and implementation by establish a complex system in Tang Dynasty of China, you must be in awe.

2020, the founder and co-chairman of Bridgewater Associates, Mr. Ray Dalio who published article Changing World Order, Chapter 6: The Big Cycle of China and Its Currency; in which, he pointed out the quality of people of China: “Chinese leaders study history to learn lessons that help them plan for the future and deal with the cases at hand. Believe me, the lessons learned from these histories are now guiding Chinese leaders’ decision making.”

“The core difference between Americans and the Chinese is that Americans put the individual above all else and the Chinese put the family and the collective above all else.” “Chinese leaders seek to run the country the way they think parents should run the family—from the top down, maintaining high standards of behavior, putting the collective interest ahead of any individual interest, with each person knowing their place and having filial respect for those in the hierarchy so that the system works in an orderly way.” “The Chinese government is run from the top down (like a family) and optimizes for the collective while the American approach is run from the bottom up (e.g., democracy) and optimizes for the individual.”

Now please look at the childish play or exactly say it is inhuman play of the European based West in social governance.