A Discussion of the Groupment Character of Ancient Chinese Peasants

Ma Xin

Journal of Literature,History & Philosophy ›› 2019, Vol. 0 ›› Issue (6) : 55-66.

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PDF(2113 KB)
Journal of Literature,History & Philosophy ›› 2019, Vol. 0 ›› Issue (6) : 55-66.

A Discussion of the Groupment Character of Ancient Chinese Peasants

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Abstract

The ancient Chinese peasants are not in a state of disunity, or “potatos in a pocket,” but a kind of social group with strong cooperative consciousness and collective spirit, as well as obvious groupment character. The greatest feature of public activities and affairs in villages is the universality of villagers’ participation. They inhabited in the same village for generations, thus formed close connection and spontaneous labor cooperation. In a village community linked by geographical and blood relationship, and based on farming culture, there formed neighborhood of mutual assistance and protection, which was not only the need of peasants’ daily lives, but also the support for their existence and spirit. The groupment character of ancient Chinese peasants generated from specific historical condition and social structure. On the one hand, it forms mutual relationship among the peasants, and can even protect their group interest; and on the other hand, it makes peasants the basic force for the duration and reform of ancient Chinese society. The dictum that “while the water can carry a boat; it can also overturn it” said by Emperor Taizong of Tang, is just a high summary of such social law.

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Ma Xin. A Discussion of the Groupment Character of Ancient Chinese Peasants[J]. Journal of Literature,History & Philosophy, 2019, 0(6): 55-66
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