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China in the 21st Century

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China in the 21st Century

Jeffery Wasserstrom, author of "China in the 21st Century; What Everyone Needs to Know”, summarizes the main concept of his book in Part I: Historical Legacies with, "To understand today's China, it is crucial to know something about its past" (Wasserstrom, 2010, xxi). Wasserstrom tries to deliver the key concepts of China’s historical events to understand the foundation of the country starting from the early dynasties. The book starts off with historical events, pointing out the key people who contributed towards shaping the nation as a whole with their philosophical beliefs, and ending with tracing the steps of the evolution on China’s political, ritual, and educational traditions into the todays time, the 21st century. Throughout the book, Wasserstrom addresses various questions that comes to mind by Westerners pertaining to China and its historical events that are frequently overlooked due to ignorance of the matter: “Who was Confucius?, Was history important to Confucius?, Why is Confucius back in favor?, Who was Deng Xiaoping?, What were Confucius’s core ideas?, Who was Mao Zedong?, Who was Deng Xiaoping?”.
- Confucius was a teacher and a philosopher who lived during the Zhou Dynasty 1045-256 B.C.E.. He valued education, ritual, and hierarchal relationships that is mutually beneficial between higher and lower ranking parties. Knowledge has always been a positive thing, learning through education only lifts you higher and provide you with an open mind towards the unknown. Ritual, the second most valued belief, the social order would be jeopardized otherwise. Confucius had a perspective where it is possible for people to live together in a peaceful and well-governed land as long as there is a fair-minded ruler. One example that Confucius used for the hierarchal relationship between a superior and inferior was a father and son, where the father should be a good role model for what he would want his son to be one day. “Practice what you preach”, is what some would call it. In order to successfully set an example, one must be THE example. Confucius valued history, and believed that the best refinement a king can provide for their current reign for the members of society is to practice rituals from historical times so that people can once again find the proper conduct to live by. Again, this sums up all three core values of Confucius’s beliefs, Knowledge of the past is the key to sustaining traditional practices in the future. You have to learn the mistakes and details of past events in order to prepare and improve for a better future. Mao Zedong, is mentioned throughout the book, and is known as the founding father of the People’s Republic of China. He held the role of Chairman of the Communist Party of China until he passed away. He was described as a unjust ruler who had a great vision for his people but he executed his views in a forceful matter which rubbed the people of China the wrong way. Deng Xiaoping is what Wasserstrom refers to as “the architect of the Reform and Opening” policies that to this day continues to steer China’s towards a more prosperous future than what Mao had left behind. Deng’s approach towards leadership allows him to stand out from the rest, being the first Chinese Communist leader to move away from a charismatic approach to leading. I agree with Confucius’s values and beliefs of historical knowledge of ones country. Learning the events, and actions of previous rulers is important for future leaders to not only learn from their mistakes, but also gain some pointers from a wise philosopher and carry on their wisdom and continue to pass it down to future generations and leaders so that the nation may continue to prosper as a whole.

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