At Kobe, whither I fled from Hong Kong, I took a step of great importance. I cut off my cue, which had been growing all my life.
Sun Yat-SenRead
Japan today has become acquainted with the Western civilization of the rule of Might, but retains the characteristics of the Oriental civilization of the rule of Right. Now the question remains whether Japan will be the hawk of the Western civilization of the rule of Might, or the tower of strength of the Orient.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on Japan's cultural duality between Western might and Eastern rightness.
Sun Yat-Sen's quote highlights the tension between two contrasting civilizational philosophies: the powerful, often aggressive nature of Western civilization, characterized by the 'rule of Might', and the more principled, ethical approach of Eastern civilization, represented by the 'rule of Right'. In this context, he questions Japan's future role in the world, pondering whether it will adopt the Western approach or uphold its own Eastern values, thus emphasizing the importance of cultural identity amid global influences.
Themes
JapanCivilizationMightRightCultureIdentity
In practice
Example use cases
During a cultural symposium discussing East-West influences, this quote can illustrate the balance between different values.
More from Sun Yat-Sen
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How can human rights be ever developed for the majority of Chinese people? The only way is to organize. To organize workers, peasants, merchants, industrialists, and students at the grassroots level.
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At thirteen, I accompanied my mother to the Hawaiian Islands. There, for the first time, I saw the wonder of a steamship and the vastness of the ocean. From that time on, I was eager to acquire the knowledge of the West and to fathom the mysteries of nature.
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Because of poverty, we must adopt the capitalist means of production to develop our resources to get rich. However, if we ignore the issue of social justice at the beginning of China's industrialization, we will sow the seeds of class warfare in the future.
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