Zeng Guoying's On the Perils of Prosperity

Author: Zheng Guanying
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features: The Precariousness of a Prosperous Age is an important work written by Zheng Guanying, a pioneering thinker of the late Qing reform movement and a renowned industrialist, advocating for self-strengthening, wealth creation, and reform. It reflects Zheng Guanying's ideas on improving the feudal society, gradually implementing a constitutional monarchy, and developing a capitalist economic system. The most prominent feature of this book is the dominance of the concept of "commercial warfare." It argues that to change China's backward situation in the modern era, merely adopting a "strengthening the military" policy and relying solely on national strength to compete with Western powers is far from sufficient. It is essential to establish a legislative assembly, implement a constitutional monarchy, develop a capitalist economy, and resist foreign colonial economic aggression to truly achieve national independence and prosperity. When The Precariousness of a Prosperous Age was published, it was widely read both in and out of the court. Emperor Guangxu ordered the Imperial Household Department to print 2,000 copies and distributed one to each minister. Mao Zedong also greatly admired this book. In his autobiography, he wrote: At night, I often covered the windows and doors of my room to prevent my father from seeing the light. I read a book I loved called The Precariousness of a Prosperous Age. This book inspired me to continue my pursuit of knowledge.