(1) Capital germination does not distinguish between civilizational background
The germination of capitalism is a new phenomenon in ancient Chinese economic history. If we examine it in the context of world history, we will have a deeper understanding of this issue.
From the time of its origin: Europe was in the 14th and 15th century, China started in the Song Dynasty, China was hundreds of years earlier than Europe and even hundreds of years ago
From the perspective of the regions that emerged: Europe is the Mediterranean coast, China is Jiangsu, and other places in Jiangnan. They are all areas with relatively developed economies and relatively prosperous commodity economy.
From the perspective of productivity development level: they are all in the stages of simple collaboration and workshop handicrafts before the emergence of large-scale machinery industry.
It can be seen that the emergence of capitalism is an inevitable result of the development of productivity, a manifestation of social progress, and a world phenomenon.
(2) Chinese capitalism
The germination of Chinese capitalism is very slow, and its development process has been interrupted by political factors many times - not to mention the rest, the huge weapon of closing the country has a profound impact.
However, the emergence of capitalism in Europe grew into a towering tree and later led the world trend. What is the reason?
Geographically speaking, the soil where European capitalism sprouts is indeed more fertile—convenient water transportation and the marine economy that was born
However, from the perspective of the country, the aristocratic independence caused by the feudal system is the fundamental soil for capital development. The Taizu of this dynasty, "a spark can start a prairie fire", also grasped the contradiction between warlords, and believed that the red flag had room for survival and development in the cracks. The same was true for capital.
As for the opening of new routes, European capitalism has gained a broad market, and the Renaissance has lifted the spiritual shackles for the development of capitalism. This former is still a geographical problem, while the latter is more about the Renaissance caused by this "separation state".
When the European bourgeoisie accumulated enough strength to open up the bourgeois era with a surging trend and rise to the ruling class, capitalism gradually established its dominance on a global scale.
So in China, if we do not consider marine factors and the international environment, how can we obtain the soil and ideological foundation for capital development?
(3) Chinese civilization that is independent without foreign aid must follow the path of internal transformation
China's capitalism was heavily suppressed after it broke through the ground. For example, from the market perspective: farmers were brutal exploited and extremely poor, so they were unable to buy handicraft products from the market. From the foreign market perspective: several orders were issued to ban overseas trade. From the expansion and reproduction of handicrafts: Due to heavy exploitation of land rent, the money exploited by landlords and merchants are often used to buy land and land, but not to expand the scale of handicrafts production. From the government's economic policy perspective: emphasize agriculture and suppress commerce, and strictly limit the production scale of handicrafts. From the perspective of ideological and cultural fields: rulers practice cultural autocracy.
——But I think the following factors exist, but not the main reason. After all, if you examine the economy of the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, you can know how far you can go
In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, there were many handicraft workshops with capitalist nature seen in Suzhou and Hangzhou's silk weaving industry, iron smelting and wrought iron in Foshan, Guangdong. By the middle of the Qing Dynasty, capitalism continued to appear: silk weaving industry in some areas of Jiangnan, iron smelting, wrought iron and wood logging industry in southern Shaanxi, copper mining industry in Yunnan, coal mining industry in Boshan and western Beijing, well salt industry in Sichuan, pond salt industry in Hedong, Shanxi, porcelain industry in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi and Shiwan, Guangdong, etc., tea making, tobacco, sugar, oil pressing and other agricultural products processing industries, dyeing workshops, kicking workshops, paper workshops and woodblock printing industry in Shanghai, sand ship transportation industry in total, etc.
And what is the key, in my opinion, there are only two words - "space"
In a great unified empire, both in the ideological field, political field, and even in the economic field, it has been strongly interfered by the state.
Capital germination is determined by economy and productivity. It is like the grassland after rain. Crickets are killed and then grown, but it is impossible to grow into big trees. The problem of space. The narrow space cannot accommodate the growth of new forces.
In this case, I personally believe that on the basis of space and soil that does not exist, or is quite weak, what is the theory of economics and political science that is the standard castle in the air, and the object of European economics and political science. If there is no foundation for growth, its theory has no effect at all. The key is that it is not here at all. The key is that the so-called strength of the capital class is
Only when you are strong can you ensure your own safety and continue to develop. Without this, you will be a tower in the air
In Europe, the strength of this capital class was due to the prevalence of marine economies in various countries and the relatively weak royal power, so it was born.
However, in the unified empire of China, this kind of capital class can be barely born but it is difficult to grow. The only way is to transform the literati class into the capital class, or the noble and heroic class.
Only these two points can protect one's own interests and security. Like Britain and even other European countries, land aristocrats are automatically transformed into commercial aristocrats and even industrial aristocrats - their traditional titles, status, power, and influence on the country can protect the continued development of this process.
Therefore, in terms of thought, the saying "benevolence is great", actually this sentence is enough. This is the ancestral family law determined by Taizu. Only profound researchers can know the legal and moral power brought by this sentence in ancient times.
Secondly, the control of aristocratic families brings prosperity
As for bureaucratic capital, which is despised, it is an indispensable process for independent Chinese civilization - a normal development.
In a word, if you study the development of capital under Chinese civilization in China, without considering the word "space", no matter how much political and economic research is, it is a castle in the air.
It's like hunting. If you don't even catch prey, you will discuss how to cook and roast it. It has no meaning at all.
In a unified world, only the imperial power, aristocrats, and literati classes, which divide some of the forces into the path of capital, can ensure that capital development has enough "space" and will not be interrupted at will
Chapter completed!