The Political Doctrines of Sun Yat-sen: An Exposition of the San Min Chu I — John Shaqi
The Political Doctrines of Sun Yat-sen: An Exposition of the San Min Chu ILinebarger, Paul Myron Anthony
History
The Political Doctrines of Sun Yat-sen: An Exposition of the San Min Chu I
Linebarger, Paul Myron Anthony
Sun, Yat-sen, 1866-1925. San min zhu yi
The importance of introducing Western political thought to the Far East
has long been emphasized in the West. The Chinese conception of a rational
world order was manifestly incompatible with the Western system of
independent sovereign states and the Chinese code of political ethics was
difficult to reconcile with the Western preference for a reign of law. No
argument has been necessary to persuade Westerners that Chinese political
philosophy would be improved by the influence of Western political
science.
The superior qualifications of Sun Yat-sen for the interpretation of
Western political science to the Chinese have also been widely recognized
in the West, particularly in the United States. Dr. Sun received a modern
education in medicine and surgery and presumably grasped the spirit of
Western science. He read widely, more widely perhaps than any contemporary
political leader of the first rank except Woodrow Wilson, in the
literature of Western political science. He was thoroughly familiar with
the development of American political thought and full of sympathy for
American political ideals. His aspiration to build a modern democratic
republic amidst the ruins of the medieval Manchu Empire, Americans at
least can readily understand.
What is only beginning to be understood, however, in the West is, that it
is equally important to interpret Chinese political philosophy to the rest
of the world. Western political science has contributed a great deal to
the development of political power. But it has failed lamentably to
illuminate the ends for which such power should be used. Political ethics
is by no means superfluous in lands where a government of law is supposed
to be established in lieu of a government of men. The limitation of the
authority of sovereign states in the interest of a better world order is
an enterprise to which at last, it may be hoped not too late, Westerners
are beginning to dedicate themselves.
As an interpreter of Chinese political philosophy to the West Dr. Sun has
no peer. Better than any other Chinese revolutionary leader he appreciated
the durable values in the classical political philosophy of the Far East.
He understood the necessity for preserving those values, while introducing
the Western political ideas deemed most proper for adapting the Chinese
political system to its new place in the modern world. His system of
political thought, therefore, forms a blend of Far Eastern political
philosophy and Western political science. It suggests at the same time
both what is suitable in Western political science for the use of the Far
East and what is desirable in Far Eastern political philosophy for the
improvement of the West.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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