When they are rich, what needs to be done next?

More than two thousand years ago, Confucius traveled around the world with his disciples. They arrived at the country of Wei and found a plain full of villages and towns. Confucius was very impressed: "What a densely populated plain!" One of his disciples asked: "But master, now that they are with so many, what needs to be done next?" Confucius answered: "Let the people become rich." Then the disciple asked a second question: "And what if they are already rich, what needs to be done next?" To that Confucius answered: "Let the people become enlightened by propriety (lǐ) and justice (yì)."

[This is a translation of my article on China2025.nl]

This is an excerpt of a widely used Chinese high school history book. It introduces a chapter on the historical person Confucius and his ideas. No one that has ever studied Confucianism would say that precisely this quote, which it does in fact come from the writings of Confucius, represents the core of that philosophy. Wasn't Confucianism about order, hierarchy and ancestor worship? "Let the people get rich" sounds more like a quote of Deng Xiaoping.

Embedding CCP Policy into millennia of history

The authors of the book have chosen this excerpt with a purpose other than simply familiarise China's children with the great philosopher and his ideas. The excerpt fits perfectly with the current policy of the Chinese Communist Party, and therefore embeds this policy with the country's millennia-old history. Not coincidentally, the analogy with the Chinese people is easily made: it lives on an enormous densely populated area, and, under the authority of the CCP, became prosperous at an unprecedented rate. The question of Confucius' follower is the same question that Chinese politicians are currently trying to answer feverishly: "When they are rich, what should be done next?"

That such a big ideological question is subtly addressed in a history book for children is not surprising. History is never entirely objective; at the very least selection and interpretation take place. That is particularly true for school textbooks, since 'the story of the nation' is to be passed on to a new generation. In China, it is carefully ensured that history books fit in well with the current state ideology.

That state ideology is called "Socialism with Chinese Characteristics", a term coined by Deng Xiaoping. He faced an ideological dilemma when he wanted to lead the country to a new future by means of economic reforms, without letting go of the Communist heritage of the party. Chinese leaders after him haven't let go of this heritage either. After all, they have to explain why the Communist party still is in power.

Sensitive issue

In the official state rhetoric, "Socialism with Chinese Characteristics" means that the basic principles of Marxism are 'supplemented' with elements that do justice to the Chinese reality. Every Chinese leader since Deng Xiaoping has given his own spin on that ideology. Constantly, new slogans and sets of values are created, but it is increasingly difficult to find a coherent story. What is China's state ideology really about today?

And that is a sensitive question in China. Although a substantial part of the population, will eternally be grateful to the party for ending the 'century of humiliation' and raising the standard of living, there is a new generation that needs more than that. What can the state offer them? Where is the justice that Confucius already talked about? With falling growth rates, the pressure on Xi Jinping is growing to come up with answers.

The next few years I will attempt to clarify the current status of China's state ideology in my PhD research. And here the history books come in handy again. Given the strong relationship between history and ideology, history textbooks can be used as an indirect source of the ideology itself.

I will look at historical events that have disappeared, or have come back (such as Confucius), or events that have been given a whole new interpretation. These changes in the textbooks will reflect political, economic and social changes in China itself. And by analysing these, I hope to find out which path China intends to take 'when the people are rich'.

[If you are interested in my research, please do not hesitate to contact me]