Our Golden Age

易中天 is fast becoming my favorite Chinese author.

Besides his magnum opus 《品三国》, I am currently reading his two other books, 《品人录》 and 《帝国的惆怅》. I like his irreverent writing style and his pretty unique insights on the character and psychology of mundane historical figures in Chinese history. Also, I can identify with some of their character flaws. It is quite scary to see these folks meet their ghastly end, and to the extent that one can learn from history, I do hope I don't end up like them.

易中天 claims that if there is a golden age in Chinese history, it would be the 春秋战国 period.

This is quite a unique claim. Conventional wisdom is that the apex of the Chinese civilization is somewhere in the Han and Tang period. After all, 春秋战国is a period of upheaval and strife, a period where might is right.

But, 春秋战国is the only period in Chinese history that allows plurality of thought to thrive under a tolerant climate of intellectual freedom. This is the only time in Chinese history (before Xinhai anyway) that the 先秦诸子 (philosophers/thinkers), argue among themselves to figure out how to realize the ideal life, the ideal society and the ideal world.

After the founding of the Qin Dynasty, an autocratic system of centralized imperial power is established in China. The old system of vassalage (封建) is abolished and a new system of 郡县 is established. 儒家思想 is promoted by the autocrat because it meets the needs of the new centralized, autocratic system. It is the only orthodox school of thought as it bolsters the authority of the ruling scholar-bureaucrats and most importantly, the emperor (君君、臣臣、父父、子子).

I am reminded of Marx’s brilliant insight on the interplay of ideas and power in society- “The ideas of the ruling class are in each epoch the ruling ideas.”

I was wondering whether Singapore has an orthodox school of thought similar in intent and purpose.

Maybe it is pragmatism and stable economic growth?

The 1950s would be our golden age then.