Ancient Chinese Traditional Social Security and Charity--A Study Focused on the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Author: Wang Weiping, Huang Hongshan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Although ancient China did not have the name "social security," it existed in various forms of institutions and systems for disaster relief, famine preparation, poverty alleviation, and support for the elderly and children, which in practice had already fulfilled the role of social security. Unlike the early Western approach, which primarily relied on Christian churches for charity and welfare, ancient Chinese dynasties have always regarded the assistance of vulnerable groups as the responsibility of the government. As a result, ancient Chinese social security systems made significant achievements in institutional construction and frequently introduced innovations. The formation of social security systems not only occurred earlier but also showed a trend toward legalization. This book provides a preliminary review of the history of traditional social security in ancient China, with a particular focus on examining the social security policies formulated by the government during the Ming and Qing dynasties, charitable endeavors centered on communities organized by civil society, and social relief efforts implemented by clans for impoverished members within their own groups. The state, civil society, and clans interacted in the practice of social security and assistance to vulnerable populations, forming a ( means "" in Chinese, which should be translated as "" or "synergy" in English) that created a social security network covering both urban and rural areas, thereby promoting the development of the traditional social security system. Through the study of traditional social security in ancient China, it can be found that China's traditional social security system is deeply rooted in the profound soil of Chinese society, evolving with the times and becoming increasingly perfect. Therefore, in the process of building a Chinese-style social security system today, we should not blindly copy Western models but should start from the specific realities of China, reflecting Chinese characteristics. The traditional social security system in ancient China can serve as an excellent reference.