Chi-Jung. Sung 、
Department of Civic Education CoUege of Education
Abstract
In αlmaslogans，“Democracy" and “Science". were adopted during the New Culture Movement" 扭 1919. Most Chinese in those days were im bued with the idea of westernization to such an extent that they neglected the old moral tradition. Also, the scientific achievements in ancient China did not arrest their attention. As a matter of act, the scientific knowledge of the Chinese.in ancient times was as broad as that of the western people. Emperor Yao (2357 B. C.?
- 2257 B. C. ?), the legendary sovereign of Chinese people, was very much concerned with the celetial phenomena because of its influence on the mundane' affairs. Some fifty years later, Emperor Yu (2205 B. C. ? - 2160 B. C. ?), another sovereign, controlled successfully the flood of the Yellow River. These two examples proved at least one thing: the Chinese people in ancienUime had strong interest in sciences.
In 1966, the late Presiden t αlÏang Kai-shek promulgated
“
the Cu1tural Renaissance Movement". The purpose of themovement is to reemphasize the old moral tradition conpled with the recognition of profound scientific knowledge and ability the Chinese people have had. It goes without saying that the renova-tion is not the r~storation of something old, but the reevaluation of them. It is logical that the Chinese cu1tural heritage should be extolled and broadened in order to enact the Three Principles of the People (“San Min Chu 1") as indicated by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, founder of the Repub1ic of China.Dr. Sun said, “there is an old moral tradition heldcontinuously by Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen, Yu, Duke Chöu and Confucius. My philosophy, in a word, is an inheritance of the tradition which is worth to be brightened and broadened."
The following words related closely to the Chinese moral tradition were - 52 一
e ture and nciples o[ the People
stated c1early in the Book o[ History (
“
Shang Shu"):一People are the basis on which a nation ís established. To fortify the basis is to make a nation formidable.
- To rectify the moral principles, to uti1ize the available materials and to achieve a prosperous livelihood.
-Heaven sees according to what my people see, heaven hears as my people her.
一Moralprinciple makes a good government, and a good government provides the people with good living conditions.
-Lοve your own relatives other than strange persons, respect your own old folks other than the young.
All in all, these words are so meaningful that the modern scholars accept them as goals which a democratic and prosperous country strives to attain.
(1) Fi1ial Du ty
Ethics goes a10ng with the fami1y system. To the Chinese people, the filial duty is the first and foremost ethica1 standard. With the standard in his mind"
Emperor Yao found his successor Shun. According to Ssu-ma Chien's work, General History (“Sai-chi"), Shun's father was a blind man and, after the death of his first wife, he married another woman. Since then Shun was i11-treated by his parents and his stepbrother Shiang. Shiang attempted several times to kill him but fai1ed to do so. becaqsé' of his escape. Through thick and thin devotìon, loya1ty Shun was sti11 a gqod son to lùs p缸entsand a good elder brother to Slùang. After fulfi1ling the, fi11ia1 d uty, a virtuous man like Sh un, as the Confucianists insisted, became the ruler of a good government. At this point, Dr. Sun conc1uded,“the mora1 disciplines are indispensable to the establishment of a country and the moral disciplines are helpful to put the whole world in order."
(2) Peopleto be Served
The Chinese people, origina11y living a primitive life, were led to civi1ization by their distinguished leaders. Few examples are given here. Fu-shi was famed for teaching people how to tie a knot in order to knit a net. The nomadic group thus settled down at a place to be fishermen since then. Sheng-lun was famed for teaching people to taise COfl1S in accordance with the c1imatic conditions and the
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fertility of the 1and. Al1 of them' had just one thing to be considered: Their peop1e should be first served. Dr. Sun said:
“
live1ihood is the esseuce of history."To e1aborate the theory he 1isted four criteria for a prosperous 1ivelihood.
“
in a country where the abilities of its peop1e are ftil1y mobilized, where the daily necessities are fully supplied, where the 1and is here and there exp1ored, and where the commodities are free1y transmitted."(3) The Govemment Ruled byMan of Virtue
The govemment ru1ed by the virtuous man is certain1y a government of benevo1ence and tolerance. Confucius said:
“
He who exercises government by means of mora1 disciplines may be compared to the North' Polar star, which keeps 'its place and all stars turn fowards it." He added.“
If a man can for one day subdue himself and retum to mora1 discip1in間， all under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to him." Mencius went 扭to detail in this respect as saying,“
He who is keeping the mora1 discip1ines practices benevolence and lolerance,“
is the sovereign of his people. To become a soyereign of his peop1e, he need not wait for a broad territory.“
Both Confucius and Mencius emphasized that what the virtuous men follow is the ,so-cal1ed“
royal way弋 the way leading to a govern-ment of benevo1ence and to1erance."(4) The GOQd司'leighborPolicy
The Chinese are known as a peace~loving peop1e. It is true that Huang-ti (2697 B. C. ?一 2598 B. C. ?) had engaged himse1f in two wars. But those were ho1y wars - the banishment of vicious men. When Emperor Yao enthroned, he devoted himse1f to the affection of nine classes of re1atives and the co-existence of ten thousand countries. As a resu1t all peop1e under heaven revered him. In Emperor Shun's days, the territory was expanded to 5,000 square miles (1 i) and the ,people
“
within four' seas" paid respect to him. Confucius app1auded those ru1ers and said,“
moral discip1ines do not simply stand a1one. He who keeps them will hàve neighbors.'" In a speech named,‘'The Pan-Asianism" given in 1924 in Yokohama, Dr. Sun denoted the Good-neighbor Policy which the new republic is to pursue. He said: “We hope to inf1uence other peop1es instead of suppress-ing them. What 1 mean' is that we like to see other peop1es to be influenced by morality instead of being threatened by force. The Chinese cu1ture is aimed at-54 一
Theαrinese Traditional Culture and The ree Principles 01 the People
the royal way-the way of benevolence and tolerance prevailing all over the wor1d."
(5) 訂閱 GoldenMean."
“四le Gold mean was first mentioned in the Book 01 Histo吵，“Tohold fast .the due mean, please," Emperor Yuo told Shun when the latter was appointed his successor. Just in the same words Emperor Shun told his successor Yu. Thus, the golden mean was handed down and maintained from one ruler to another.
Several subjects mentioned in last few sections, sueh as the moral disciplines, the government ruled by virtuous men and the good-neighbor polícy, can be attached to the golden mean. Dr. Sun said "c1early that The Three Principles of the People are an embodiment of the Doctrine. This is the doctrine that the founder of the Repub1ic of China emphasized; that can be effectively practiced in this country and in international community as wel1.
There is an argument whether the old moral tradition has been discontinued after the death of Mencius. According to Han Yu, the great poet in Tang Dynasty, Confucius left the tradition to Mencius. Since Mencius died, however, the hext holder of the tr叫ition did not appear." The opposite of his argument is possibly true. The old moral tradition is being held in one way or another even if both Confucius and Mencius passed away some thousands years ago. It is undeniable that most rulers from Han Dynasty to Ching Dynasty knew just little about the teachings of Emperor Yuo and Emperdr Shun. The “royal way" was more or less abandoned by them. Then came Dr. Sun, the great leader df this century, and he deemed it a duty to be the inheritor of the old moral tradition.On the very day Dr. Sun was born Chinese culture carried a nøle of hope once again.
The moral tradition advocated by Dr. Sun is composed of the ‘'royal way"
and the golden mean. The former means
“
what to be," while the latter means“where to be." The Three Principle of the Peoples will according1y be enacted in the following ways:
a. The Principle of Nationalisni
1. To líberate the Chinese people from o1igarchy;
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2. To give every ethnic group in China equa,1 opportunity;
3. To help deliver the people of the wor1d from any form of oppression.
b. The Principle of Democracy
1. The anthentic equality; equality from the starting point; equality of opportunities; service to avett inequality to equality.
2.' The rights sufficient1y e吋oyed by the people; direct votes to elect officials and to make law.
3. A all-powerful government.
c. The Principle of Livelihood
1. The equalization of land-ownership;
2.
“
The land to the tiller" program;3. The control of private capital and the development of national capital.
The enactment of The Three Principles of the People will provide all the Chinese people with opportunity to be equal ethnically, politically and economic-aUy. The new epoch of Chinese culture has begun since Dr. Sun founded the frrst democratic Republic in Asia. It is certain that the Chinese people, being the holder of the old moral tradition, will attain the goals: to establish a strong and prosperous China and to promote the brotherhood of peoples in the wor1d.
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