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. 

challenge 11

#54 Discuss how some negative experience (disability, illness, failure) has had a positive influence on your life.

With a huge dream, I came to Woodstock. It was a great opportunity for me to study here and build my dream. I was very happy and excited. But this joy did not last long.  By the end of semester, I got C in all subjects except for art. It was an absolute failure for me and a huge disappointment for my dad. I could not blame this to anyone. It was my fault.

Now when I look back my first semester of Woodstock, it was not just an inerasable failure, but rather it became a key to success. Because I experienced what I did wrong from last semester, I could do hundred times better. I learned to review class lesson everyday. I learned not to start study a night before. I learned to finish the book rather than relying on Spark Note. Basically, I learned “what to do” and “what not to do.”

Thinking about my failure in first semester, I think it had a positive influence not only on my grade, but my life. I became a good student who reviewed and planned ahead for my goals.

Success is not a universal good. Sometimes, hard fought and failure is worth more than an easy victory. As a society, we should be ready to learn from mistake and become a better people. Thank you!

challenge 10

#21 If you had the gift of telepathy, the ability to read other people’s minds, would you use this gift or not? Explain. (Middle East Technical University/93)

If I had the ability to read other people’s mind, I will use this gift. I have three reasons for this. Firstly, I believe that gift is a chance. Gift is something that you did not have previously and have it now. It is something that came from outside. Not from you. So taking a gift means taking a chance. For instance, if you got a gift of hundred rupees, you have a chance of using hundred rupees for whatever your purpose. I do not reject a gift unless it is a harmful one. Secondly, everyone wear a mask in this society. People hind their mind and thought. Without knowing their mind, we can never know them fully. The only way to know them fully is though reading their mind. Lastly, without knowing them, we cannot become a leader. How could we possibly lead and help people when you have no idea what they want and what they need? Every leader in history had the ability to read other people’s mind. Gandhi, a father of India, could see that commoners needed more rights such as equality before the law, respect from upper class, and fair treatment in their job. Gandhi solved this problem with the gift of telepathy. This applies to everyone. This gift of telepathy is an answer to my and your problem. Therefore, I will accept the gift if telepathy.

challenge 9

#16 Describe a risk that you have taken and discuss its impact on your life. (Kalamazoo College/93)

I took a risk of not finishing One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. It was an unintentional risk. I could not complete because every time I tried to read, it made me fall sleep. Anyway it was a risk because without reading a book, I could not survive in the class. I failed every single quiz and got C in my oral presentation. Because of this, my grade fell from B to C. I deserved all these consequences because I did not read the book. But it was a worthy risk. From this risk, I learned that I cannot survive without reading a book in this class. Last year, I could depend on Spark Note and get A in quiz. Here in this class I couldn’t. It was good risk though because now I learned from it. I would like to say every risk is worth it if we learn something from it. I would like to end this essay by concluding a famous quote by somebody: every great deed is wrought at risk.

Challenge 8

#3 What is the best advice you ever received? Why? And did you follow it? (University of Pennsylvania)

The best advice I ever received is one, simple, powerful phrase: Do not give up. This really touched my heart because I’ve lived for eighteen years old and I gave up all that was hard. If anything that required long time effort and endeavor, I gave up. Why? Because it’s hard. I know my self well. I am a person who cannot continue if it is lengthy and hard. But again I know my self well. I do not want to be that kind of person. From now, I do not want to give up because I was told not to give up. I want to start with this challenge. I was supposed to write twenty seven challenges by today, but right now I only have wrote six challenges. Should I stop here because I am too far behind? I got time. I have some time left. I have time to catch up. So I want stop here. Let’s see whether I can catch up or not. Whether I catch up or not, I will gain something. If I catch up, I will see that I could do this. Even if I didn’t, I will be able to say at least I tried; at least I followed not to stop. So this is not the end. I will start writing again. Not only this. I will continue do all the challenge that is coming soon in my life.

Challenge 7

#3 Imagine that you have the opportunity to travel back through time. At what point in history would you like to stop and why? (Swarthmore)

If I have the opportunity to travel back through time, I would like to stop at the time of Pablo Picasso. The answer is simple. I want to become like him. I want to discover who he is, when he began drawing, where he learned to paint, what he painted, how he was able to paint all type of art, and why he chose an artist life. I want to know and learn everything about him. Art is my passion. I strive to demonstrate that nothing is impossible. But my problem is that I do not know how to do that. There is a limit in me. I don’t know how to break this limit, but if I can observe Picasso’s life, a life of an amazing artist, I believe I can solve my problem. He has an answer to my question. Not my question only, but question of everyone who pursue art: How we could carry a message in our painting. He was the one who went far beyond human’s limit. He knew how to think outside the box. He could do this because he was outside the box. I need to get out of box which limits my imagination and skills. I know that I cannot be able to carry a message and gift of astonishment in my painting unless I really get out of the box. Therefore, if I have the opportunity to travel back, I’m going to stop and meet Pablo Picasso.

What is the best advice you ever received? Why? And did you follow it? (University of Pennsylvania)