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
When the people share everything in the state, then will we truly reach the goal of the Min Sheng Principle, which is Confucius' hope of a 'great commonwealth.'
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of shared resources and collective well-being in achieving an ideal society.
Sun Yat-Sen highlights the significance of communal sharing in governance, referencing the Min Sheng Principle. He posits that true societal achievement and harmony lie in the collective ownership and sharing of resources, which aligns with Confucian ideals of a 'great commonwealth' where individuals look beyond personal interests for the common good.
Themes
CommunitySharingCommon GoodGovernanceCollective
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech advocating for social reform, one might reference this quote to emphasize unity.
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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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