How Can China Defeat America by Yan Xuetong

Published: November 20, 2011; accessed: November 30, 2011

Summary:

There are inevitable competition between China, the rising power, and the United States, the established power. Rise of China indeed pose a challenge to the United States as they are gaining more authority in the global system of economy and military.

Yan Xuetong, a political realist, states that morality is the key to defeat the United States. He suggests politicians to focus more on morality rather than economy and military realm because whoever owns people’s heart and mind will prevail.

He supported his argument from studying ancient Chinese political theorists such as Guanzi, Confucius, Xunzi and Mencius. According to these theorists and pre-Qin period, China maintained a unified empire during the period in which small countries were competing ruthlessly for territorial advantage. Yan Xuetong studied that the main reason they could preserve their territory and firmly stay as one, strong, unified empire was political power and that the central attribute of political power was morally informed leadership.

According to the ancient Chinese philosopher Xunzi, humane authority, hegemony and tyranny are the three main type of leadership. Firstly, humane authority attains hearts and minds of the people. Secondly, tyranny which focuses on military force creates enemies. Lastly, hegemonic powers lay somewhere between cheating the people at home and cheating allies abroad. There was an agreement among philosophers that humane authority is the best form of leadership.

Response:

The three type of leadership relates to McMurphy, the protagonist of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Based on ancient Chinese Xunzi’s philosophy, we can conclude that McMurphy could bring change to hospital and its patients because he used humane authority.

Through humane authority, McMurphy successfully gains patients’ heart and mind. His self-sacrifice on behalf of all patients made himself like a Christ Figure. Through his courageous rebellion against Nurse Ratched, he attains patients’ heart and slowly gathers them around him.

McMurphy is a great leader who used humane authority to gain patient's heart and bring change to them.

Vocabulary:

1.Sanguine

Cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident.

1275–1325; Middle English sanguyne  a blood-red cloth < Old French sanguin  < Latin sanguineus  bloody, equivalent to sanguin-,  stem of sanguis  blood + -eus -eous

I am not so sanguine about my grade because I know that my grade will fall.

2.Inevitable

Unable to be avoided, evaded, or escaped.

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin inēvītābilis.

Final exam is inevitable because no matter what I have to take it.

3. Accordance

Agreement; conformity

1275–1325; Middle English acordance  < Old French. See accord, -ance

All teachers made an accordance of how they should teach students.