From Dynastic Rise and Fall to Contemporary Transformation

From Dynastic Rise and Fall to Contemporary Transformation: A Civilizational History and Economic Structure Analysis Spanning Three Thousand Years. Employing a unique comparative political economy perspective, this book systematically interprets the deep structure of Chinese civilization and analyzes how it has shaped contemporary economic and political challenges. The book is structured into three main sections, establishing a complete system of argumentation: 1. The Genes and Destiny of Civilization (Ch. 1-3): Tracing the cyclical laws of dynastic rise and fall, the geographic differences between North and South, and the Axial Age of Confucian and Legalist thought, this section reveals the inherent logic behind China's political patterns: dynastic cycles, unification and division, and North-South relations. 2. The Western Breakthrough and Enlightenment (Ch. 4-7): This comparative analysis examines the breakthroughs in Western civilization—science, industry, capital, and democracy—and how they fostered a 'positive-sum game' society. It focuses on the Industrial Revolution, liberal economics, the birth of the parliamentary system and the British constitution, and their structural foundation for individualism and the concept of limited power. 3. China's Transformation and Conclusion (Ch. 8-10): Building upon the historical and theoretical foundation established, this book deeply analyzes modern China. It details the 'latecomer disadvantage' of bottom-level changes such as land reform and secularization, and analyzes the factor-driven miracle of accumulated growth during the four decades of Reform and Opening-up. Ultimately, the author posits that the high concentration of power leads to resource misallocation, impeding the middle class's intrinsic demand for limiting power. This book offers a unique key to understanding the underlying code of Chinese civilization, the immense cost behind its economic rise, and the fundamental causes of its current structural challenges.