San Min Chu I: The Three Principles of the People

by Sun Yat-Sen, Frank W. Price (Translator)

English (translation)
Original Chinese

Genres: Politics, China, Philosophy, History, Nonfiction

514 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1928

About the author

Chinese revolutionary, first president and founding father of the Republic of China.

Sun is referred to as the "Father of the Nation" in the Republic of China (ROC), and the "forerunner of democratic revolution" in the People's Republic of China.

He co-founded the Kuomintang and formed an alliance with the communists.

Reviews

[Kai · Rating 4 out of 5]

So thought-provoking to read, especially after nearly a century since it was written... Should be a must-read for those who wish to learn more about arguments against China blindly adopting a democratic system and just how far China has come in such a short amount of time.

[Curry · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative discussion of Sun Yat-Sen's beliefs for the restoration of the Chinese state and society. A good read for any students of history, historians, or historiographers.

[Julius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Das Buch besteht aus 3 Teilen, die jeweils in "Lectures" unterteilt sind. Der Autor hält praktisch einen Kurs, eine Serie inhaltlich zusammenhängender Reden/Lektüren. Geschrieben wurde das Buch Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts.

1. Das Prinzip des Nationalismus: Die Grundthese ist, dass es China im Vergleich zu anderen, erfolgreicheren Nationen an Nationalismus fehlt. Den gilt es zu erzeugen und zwar auf der "ancient morality: loyalty, filial devotion, kindness, love, faithfulness, justice, harmony, and peace".

2. Das Prinzip der Demokratie: Für eine funktionierende Demokratie in China braucht es "four controlling powers of the people: suffrage, recall, initiative, and referendum", außerdem "the five administrative powers of government: legislative, judicial, executive, civil service examination, and censorshop".

3. Das Prinzip der Lebensgrundlage: Die Lebensgrundlage muss das "Zentrum des ökonomischen Sonnenystems" sein. Dazu gehört eine theoretische Auseinandersetzung mit dem Marxismus genau so wie spezifische Untersuchungen von Nahrung und Kleidung.

Leider ist dre Druck schlecht, die Sichtweise allerdings interessant.

[lukas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Krásna kniha plná analýz filozofie a riešení problémov medzivojnovej rozpadnutej Číny, niektoré ideály pre buď demokraciu alebo ekonomiku ktoré sú v nej prekladané stále sú nezískane v našich končinách. Analýza marxizmu bola čudná, autor moc nemá rád západnú filozofiu.

[Toby Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

The principles of nationalism are interesting but the economic stuff would NOT work with a population as large as China (imo)

[Vy Nguyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't necessarily agree with the contents but it's interesting to learn about Chinese revolutionary ideas at the beginning of the twentieth century.