Political Thought Research Of The Westernization School In Later Ch'ing Dynasty

The westernization school is directed by "Chinese cultures as basis, western cultures as subsidiary" (中体西用). On one hand, it recognizes the traditional feudal mechanism and the monarch as the core of politics, refuses to abandon the ideas. On another hand, it inputs some western political cultures, such as the modern idea of diplomacy, the thought of modern law, the mechanism of modern education, and makes some reform on administration system and manage model by comparing with the west. All of these make its political thought modern a little. However, these reform measures are too simple to transform Chinese traditional political thought, and cannot make it change to the modern state in essence.On the contrary, since the thought excludes the democratic and legal idea, it conflicts much more fiercely with the developing of modernization and the transformation of regime, which makes it prevent the way of Chinese politics democratization. But we have to recognize that the modern ideas in the political thought of the westernization school present some fresh nutriments for the bourgeois' reforming China traditional political thought.This dissertation considers that "the idea of the monarch is the core of regime"(君为政本), "the western learning is originated from China"(西学中源), and "the study for changing and adapting to the world"(经世实学) are recognized as the theory basis of the political thought of the westernization school, which creates series of new type political thoughts through reforming Chinese traditional political thought, in which the thought "Chinese cultures as basis, western cultures as subsidiary" is representative. These thoughts play a important role in the course of reforming in later Ch'ing dynasty and have important values for reference to today's modernization.Under the leading and practice of the westernization school, China has founded the earliest modern factories, mines, enterprises, force-armies and so on, cultivated the earliest modern science and technology elites and educated persons, promoted the west and China's communicating between commerce and culture, and partly innovated political system. All of these have changed China to a new situation. From the development course of Chinese modern political thoughts, the thought sets up a platform for bridging Chinese traditional thought and the democratic thought, although itself still cannot break away from the traditional thoughts. As the earlier leading thought of modernization, it is positively for the political thought of the westernization school to promote the internal affair and diplomacy of later Ch'ing dynasty, which has paved a solid way for the transformation of Chinese political system and the construction of politics democratization. This is also the thought's most important value in the history of Chinese modern thought.This dissertation is mainly made up of five chapters as follow.Chapter One: the westernization school and the thought of westernization. It mainly introduces what the westernization school and the thought of westernization are, and how they come to birth, which paves a way for the further study of the following chapters.Chapter Two: the theory basis of the political thought of the westernization school. This chapter is not only the key point of the dissertation, but also the creative part too. In academic world, "Chinese cultures as basis, western cultures as subsidiary" is recognized as the leading thought of modernization movement and the theory core of the thought of westernization, even thinks that" Chinese cultures as basis, western cultures as subsidiary" is the theory basis of the political thought of the westernization school. In fact, it is not only the directing principle for the political practice of the westernization school, but also is the system thought with much theory value among the westernization school's thoughts. But it theorized and systematized after Jiawu Sino-Japanese War, so it cannot become the theory basis of the political thought of westernization school. "The idea of the monarch is the core of regime", "the Western learning is originated from China" and "the study for changing and adapting to the world" are really its theory basis.If there are not these theories as basis, we cannot understand why the westernization school keep the feudalism body tightly and at the same time learn from the west actively.Chapter Three: discuss and analysis on the political thought of the westernization school. This chapter mainly discusses and analyses the thought of Chinese cultures as basis, western cultures as subsidiary", the thought of diplomacy, the thought of reform, in which summers up the viewpoint of abolishing the traditional examination system, west learning, educating new type person, reforming the old political system and modern diplomacy. The paper not only reviews it affirmatively but also criticizes it in some certain, through which the characters and functions of the political thought of westernization school are clearly shown to us.Chapter Four: the development and transferring course of the political thought of the westernization school. From the visual angle, the development from tradition to modern of the political thought in later Ch ing dynasty, it compares the political thought of the westernization school with the innovation school's and earlier bourgeois', explains the distinguishes of them,and puts them in order. From which we can clearly recognize the thorough development clue of Chinese political thought during 1860 to 1910.The end part: It comments and summarizes westernization school's political practice through contacting tightly with the reality, and puts forward some instructing advices for the development of today's Chinese political thought.The dissertation tries to link up the thorough political thoughts development clue of later Ch'ing dynasty by researching the political thought of westernization school. It can also help us recognize the essence of the modern political conservatism clearly, present China beneficial experiences and lessons for today's political reform, promote today China's political civilization construction.