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From Sun Wen Hsueh Shu by Sun Yat-sen, 1919
The early ancestors of mankind were not unlike the wild animals. The human character was developed many thousand years after. Then the human evolution began. The law governing human evolution is different from that of the evolution of species. In the evolution of plant and anima lives struggle for existence is the guiding principle, whereas in the evolution of mankind mutual aid is the rule. The community and the state re organized forms of cooperation while the ethical code represents this principle in application. Men who conform to this law prosper while those who do not are bound to perish. This law has been operating in the scheme of human affairs for
many thousand years. But not all men of our days observe it because man�s advance from the second stage of evolution, the evolution of species, to the third stage is comparatively recent. The inherent traits of the animal ancestors have not been entirely eliminated.
Nevertheless, since man entered the stage of civilization he has been instinctively following the principle of cooperation to attain the end of evolution. It is another case of doing without knowing and attaining an end without premeditation. What is the end of human evolution? It is what Confucius said, �When the great principle (of truth) prevails, the whole world rests on a common trusteeship� as well as what Jesus said, �Thy will be done on earth as is in Heaven.� Mankind has been praying for the conversion of the sorrowful world into a paradise. Civilization in recent years is progressing at an ever-increasing speed. The achievements in the past century far exceeded those in the past 1,000 years, so did the achievements in the past ten years exceed those in past 100 years. If the progress continues at this rate, the millennium is not far off.
But since Darwin propounded the theory of struggle for existence and natural selection, some students have begun . . . to apply the law governing the evolution of species to explain the evolution of mankind, ignoring the fact
that man has advanced beyond that stage. The theory of evolution, therefore, is the tenth instance supporting my theory that it is not difficult to act but difficult to know.
If the readers still hesitate to believe my cult, let me cite the saying of Confucius, �The people may act according to certain ways but they do know those ways.� The word �may� ([Chinese character]) should be interpreted as �can�. ([Chinese character]) We may infer, therefore, that our ancient sage knew the difficulty of knowing. However, owing to the brevity of the remark, the students in the successive centuries failed to grasp its significance and neglected the teaching altogether. Subsequently they fell into a mental rut, placing blind faith in the erroneous maxim that it is not difficult to know but difficult to act. This dangerous mentality has caused in certain instances the fall of a nation and the extinction of an entire people. The Japanese were afflicted with the pernicious doctrine too, but their case was less serious. Consequently, they were able to introduce reform measures and thus elevated their country to the stage of prosperity and military preponderance.
As to Europeans and Americans I have never heard that any one ever entertained such an idea. On the eve of the first impression of this volume Dr. John Dewey happened to be in Shanghai. I sounded him on my doctrine and asked for his opinion.
The American philosopher replied that Europeans and Americans only considered it difficult to know but never believe that to do is difficult.
( pages 91 - 94 )
In the Book of Great Learning Confucius said, �When wealth is produced in abundance and consumers are few, when manufacture is speedy and consumers feel comfortable, then economic sufficiency is assured.� This explains the prosperity of the United States [1919]. . . .
( page 177 )
The cult of Dr. Sun; Sun W�n hsueh shu ...
by Dr. Sun Yat-sen; the translation by Wei Yung.
Shanghai : The Independent Weekly, 1931, pages 91 - 93.
From General History, by Edward Henry Carter and Charles Kay Ogden 1938
Between five and six hundred years before Christ, Confucius was living in China, and to this day the
name of this great teacher of religion is deeply respected by his countrymen. He gave them rules for their behaviour to their fathers, teachers, and all men. . . .
( pages 132-3 )
GENERAL HISTORY IN OUTLINE AND STORY
Edward Henry Carter and Charles Kay Ogden
London etc. : Nelson 1938.
Confucius.
Title(s) Lun yu. English. Selections
The wisdom of Confucius / edited and translated with notes by Lin Yutang.
Edition Modern Library ed.
Publisher New York : Modern Library, 1994, c1966.
Paging xvii, 290 p. : map ; 20 cm.
Series The Modern library of the world's best books.
Notes "The life of Confucius" (by Szema Chʻien): p. 54-101.
Chapter III, Central harmony "is the only chapter in which I have not made by own translation, the one used being by the late Ku Hung-ming." cf. p. 103.
Confucius.
Title(s) The wisdom of Confucius, edited and translated with notes by Lin Yutang; illustrated by Jeanyee Wong.
Publisher [N. Y.] Illustrated Modern Library, c1943.
Paging 265 p. illus. (part col.) map.
Series Illustrated modern library
Notes "The life of Confucius (by Szema Ch'ien)": p. 48-91.
Chapter III. Central harmony "is the only chapter in which I have not made my own translation, the one used being by the late Ku Hung-ming." cf. 93.
Subject Headings Philosophy, Chinese.
Confucius.
Title(s) Selections. English
The wisdom of Confucius, edited and translated with notes by Lin Yutang.
Publisher New York, Modern library, c1938.
Paging 290 p. (map) 17 cm.
Series Modern library of the world's best books
Notes "First Modern library edition."
"The life of Confucius (by Szema Ch'ien): p. 53-100.
Chapter III, Central harmony "is the only chapter in which I have not made by own translation, the one used being by the late Ku Hung-ming." cf. p. 102
Hs�, Leonard Shih-lien, 1901-
Title(s) The political philosophy of Confucianism. by Leonard Shihlien Hsu ... With a frontispiece of Confucius.
Publisher N. Y., Dutton, 1932.
Paging 257 p. front. 22 cm.
Series Broadway Oriental library
Notes Selected bibliography: p. 248-250.
Sun, Yat-sen, 1866-1925.
Title(s) The cult of Dr. Sun; Sun W�n hsueh shu ... by Dr. Sun Yat-sen; the translation by Wei Yung.
Publisher Shanghai, The Independent Weekly, 1931.
Paging 1 p. l, ii p., 1 l., 230, xx p. 19 cm.
Notes Title also in Chinese.
Author Sun, Yat-sen, 1866-1925.
Title Sun Wen xue shuo.
Publisher [Daibei? : s.n., 19--?]
Description 2, 6, 194 p. ; 15 cm.
Language Chinese
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