Can anyone give me a brief analysis of the impact of the double-edged sword of nationalism on the national economy. Please indicate the source if you have any information, thank you

Nationalism and Economic Growth

——Comment on Greenfield's "The Spirit of Capitalism"

Wesson 2004-7-23

Since the fifteenth century, huge economic growth has sprouted in many developed countries in Western Europe, North America and East Asia. In terms of the one to two million years of human evolution and the thousands of years of human civilization and social history, the worldwide modern economic growth cannot but be said to be a historical miracle. When examining the world-wide scientific and technological progress and huge economic growth in modern times in the long history of the evolution of human civilization, a question naturally arises: is the modern economic growth in various countries around the world some accidental events in the evolution of human civilization and society? , or is there an inevitable logic behind its emergence? A further question is: What is the reason for the sustained economic growth of some countries in modern world history?

So far, there are divergent opinions on the answers to the above questions, and they are still confusing. As we all know, Marx once explained this with the dynamic correlation and interactive chain of science and technology, production methods and communication relations; Weber attributed it to the capitalist cultural spirit with Protestant ethics as the core; the 1994 Nobel Prize in Economics The winner, American economic historian North, attributed the rise of the Western world to the clear definition of property rights. Similar to North, American economist Alfred D. Chandler Jr. attributed modern economic growth to the "economies of scale" brought about by the "visible hand" innovation of industrial organization. Unlike the optimistic historical determinism of sociologists and economists, historians tend to be indeterminists. For example, when trying to answer this question, David S. Landes, a professor of history and economics at Harvard University, once said: "First is the system and culture; second is money; but starting from the beginning, it becomes more and more obvious. Yes, the decisive factor is knowledge” ("The Wealth and Poverty of Nations"). But the further question is what (social mechanism) determines the accelerated cumulative growth of human knowledge in modern times? Landers didn't seem to answer. In his book "The Great Divergence", another American historian, Kenneth Pomeranz, also wanted to sort out the motivations for economic growth in the modern world from the relationship between culture and institutions, and tried to find historical evidence for it, but in He also seemed to be vague when talking about its "motive force potential" and "modernity potential".

The divergent opinions and disagreements among sociologists, economists, historians and futurists will naturally induce more ideological explorers in the academic world. The new book "The Spirit of Capitalism: Nationalism and Economic Growth" (Chinese translation by Shanghai People's Publishing House in 2004) by Liah Greenfeld, a professor of political science and sociology at Boston University, adds another layer of answers to this question. A new explanation: In modern world history, the reason for the sustained economic growth of developed countries (not just the conditions) depends on the emergence and promotion of nationalism.

Greenfield’s answer is obviously Weberian, that is, seeking the “ultimate motivation” for economic growth from the cultural and spiritual resources of a nation (nation, rather than “state”). However, unlike Weber's answer, Greenfield did not attribute this motivation to the personal cultural spirit of Protestant Christians manifested in the external form of rationalization in Western society—that is, through ascetic forced frugality. The "work ethic" of capital accumulation and the "calling" of new entrepreneurs to pursue economic expansion are instead attributed to the overall nationalism within a nation. In Greenfield's own words, "Nationalism is the source of the spirit of capitalism"; "The spirit of capitalism is born with economic nationalism."

From this perspective, Greenfield believes that “the sustained growth characteristics of the modern economy are not self-sustaining and require the stimulation and support of nationalism”; “nationalism will inevitably promote the type of social structure required for modern economic development”; and , "Nationalism provides a new set of ethical ideas and social concepts, gives positive value to economic growth, and focuses dispersed social energy on economic growth."

In order to confirm and test this theoretical hypothesis, Professor Greenfield worked hard to find evidence from the modern history of Britain, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Japan and the United States. According to her, nationalism first emerged in modern England. By 1600, nationalism had become the dominant social outlook in England and had effectively changed British social consciousness. British nationalism then brought the ability to create an "economic miracle" first for Britain itself and then for the world. Professor Greenfield also used the example of the Netherlands to further support his theoretical conjecture: Although the Dutch economy was the earliest to rise in the history of modern Western society, by the end of the 18th century, the Dutch economy was already "aging" compared with the United Kingdom. According to this sociological thinker, the reason for the aging of the Dutch economy is that "there is no national consciousness in the Dutch Republic" and the collective moral consciousness of the Dutch is ambiguous. This resulted in the Dutch's innovative economic thinking not focusing on the source of "national wealth", which resulted in the Netherlands' lack of overall competitiveness after achieving independence and independence, and therefore lacked the necessary development power to support sustained economic growth.

If the Netherlands in the early days of capitalism was unable to maintain its economic growth due to the lack of nationalist spirit, then the modern mercantilism that was once fashionable in France could not replace nationalism and become the driving force behind economic growth. Sustained engine. Greenfield found that although foreign trade has always been the most prosperous sector of the French economy in modern history, and French nationalist trends also waxed and waned during the Great Revolution, the historical tradition of French Physiocrats and the aristocrats under the monarchy The anti-commercial spirit, coupled with the anti-British sentiment in the course of historical development, all this created a contradictory and complex mentality of the French nation - especially French entrepreneurs - towards commercial capitalism, leading to the "French business in nationalism" Before, there was neither credibility nor words of encouragement." Greenfield therefore believes that even if this ambivalence did not imprison the rise of the French capitalist spirit, it at least hindered its spread. This ultimately resulted in France being a "laggard" compared with Britain and the United States in the process of economic development in the modern world.

If it is far-fetched to use the lack of nationalism or mental disorder to explain the somewhat disappointing economic performance of the Netherlands and France in modern history, use this spell to explain the performance of Germany and Japan. An economic miracle could be very effective. Greenfield believes that Britain’s emergence as a superpower was not due to individualism in the first place, and this was even less true of the German Empire. The reason why Germany has the ability and courage to challenge Britain in modern history can definitely be attributed to the "transformative spirit" of strong German nationalism: in Germany, nationalism is like the magic wand in Andersen's fairy tale , it can transform Cinderella's pumpkin and mice into a magnificent carriage. Compared with the modern economic transformation caused by German nationalism, Japan's rise in East Asia can be attributed more to the rise of the nationalist spirit that followed Japan's opening to the West since the Meiji Restoration. Therefore, the independent industrial take-off of a Japanese of non-European ethnicity became something that sociological thinkers could explain. Even the word "keizai" (economy) in Japanese means that a highly respected ruler acts for heaven, rules and governs the entire nation, makes the country rich, relieves the suffering of all people, and accomplishes a great job? The spirit of Japanese nationalism turns out to be steeped in the semantics of the Japanese word "economy"! Therefore, this leads to Greenfield’s conclusion: “Japanese nationalism has focused on the economy since its inception and first became economic nationalism.” “This spirit is strong enough to promote small Japan to pursue and maintain economic nationalism.” To compete with the United States for the top position in the world."

So, what about the United States? The social thinker's answer is somewhat surprising: Although most early Americans immigrated from England and brought with them a national consciousness that had been deeply rooted in 17th-century Britain, Greenfield believed that American nationalism had a negative impact on the American economy. The development of the United States, especially the process of economic take-off and sustained growth in the United States, does not constitute a direct promotion effect: "Nationalism is the condition for the development of the United States, not the cause." Why is this so? Greenfield believes that the reason is simple. When British immigrants brought the modern market economic order to the New World of North America, it had already been institutionalized. Therefore, America's economic take-off and continued vitality no longer need to be related to the spirit of American nationalism. However, since the capitalist market system is ultimately nothing more than the externalization of the spirit of nationalism, sustained economic growth cannot but be associated with nationalism. Therefore, Greenfield finally came to the following conclusion: "The existence of economic activities oriented towards continuous growth, that is, the unique 'capitalist spirit' that gives modern economy its modernity, should be attributed to nationalism. Generally speaking , the 'capitalist spirit' is the economic manifestation of the sense of collective competition inherent in nationalism - and nationalism itself is the product of the emotional investment of national members in the dignity or prestige of the country." This is the abstract picture Greenfield paints for the story of economic growth in modern world history.

Thinkers always like to explain history, and history seems like a little girl who has to perform. Philosophers and social scientists interpret history and often become her makeup artists, consciously or unconsciously. With the diverse and multiple colors of sociology, the history of social thought, and economics and economic history, Greenfield has dressed up the history of economic growth in the modern world as a goblin dancing the waltz of "nationalism." But it remains to be seen whether the goblin transformed by Greenfield's make-up is more charming and beautiful than herself in the respective theoretical stages set up by Marx, Weber, North, Landers and Pomeranz. The brilliant historical makeup artist may be the French historian F. Braudel! ——Instead of letting history dance on the stage of theorists with heavy make-up, it is better to make her appear in front of people as "simple" or at least with her light and elegant face as much as possible. Landers once said that unlike economists and businessmen, who are optimists, historians are future agnostics and therefore actually pessimists. Didn’t even Professor Greenfield admit in this book that “history has no purpose”?

If Su Shi, the great talented poet of the Song Dynasty, had read the historical interpretations of Marx, Weber, Braudel, North, Chandler, Landers, Pomeranz and Greenfield, he would have written "If Is it the poem that compares history to the West, and it is always appropriate to put on light makeup and heavy makeup?

Wednesday, May 5, 2004 at Shuxin Apartment, Fudan, Yangpu, Shanghai

The "economic value" of nationalism

● Zhou Zhaocheng

The Starbucks coffee shop in the southeast corner of the Baohe Hall of the Forbidden City has only been open for more than two months and covers an area of ??less than ten square meters, but it has caused quite a stir in the imperial city. Starbucks coffee with a strong American flavor "invaded" the forbidden area of ????the Imperial Palace - a concentrated symbol of Chinese history and humanity, which attracted a large number of media reports and close public attention.

In the eyes of Western media, these reactions reflect the intensity of Chinese nationalism. The Washington Post deliberately quoted a People's Liberation Army officer in a recent report: "I am against it. This is an American product, it is imperialism, and we should kick it out." In this report, There is no doubt that military officers have been unilaterally endowed with an authoritarian, conservative, and anti-American image to cater to the increasingly sophisticated Western vision of Chinese nationalists. Although many people are opposed to coffee shops entering the Forbidden City, it is not just because they come from the United States, nor does it mean that they support the appearance of vaudeville performances, selling candied haws and other Chinese folk behaviors in the Forbidden City. What people want to maintain is just the overall beauty and harmony of the Forbidden City.

Interestingly, I believe that Starbucks is the one who has gained the most from this controversy.

Whether it continues to stay in the Forbidden City or is forced to withdraw, it has been successfully shaped into a representative of American trends and a symbol of fashion culture in this debate about nationalism and is widely known. This may be another successful corporate marketing plan, using the sensitive point of confrontation between American trends and Chinese traditions to touch the nerves of media hype. So the owner of this coffee shop is very happy, "What we really like is this kind of exposure, which makes our name spread in the market."

Nationalism has become a condiment for media hype

Looking at this matter from another perspective, one cannot help but feel that sometimes nationalism has become a condiment for media hype and a magic weapon for businessmen to create gimmicks, and it has been tried and true in China. China seems to be facing such a contradiction. It appreciates the West's advanced economic management and systems, but it also prides itself on not wanting to see the culture with Western characteristics become popular. This leaves room for exerting the "economic value" of nationalism.

In the late 1990s, as foreign capital entered more and more economic fields and the state-owned economy was hit, China had a heated discussion about what national industry was and whether foreign-funded enterprises could be counted as national industries. Later, some smart companies sniffed out this mentality among the people, took up the banner of "nationalism", and claimed to be "national brands". A few years ago, there was a Shanghai real estate company called "Ronghua Chicken" that was going to compete door-to-door with KFC. I hope people will support "National Chicken." Although it has become the focus of the media for a while, its operations and management are far apart. How can it be an opponent if it only relies on slogans? There have also been many media and companies joining forces to create national brand rankings. You sing and I sing, which can really become a typical case of marketing planning.

Judging from the current incident in the coffee shop, not only Chinese companies must carry the "national" flag, but foreign-funded companies also seem to have learned to use their own methods. Although the methods and slogans are different, the purpose is the same. After all, many people still have too narrow a concept of culture, do not have an open and broad mind about the diversity and interactivity of human culture, and are stuck in the binary theory of black and white.

McDonald's Impact in China

"Globalization" is the general trend, but globalization does not mean Americanization or global Westernization. Cultural "assimilation" is relative and has never been One-way. It not only includes the localization of foreign culture, but also the revival and re-creation of traditional culture after absorbing foreign culture. It also has the reaction and driving force for foreign culture, which complement each other.

James L. Watson, professor of anthropology at Harvard University, edited the book "Golden Arches Heading East: McDonald's in East Asia" to study the process and significance of McDonald's localization in East Asia. The book points out that the success of McDonald's is that although they still maintain American style in terms of food varieties, services and management, they have adapted to the Chinese cultural environment through participating in community activities, visiting teachers, raising the Chinese flag, etc. Create an image of a local enterprise in front of you.

Professor Watson also published a paper "The Impact of McDonald's in China" in the US "Foreign Affairs" in the middle of this year. The article said that for Chinese children who have eaten McDonald's since childhood, McDonald's is obviously local. . In turn, Chinese food is now hugely popular in the United States, Mandarin is quickly becoming the dominant language in American laboratories, Chinese-language films have more enthusiastic audiences than ever before, and American children imitate Bruce Lee more than Batman. He then asked an interesting but serious question, "So, whose culture is this?" Watson believed that if you had to ask clearly, you would have missed the opportunity.

In fact, not just McDonald's, many Western products have been changed and given new local meanings when they arrived in China. When billiards first emerged, most of them were open-air and played everywhere in the streets and alleys. Wearing suits on formal occasions symbolized openness in the city, but in the countryside, people wore them even when working in the fields. Wine was the choice for banquets, but in many places I like to add balsamic vinegar and Sprite, and call it "Pink Beauty". This combination of Chinese and Western flavors is very popular.

Isn’t this also true of the changes in Chinese culture overseas? Although Chinese food is run by Chinese, the tastes, ingredients, and seasonings are all different, with a lot of local flavor.

Although China has been reforming and opening up for 20 years, the change in mentality requires a longer process.

After entering the WTO, companies cannot rely on local protectionism or nationalism, and people's exchanges and collisions between foreign culture and traditional culture should not be limited to one perspective, either/or. Be more tolerant of foreign cultures and less narrow-minded, be more enterprising and less autistic towards traditional culture. Over time, no matter how much hype similar news brings, it will probably be difficult to arouse strong reactions from people. Just like the uproar caused when the Great Hall of the People was first rented to foreign businessmen for a banquet more than 20 years ago, it has become commonplace now.

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