Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Westernization Movement and Early Thought of Modernization in China: Pragmatism and Changes in Society, 1860s–1900s Jianbo Zhou full chapter instant download
Westernization Movement and Early Thought of Modernization in China: Pragmatism and Changes in Society, 1860s–1900s Jianbo Zhou full chapter instant download
https://ebookmass.com/product/imperial-cults-religion-and-empire-
in-early-china-and-rome-robinson/
https://ebookmass.com/product/heavenly-numbers-astronomy-and-
authority-in-early-imperial-china-christopher-cullen/
https://ebookmass.com/product/mind-and-body-in-early-china-
beyond-orientalism-and-the-myth-of-holism-edward-slingerland/
https://ebookmass.com/product/liberal-states-authoritarian-
families-childhood-and-education-in-early-modern-thought-rita-
koganzon/
A Tripartite Self: Mind, Body, and Spirit in Early
China Lisa Raphals
https://ebookmass.com/product/a-tripartite-self-mind-body-and-
spirit-in-early-china-lisa-raphals/
https://ebookmass.com/product/towards-a-digital-epistemology-
aesthetics-and-modes-of-thought-in-early-modernity-and-the-
present-age-jonas-ingvarsson/
https://ebookmass.com/product/pragmatism-spirituality-and-
society-border-crossings-transformations-and-planetary-
realizations-ananta-kumar-giri/
https://ebookmass.com/product/origins-of-moral-political-
philosophy-in-early-china-contestation-of-humaneness-justice-and-
personal-freedom-tao-jiang/
https://ebookmass.com/product/modernization-and-urban-water-
governance-organizational-change-and-sustainability-in-europe-
bolognesi/
PALGRAVE STUDIES IN ECONOMIC HISTORY
Westernization Movement
and Early Thought of
Modernization in China
Pragmatism and Changes
in Society, 1860s–1900s
Jianbo Zhou
Palgrave Studies in Economic History
Series Editor
Kent Deng, London School of Economics, London, UK
Palgrave Studies in Economic History is designed to illuminate and enrich
our understanding of economies and economic phenomena of the past.
The series covers a vast range of topics including financial history, labour
history, development economics, commercialisation, urbanisation, indus-
trialisation, modernisation, globalisation, and changes in world economic
orders.
Westernization
Movement and Early
Thought
of Modernization
in China
Pragmatism and Changes in Society, 1860s–1900s
Jianbo Zhou
School of Economics
Peking University
Beijing, China
Translated by
Jianhua Zhao
College of Economics
and Management
China Three Gorges University
Yichang, China
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer
Nature Switzerland AG 2022
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the
Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights
of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on
microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and
retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology
now known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc.
in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such
names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for
general use.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and informa-
tion in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither
the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with
respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been
made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps
and institutional affiliations.
This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature
Switzerland AG
The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
Foreword
Dr. Zhou Jianbo’s new book “The Westernization Movement and Early
Thought of Modernization in China” is worth reading for its rich and
innovative contents.
Research on the Westernization Movement and Westernization group
has been conducted for a century. Abstracting a great number of
researchers, this study is extensive and impressive, and based on abundant
materials and achievements. The voluminous extant research renders it
difficult to make further progress and new breakthroughs, and to achieve
this goal, we must not only make painstaking efforts, but also innovate in
our research methods.
Dr. Zhou Jianbo originally studied the Modern History of China and
engaged in teaching for several years after obtaining a master’s degree.
During his teaching period, he laid a solid foundation for research in
important fields and issues in Modern Chinese History. Later, he turned
to study the history of Chinese economic thought, gaining a unique
advantage in studying history by using an historical materialism and
economics methodology, which enabled him to forge a new path in the
study of the Westernization Movement. This is well manifested in this
book, which focuses on the thoughts and practices of the major charac-
ters of the Westernization Movement, and considers these an important
aspect by which to examine modernization in China.
v
vi FOREWORD
After the failure of the first Opium War, the issue of development
became a fundamental issue in Chinese history. The essence of develop-
ment is now fully replacing individual farming and the backward produc-
tive forces of handicraft with socialized modern productivity, transforming
the economic base and superstructure, and establishing productivity and a
superstructure that conforms to the notion of socialized productivity. The
aim of development is to enable China to achieve its conversion from
an ancient feudal society to a modern one. Thus, the entire process of
development has manifested as the drive to modernization.
Among all the major issues, events, and challenges in modern Chinese
history linked with this fundamental issue, only when that of positioning
the object studied is adequately solved can the nature, characteristics,
historical significance, and role of the object be correctly understood and
evaluated in the study of historical issues.
Dr. Zhou Jianbo defines the Westernization Movement as an early
modernization movement in China, which is correct. In the Westerniza-
tion Movement, Chinese modernization is not only the trend of thought
that increasingly influences society, but also a growing practice. Although
very few people (e.g., Hong Rengan) mentioned the issues of develop-
ment and modernization in the field of thought before the Westernization
Movement, they have not produced a way of thinking that influences
society to enable relevant practices, as these issues are isolated and rare.
Therefore, suffice to say that the Westernization Movement is the early
modernization movement in China, and no modernization movement
had existed before it.
In terms of the content studied, this book focuses on researching
the modernization program of the Westernization group; specifically, its
micro vision on running an enterprise and macro vision on developing all
sectors of the modern economy. Most previous studies on the Westerniza-
tion Movement have not emphasized these aspects. As this book studies
the Westernization Movement from the perspective of China’s modern-
ization, the modernization program is considered the main issue studied,
which enables exploring new areas of study and provides a new perspec-
tive of and ideas regarding issues (nature, reasons for failure, and historical
position of the Westernization Movement) that have long been intensively
studied.
As many areas studied in this book are new attempts, the author
inevitably encountered some difficulties regarding the issues addressed
in this book. However, there are also achievements and breakthroughs
FOREWORD vii
Zhao Jing
About This Book
ix
x ABOUT THIS BOOK
to learn from the west. Faced with the crisis of extinction, high offi-
cials of the Westernization Movement such as Zhang Zhidong and Liu
Kunyi changed their standpoints of not mentioning constitutionalism
and establishing parliament. Furthermore, they made breakthroughs in
the dominating principal of “Confucianism leads the basics” mentioned
in the book Exhortation to Learning, and demanded comprehensive
learning from the west. The supreme ruler also realized that the regime
would collapse either because of western powers or domestic rebellion,
while the conservatives who curbed the westernizationists were accused
or demoted. These conditions contributed to further reform and new
policies, and deeper measures than the Reform Movement of 1898 were
carried out. In summary, the Reform Movement of 1898 was an unsuc-
cessful attempt to change the policies of westernization, while the new
policies marked the change of the highest national policy of the Qing
government. Therefore, the author contends that the introduction of
the new policies of the Qing government marked the ending of the
Westernization Movement.
The second issue needing explanation relates to the members of the
Westernization Movement. Previous studies thereon considered as west-
ernizationists the main government officials (e.g., Yi Xin, Wen Xiang, Li
Hongzhang, Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, and Zhang Zhidong), while
their aides, friends, and colleagues with slightly lower positions (e.g., Guo
Songtao, Wang Tao, Xue Fucheng, Zheng Guanying, and Ma Jianzhong)
were regarded the early reformers. These studies did not mention other
members of the Westernization Movement like the entrepreneurs engaged
in business and educators engaged in the new education. Thus, the author
believes this cannot fully reflect the whole picture of the Westerniza-
tion Movement. From the author’s perspective, those who supported the
“Confucianism leads the basics” principle advocated internal reform and
opening up, and those actively engaged in the Westernization Movement
are the members or participants of that movement. Westernizationists
differed from the conservatives, who were opposed to western science
in the early period, and from the reformers (in the Reform Movement of
1898), who advocated learning from the west in all respects. However,
considering the influence of the academic tradition, this book defines all
these people as participants in the Westernization Movement. Further-
more, to identify and research the ideological differences between the
westernizationists more conveniently, this book defines the leaders and
protectors of this movement, like Zeng, Li, Zuo, and Zhang, as the high
xii ABOUT THIS BOOK
Part I Introduction
1 Change of Time and Formation of Westernization
Thought 3
1.1 Victory of the Yi Xin Group in the Central
Government of the Qing Dynasty 4
1.2 Rise of Local Governors and the Hunan and Anhui
Military Groups 8
1.3 Voice of “Self-Strengthening” and Proposal
of Westernization Thought 16
1.4 Participants in the Westernization Movement 20
2 Guiding Principles of the Westernization Movement 25
2.1 “Cementing Relations with Western Countries”:
The Prerequisite for Reform 25
2.2 The Principle of China’s Internal Reforms:
“Confucianism Leads the Basics, While Western
Science Leads the Techniques” 28
3 Development Strategies of Westernizational
Modernization 39
3.1 Establishment of the Military Industrial System 39
3.2 Civilian Industrial Development Strategy:
Combination of Import Substitution and Export
Promotion 47
xiii
xiv CONTENTS
Part II Business
5 Raising Capital 79
5.1 Rectifying the Traditional Tax System 80
5.2 Regulating Salt Tax 85
5.3 Taxing the Gambling Industry and Opium Trade 87
5.4 Selling Official Posts and Titles to Raise Money 88
5.5 Levying New Tax Categories 88
5.6 Attracting Foreign Capital 94
6 The Thought of Improving Technology 103
6.1 Introduction of Foreign Advanced Technology 104
6.2 Cultivation of Domestic Technical Personnel 108
7 Cultivating Personnel to Run Businesses 117
7.1 Selection of Entrepreneurs for Government-Run
Enterprises (Including Government Commerce
Enterprises) 118
7.2 Selecting Business Enterprise Entrepreneurs 125
7.3 Government’s Role in Supporting the Growth
of Entrepreneurs 133
7.4 Improvement of Entrepreneurs’ Operation Capacity 135
8 Thoughts Regarding Waged Labor 143
8.1 Sources of Labor 143
8.2 Standards for Recruiting Workers 145
8.3 Wage Determination 149
8.4 Labor Management 153
9 Theories of the Operation and Management
of Enterprises 159
9.1 Scientific Decision-Making 159
9.2 Personnel Management 162
CONTENTS xv
Part IV Aftermath
17 The Origins of Westernization Thought 309
17.1 Influence of the Ideological Trends of Confucian
Statecraft on Westernization Thought 309
17.2 Traditional Economic Thought and Conflicts
Between Government-run and Merchant-managed
Enterprises 320
17.3 The Westerners in China and the Formation
of Modernization Thought 325
Western Diplomats in China and the Formation
of Modern Thought 326
Missionaries in China and the Development
of the Westernization Thinkers’ Views
on Modernization 328
18 Ideological Evaluation of the Westernization
Movement 339
18.1 Acknowledging the Modern Economy 339
18.2 The Inevitability that Reformist Views Would
Replace Westernization Thought 345
19 The Far-Reaching Impact of Westernization
Movement 349
19.1 The Westernization Movement and the Progress
of China’s Economic Thought 349
19.2 The Connection Between the Westernization
Movement in 1860 and the 1978 Reforms
and Opening-up 352
19.3 The Restrictions on the Further Development
of China’s Economic Thought 353
CONTENTS xvii
Postscript 369
References 375
Index 381
PART I
Introduction
Gallois, 416
Garnier, his article on Malthus in ‘Dict. de l’Écon. Pol.,’ 214, 410, 415
George, Henry, 38, 40;
cf. 236, 382;
on population, 385–388
George III., 29, 324
Germany, 126, 183
Gibbon, Edw., 21 n., 107, 108, 400
Giffen, R., 72 n., 78 n.
Gilbert’s Act, 27
Glut, or over-production, B. II. ch. iii.
Godwin, Wm., 7; Pol. Justice, 9–11, &c.;
cf. 355, 371;
Enquirer, 13, 14;
cf. 355–371;
Caleb Williams, 10;
Memoir of Mary Wollstonecraft, 21;
St. Leon, 21, 22, 31;
Parr’s Sermon, 43 n., 45, 358;
Population, 43, 87, 364 seq.;
character, 58;
in hands of ‘Edinburgh Review,’ 12, 368, 371
Government, influence on population, 112, &c.;
due to our wickedness? 9;
acting from passion, 225;
Whig, as patrons, 415, 416
Grahame, Jas., 376 seq.
Graves, Rich., tutor of Malthus, 404 seq.
Green, T. H., 354
Greg, W. R., 41, 394
Grote, George, 413
Haileybury College, Malthus’ lectures in, 214, 222, 229, 416 seq.;
raison d’être and death, 415 seq.;
physical surroundings, 420
Hallam, H., 85, 363
Hazlitt, W., 85, 329, 372, 386, 394
Held, Adolf, 41, 325, 331, 382
Highlands, 150, 187–190
‘High Price of Provisions,’ 43, 49, 215, 307, 408, 411
‘High Price of Gold Bullion,’ 285
History, needs to be rewritten, 83;
of English commerce, 25, 282, 283, 298;
Corn Laws, 219;
currency, 286–290
Holcroft, friend of Godwin, 22
Holland, B. I. ch. v.
Holyoake, G. J., 412
Horner, Francis, B. V. passim;
cf. 285, 340, &c.
Hume, David, 31, 32, 99, 115 n., 116, 135, 173, &c., &c.
Hume, Joseph, 425
Huntingford, Bishop, 377
Labour, as the measure of value, and as earning wages, B. II. ch. ii.
Land and its rent, B. II. ch. i.
Lassalle, 268
Lecky, W. E. H., 26, 177, 202
Leslie, Cliffe, 138, 165, 210, 252
Levasseur, E., 164 seq.
Levellers, 385
Locke, J., 13
Luddites, 290
Luxuries, 215, 225, 295.
See Standard of living.
Lyell, Sir Chas., 46
Ratio, geometrical and arithmetical, 17, 66, and generally B. I. ch. iii.;
B. IV. esp. 369
Raynal, Abbé, 26, 28, 97, 336, 337
Revolution, Industrial, in England, 25, 282
— in France, 7, 11, 27, 154 seq., 336, &c.
Ricardo, D., 57, B. II. passim;
letters to Malthus, 213, 265 note, 414;
Pol. Econ. and Taxation, 209;
High Price of Bullion, 285;
Low Price of Corn, 238;
contrasted with Malthus, 265–6
Rickman, J., 179 seq., 338
Rogers, Prof. Thorold, 37, 96, 136, 238, 240, 269, &c.
Rome, B. I. ch. iv.
Roscher, W., 210, 267
Rousseau, J. J., 7, 27, 135, 401
Russia, B. I. ch. v.
Sadler, Mich., 377 seq.
Sargant, W. L., 412
Say, J. B., 57, 208, 292 seq.
Scotland, B. I., ch. vii.
Scrope, G. Poulett, 377
Senior, W. N., 3, 4, 47, 209, 414
Short, 369
Simonin, 376
Sinclair, Sir John, 186, 216, 368, 369, 370, 426
Sismondi, Chas. de, 209, 296, 415
Smith, Adam, 3, 5, 9, 26, 31, 33, 47, 56, 57, 86, 95, 105, 117 and
passim
Smith, Sydney, B. V. passim
Socialism, 214, 252, 312, 382 seq.
Society, Royal, 413;
of Literature, 263, 414;
Statistical, 415
Southey, Robt., 4, 11, 338, 374, 377, 383
Speenhamland Act, 30
Spence, Wm., Great Britain Independent of Commerce, 247, 293
Spence, author of ‘The Land the People’s Farm,’ 382, 385
Spencer, Herbert, 393, 396
Standard of Comfort, 117, 120 seq., 137, 140, 194, 195–198, 269, 295,
&c., &c.
State insurance, 24
Steuart, Sir J., 32
Stewart, Dugald, barrel-organ, 385
Struggle for existence, 20, 47, 119;
not leading to progress, 96, 112
Styles, Dr. E., 357, 369
‘Summons of Wakening,’ 365
Sumner, Dr. J. B., Archbishop of Canterbury, 12, 34, 38, 307
Sunday Schools, 298
Suspension of cash payments, 284 seq.
Süssmilch, J. P., 39, 115, 124 seq., 139, 369
Sweden, B. I. ch. v.;
cf. 72, 73, 370
Taine, 121
Talleyrand, 418
Teleology, 319 seq., 326
Tendency, B. I. ch. iii. passim, esp. 61, 65, 66
Theses. See Postulates
Thompson, l’erronet, 227, 308
Thornton, W. T., 130 n., 210, 273
de Tocqueville, 89
Tooke, Thos., 288, 291, B. II. ch. iii., passim, 412, &c.
Torrens, R., contrasts Malthus unfavourably with Ricardo, 265
Townsend, Joseph, 32, 64
Toynbee, A., 314, 378
Tucker, Abraham, 35, 164, B. III. passim, esp. 324, 403, &c.
Tucker, Josiah, 33, 324
Turkey, 112