On Social Existence and Social Consciousness

This has always been the direction that people with lofty ideals have been trying to explore and pursue since ancient times. But everyone will have a different answer to this question. Whether it will be like the natural science in modern western countries, based on several axioms, everything can be inferred through linear thinking. Or, like China's ancient civilization, a set of future can be deduced through Taiji Bagua, which is still inconclusive. Now, I only talk about my understanding of it from my shallow knowledge.

Changes in productive forces will lead to profound changes in production relations. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period in China, due to the use and popularization of iron farm tools and Niu Geng, the productive forces were greatly liberated, which triggered great social changes and promoted social progress. At that time, China's culture was unprecedentedly prosperous, with a hundred schools of thought contending and shining brilliantly. Taoism, Mohism, Confucianism, Legalism, Military strategists and so on all hold their own words. The inaction of Taoism, the universal love of Mohism, the harmony of Confucianism, the rule of law of Legalism and many tactical and strategic theories of military strategists have greatly enriched Chinese civilization and had a far-reaching impact on later generations. All these reflect the decisive influence of social existence on social consciousness.

Investigate its reasons and pursue its truth. Before the feudal society, before the use of farm tools and animal power, human beings barely survived for food and clothing. Most of the daily productive labor can only meet their immediate needs, but also worry about frequent natural disasters, the harassment of wild animals and poisonous insects, and have no time to think carefully about morality, ethics and even higher beliefs, pursuits and dreams. It is lucky to be alive. Historians estimated the average life span and average height of China in different dynasties based on historical documents and ancient bones excavated by archaeology. The average life expectancy of men from Neolithic to pre-Qin period was about 25 years old. Not to mention modern times, even in feudal society, a man's 30 years old is only a year of "standing". "Standing" means that a person should have a certain understanding and cognition of himself and society. In the new era, most people have no systematic understanding and cognition of themselves and society. Where can there be any profound social consciousness? During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, productivity was greatly improved. The average life expectancy of men at that time was 35 years old. The improvement of productivity gives people more time to think, socialize and sublimate their spirit. Social existence plays an indispensable role in social consciousness.

Since China entered the feudal society, the idea of "emphasizing agriculture and restraining commerce" has been running through. In the feudal history of more than 2000 years, from the Warring States period, "emphasizing agriculture" and "restraining commerce" were formed; After Qin and Han dynasties, "emphasizing agriculture and restraining commerce" and "respecting the essence and restraining the end" were all manifestations of emphasizing agriculture and restraining commerce, the monopoly law in the Song and Yuan Dynasties and even the maritime ban in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The concrete manifestation of the policy of "attaching importance to agriculture and restraining commerce" in different historical periods in ancient China must be determined by the economic form. Emphasizing agriculture and restraining commerce is the most basic economic guiding ideology of China feudal dynasty, and its proposition is emphasizing agriculture and restraining commerce. The policy of attaching importance to agriculture and restraining business and the policy of "agriculture-based business" have profoundly restricted and influenced the history of China. At that time, the thought of "emphasizing agriculture and restraining business" really made China's social wealth in the leading position in the world for a long time. However, this policy not only greatly created material wealth, but also seriously restricted the progress of productive forces. On the contrary, in the western world, the ideological emancipation movement from14th century to16th century and the religious reform movement from16th century prompted people to think more rationally and capitalism developed and expanded. Driven by this series of ideological emancipation, in the18th century, the first industrial revolution, represented by Englishman Watt's improvement of the steam engine, was born, and mankind entered the era of industrial civilization. The first industrial revolution replaced manual workshops with factory system and manual labor with machines. In social relations, the industrial revolution made the yeoman peasant class attached to the backward mode of production disappear. The first industrial revolution brought the world closer and changed the face of the world. Britain, which took the lead in completing the industrial revolution, soon became the world hegemon.

? It is hard to say that the unprecedented prosperity of our society today is not influenced by the western ideological emancipation movement. If Europe is still in the dark Middle Ages, people still believe that God created everything. God said there should be light, so there was light, so who would have thought of inventing the light bulb? Without Newton's three laws, people can be liberated from theological thinking, look at the world with a rational eye, explore the world regularly, and the industrial revolution is out of the question. Of course, there is no if in history, but it is undeniable that social consciousness also plays an indelible role in social existence.

If Watt had been brought into China at that time, it would have been a pie from the sky. Under the social consciousness of "emphasizing agriculture and restraining commerce" at that time, it was difficult to start such a grand industrial revolution. In the western society at that time, even if there was no watt, others would start this round of historical trajectory from manual production to machine production. 1840 after the fiasco of the opium war, a small number of China people finally realized that there was a small country in the far west, which was very powerful. That's England. Since then, China has started a series of learning movements. From the Westernization Movement: learning from foreigners to control foreigners, to the Reform Movement of 1898, to the Revolution of 1911, to the New Culture Movement, and until the founding of New China, the productive forces really developed.

? The sharp contrast comes from our neighbor Japan. Like the Qing dynasty across the sea, Japan in the Tokugawa era in the19th century also took closing the country to the outside world as its basic national policy. For more than 650 years, the shogunate did not allow Japan to produce large ships that could go to sea, and all those who went abroad and returned from foreign countries were sentenced to death. 1On July 8th, 853, Brigadier General matthew perry of the US Navy led the fleet into Puhe River in Edo Bay. For Japan, which has not owned ocean-going ships for hundreds of years, these four warships are like science fiction weapons from another world. The 36 cannons carried on four ships can level any city in the range, and the armor covered on the hull is enough to resist any Japanese artillery attack. The Japanese knew that they were defeated and did not resist. In this way, the door of Japan was opened. But the difference is here. 187 1 year, the Meiji government sent a large-scale envoy headed by right minister Iwakura Tomomi to visit Europe and the United States to inspect the capitalist country system. Under the slogan of making Qiang Bing a rich country, achieving prosperity through industrialization and moving towards civilization, the government actively introduced western science and technology, carried out large-scale primitive accumulation in the form of high land tax, and established a number of state-owned enterprises focusing on military industry, mines, railways and shipping. At the same time, introduce modern equipment such as silk reeling and textile, establish demonstration factories and popularize advanced technology; Hire foreign experts, send overseas students abroad and train senior scientific and technological talents. Deprived the feudal warrior class of its privileges. We advocate learning western social culture and habits, translating western works and promoting western education. Finally, a set of new social consciousness led by western capitalist civilization was formed, and it embarked on the road of strengthening the country from then on. Perry led the fleet to force the Japanese to open the country with powerful ships and guns. On the other hand, the Japanese remember the invader Perry as a benefactor. They believe that without Perry, Japan may continue to close its doors. Perry became the pride of Yokosuga. The Japanese not only set up Perry Park in Yokosuga, but also set up a monument at 190 1 where the American black ship landed, with the inscription of Japanese Prime Minister Ito Bowen, "Admiral Peili of the United States of North America landed at the monument". The Japanese regard the Perry Monument as the starting point of Japan's modernization-Meiji Restoration. During the Meiji Restoration, the Japanese were proud to wear suits and ties to speak English, while those who insisted on wearing traditional kimonos seemed out of place. As a result, there was a trend of "leaving Asia and entering Europe" in Japan, all of which originated from this change that greatly expanded the national strength.

? From the aspects of learning technology, learning system, learning culture and learning thinking, it is reasonable to say that before the Opium War, China's GDP accounted for 1/3 of the world's GDP, and its productivity seemed extremely developed. Why is the national strength declining? At worst, westernization movement, learning good technology is enough to greatly improve productivity, so why not? According to the linear thinking of natural science, there is no problem. The main reason is that China people learn less, after all, it is a minority. According to statistics, during the Opium War, the population of China was about 400 million. At that time, our 400 million compatriots were still living a feudal life. After all, only a few people can learn technology, are willing to learn technology, and can go abroad to study technology and return home. A small number of people. When all of us were living in feudal society, we were still maintaining the production relationship of small family workshops, or men plowing and women weaving. The productivity of a country could only be improved by a small number of people, even if they studied well and were smart, it was not enough. All citizens need to have this awareness, respect facts and emancipate their minds. And Japan, after a series of introduction, a series of study, a series of emancipating the mind, embarked on the road to a strong country, the reason is nothing more than four words: respect for facts! Since the opening of the country, Japanese society has formed a very strong atmosphere of learning from the West from top to bottom! Although there are still many social problems in modern times, undeniable facts are in front of everyone. Emancipating the mind brings great progress in productivity, national strength and people's living standards! Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, based on the peasant class and the working class, our Party has constantly emancipated the mind of society, even at the expense of re-revolution, and constantly educated the people, so that the whole society can have a scientific development concept as much as possible, and the productive forces can be greatly produced, so that we can not only keep up with all industrial revolutions, but also lead or even surpass them.