Zhang Shusheng, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, also held the same view in the 1980s. He thought that "education is in the school and politics is in the house" is "physical", and China's self-improvement movement "makes the best use of it", so "no matter how hard it is, it is often out of touch" (Zhang Shusheng: "Sugar People's Public Sacrifice, Forget the Heart"). )。
In fact, this view is divorced from reality first. At that time, almost all China people didn't know the western advanced, China backward and its danger. Still arrogant, treating everything in the west as barbarians. So at that time, a few factories, mines, railways and other sporadic modern industries were established, and the die-hards were bound to die first. In this case, how can we talk about abolishing the monarchy and establishing a legislature? Li Hongzhang thinks that if so, "you can't do whatever you want" (The Complete Works of Li Wenzhong's Friends and Liao's Letters, volume 17, page 13. )。 Secondly, it violates the modernization process generally followed by areas that have successfully achieved modernization through reform. Because according to the process of modernization, democratization is the last step, the result and by no means the premise of modernization. Third, this view does not conform to the Marxist principle that the economic base determines the superstructure.
Therefore, Guo Songtao's theory of political democratization is not feasible in practice or theory.
Li Hongzhang, Ding Richang and others hold a "gradual" view. In the 1970s, Li Hongzhang believed that "Westernization is necessary, but it should not be rushed." (Quoted from Xu Tailai: New Theories and Memorabilia of Westernization Movement, Hunan People's Publishing House, 1986, p. 338. When I visited Europe and America in the 1990s, I was still thinking, "Even if there are stupid people in the world, I can't say what I said today and what I will do tomorrow ... It is the influence of western learning on China people. If it is extremely cold and spring comes, it must be postponed and gradually warmed up. " (Cai Erkang, editor. Li Hongzhang's Employment in Europe and America, Hunan People's Publishing House, p. 1982. Therefore, in view of the reality of China at that time, Li Hongzhang believed that the key to China's modernization was to know the world and establish the determination of modernization.
At that time, China's politics was autocratic, rather than "enlightened" autocracy. The ruling class and folk intellectuals simply don't understand China's backwardness and don't want to modernize. Therefore, at the top, "the court wants to change its mind, but it is afraid that the Ministry will discuss those who have obstacles, those who are confused, and those who are unwilling to believe in Xinjiang." (The Complete Letters of Li Wenzhong and Friends, Volume 5, page 34. )。 At the lower level, gentry and ordinary people think that chimneys and railways are harmful to Long Mai, that the geomantic omen is not good, and that male and female workers are immoral, so they stand up and obstruct. In addition, there is an extreme lack of "handlers". Therefore, according to his own practical lessons, Li Hongzhang thinks that in this environment, modernization is "impossible to imitate one thing or two" (The Complete Letters of Li Wenzhong and Friends, vol. 20, p. 59). )。 In Japan, which is adjacent to the East, the modernization movement is full of talents and wealth because of its "single-mindedness" (Complete Letters of Li Wenzhong and Friends, vol. 13, p. 3). ) the results are remarkable.
Therefore, Li Hongzhang believes that if China wants to modernize, it must "make people with lofty ideals know everything about westernization, ordinary training, making utensils, shipbuilding and so on. , can be gradually enhanced ",even if we understand the urgency of modernization, otherwise, even if there is a perfect plan," even if Japanese affairs are fortified, we still have to draw cakes "("Li Ji's Draft ",volume 24, page 65438+,).
In order to enlighten the autocratic regime in China, Li Hongzhang explained to the court the changes in the world situation, the crisis faced by China and the importance of political reform. On the other hand, I hope that the imperial court will abolish or at least change the imperial examination system, popularize western learning, educate the world, and turn the general intellectual class to recognize modernization activities.
"If you are poor, you can change, and if you change, you can pass." Since we are faced with a situation that has remained unchanged for thousands of years, a formidable enemy that has not happened for thousands of years, then "we cannot rely on fighting and defending without flexibility", and we cannot maintain peace without flexibility. Even it's hard to do Gou' an. Today, we should "break through the old ideas and seek truth from facts", "divide our strengths and weaknesses so as to eliminate mine", and "if things are bound to become law, I will be afraid of endangering my weakness, but I will never be strong" (Li Ji Dramas, vol. 24, p. 10-24). )。
In terms of enlightening the people's wisdom, he clearly believes that China's "seeking training and being good at external situations, never counting his opinions" is due to "learning but not much". And "the lower class doesn't study because the upper class doesn't teach", the state promotes talents through the imperial examination, so that all the scholars in the world are immersed in the "four books and five classics". However, there is a big gap between "westernization of chapters and sentences". What talents are there? " Therefore, in order to promote ordinary people to understand the world and cultivate talents, the court must advocate western learning. Therefore, it is best to abolish the imperial examination, "even if the subjects can't change suddenly and the essays can't be scrapped suddenly", then the examination work order should be slightly modified, westernized and improved, and "style, calculation, map, steam wheel, machine art of war, artillery method, chemistry and weapon making are the sources for people's daily use", so that "if a scholar hangs his wealth and merits all his life, he will have a successful career." )。 If we do this, everyone will know the crisis in China and the importance of modernization, so that, like Japan, the whole country will form a modernization upsurge. Then, everything goes well in the future, "the effect of self-improvement can be seen after 20 years" ("Li Ji Played Draft" Volume 24, page 10-24). See also Li Wenzhong's Midu, page 884. )。
In a word, Li Hongzhang thinks that the biggest problem of China's modernization is that China has no determination to modernize, not political democratization. Even the current autocratic regime, as long as the central government of the imperial court understands the importance of modernization, makes up its mind to reform, abolish the imperial examination and popularize western learning, it can form a situation of "dumping the whole country and seeking western methods" from top to bottom, so it will be strong in 20 years.
At that time, foreigners who knew more about China held the same view, such as Wei in Britain, Hurd and Grant in the United States, and Ito Bowen in Japan. They all think that China's urgent task is to break the bad habit of arrogance and understand the world. As long as China did not abolish the imperial examination, there would be no modernization day (see "Li Jize's Letter Draft", Volume 9, page 14. Xu Tailai had published a book on page 4 12 before, and Bao Min quoted Ikong's question and answer in Sun Moon Daily on August 28th. See 1898 the imperial edict of the New Deal. )。
In addition, in the 1990s, Sun Yat-sen also thought that "the root cause of China's current recession lies in the fact that there are few people who can do it, especially those who don't know it. Those who can't do it can borrow materials from foreign countries and travel on their behalf. If a lot of people don't know, although some people can do it for them, those who don't know will try their best to block ... the great source of China's disease "(Sun Yat-sen: see The Complete Works of Sun Yat-sen, Volume I, The Book of Li Shang Hongzhang, Zhonghua Book Company, 1982, page 8- 19. )。
Therefore, compared with the opinions of Guo Songtao, Zhang Shusheng and others, it should be said that Li Hongzhang's thought and his prescription for China's modernization are in line with China's reality, an inevitable process of modernization experienced by countries that have successfully realized modernization through reform, and a Marxist theory that the economic base determines the superstructure.
However, despite this, although Li Hongzhang's description of the crisis faced by China at that time was shocking enough, and although his argument on the necessity of reforming and abolishing the imperial examination in China was very sharp (Liang Qichao: Li Hongzhang), there was no response in a dark China. As for Li Hongzhang's modernization thought, An Analysis of Coastal Defence and Meeting of Courtiers are regarded as alarmist, so "laughing it off" is not only consistent with nature, but also criticized by some people (The Complete Works of Li Wenzhong, Letters from Friends, volume 16 13). )。
Several western schools, such as the Wentong Museum, which was established in the 1960s, were hardly established. Because students are discriminated against, there are few applicants, and students still don't concentrate on preparing for the imperial examination in private. So there are not many talents trained. Therefore, Li Hongzhang said, "Running a school is absolutely impossible, and it is useless" (The Complete Letters of Li Wenzhong and Friends, vol. 16, p. 6).
Young children's trip to the United States was presided over by Zeng and Li, but after Zeng Guofan's death, Li Hongzhang's "self-worry" (Complete Works of Friends and Correspondence in Li Wenzhong, volume 16, page 6) was repeatedly attacked by die-hards, and finally fell by the wayside.
In the future, only Fuzhou Ship Administration School sent personnel to study wheel-driven manufacturing in the west, which was relatively smooth. In addition, several military schools have been established in China. Although there are also new talents, the number is small, which is limited to the army and has little effect on the atmosphere of civilized society.
In other words, from the 1960s to the 1990s, the Qing government did not adopt the ideas of Li Hongzhang and others, and autocratic politics was never "civilized". Anti-modernization forces, whether upper or lower, are always in a dominant position, although the forces of modernization are increasing day by day. In other words, during this period, China did not establish the determination of modernization, and has been obstructing the modernization activities hosted by a few people in various ways. It was during this period that Japan, which is adjacent to the East, completed the modernization trilogy at an extremely fast speed.