Chapter 11 elder rule

To understand the power structure of rural society, it is not enough to only look at the two concepts of tyrannical power and consent power that I analyzed in the last part.Although we can explain the de facto restrictions on tyrannical power from the nature of rural society, this does not mean that the power structure of rural society is in the form of so-called "democracy".The form of democracy is based on the power of consent. In the rural society, the rule of the "government" added by the tyrannical power is uncovered. In the traditional inaction politics, this layer of rule is not very strong. But it is not quite politics in which many citizens with equal rights participate together.Here is a mystery about the nature of grassroots politics in China.Some people say that although China does not have political democracy, it has social democracy.Some people also say that China's political structure can be divided into two layers, with the undemocratic layer on top of the democratic one.These views are partly similar; the reason for saying similarity rather than exactness is that there is also a kind of power here, which is neither violent nor consensual; it arises neither in social conflict nor in social cooperation; The process of succession is educational power, or paternalism, which is Paternalism in English.

Social succession is a new term I put forward in the book "Reproductive System", but it is not a new concept. It refers to the process of metabolism of social members.Life and death are impermanent, and lifespan is limited; personally speaking, this world is just a journey against the sky, and the period of living here is not far behind.But this reverse journey has more complicated and stricter rules than any inn or restaurant.No newcomer understands this before entering the door. Not only that, those who come to this "reverse journey" are not due to their own choice, and they are not allowed to move at will after they come; only this family, no one else. branch.Of course, there are different parts in this big store; each part, what we call different cultural areas, has imperfect regularity, but there is nothing wrong with regularity.There is no "Traveler's Guide" that doesn't have more "Travelers" hanging on the wall than the Ten Commandments.Therefore, everyone who wants to live in this rebellious journey has to accept some education, so that he can do whatever he wants under these many laws without hitting an iron wall.

Some of the laws in society are the result of social conflict, and some are the result of social cooperation.Some of the iron walls erected around personal behavior are violent and some are consenting.But no matter what, these laws must be observed by people, and the content of the laws must be understood by people.If people are like ants or bees, the situation is also simple.The laws of group life have physiological guarantees, and they can be learned without learning.Human laws are man-made.Picking up tofu with chopsticks, dancing in high heels and not trampling on other people's feet are really embarrassing rules; if you don't study, don't practice, of course you won't succeed, and you have to not be afraid of sleepiness or trouble when studying.Not afraid of sleepiness, not afraid of boredom, and not innate; therefore, some coercion must be imposed.Coercion has power.

The power thus produced is neither consent nor violence.It would be too much of a social contract to say that children must wear shoes before they are allowed to go out on the streets.The so-called social contract must first assume the will of the individual.Although individuals do not have the right to free themselves from this kind of contract, the free will of each individual must be respected during the formation of such contractual laws. The form of democratic politics is the result of combining personal will and social coercion.This problem does not arise in the process of indoctrination, and the indoctrinate does not have the opportunity to choose.What he was to learn, what we call culture, existed before him.We don't add "will" to the personality of the underage child, because no such recognition is needed in the process of education.In fact, the so-called will does not grow slowly like a physical organ. This is not a psychological phenomenon, but a social recognition.This is a necessary element in the maintenance of the order of consent; it does not occur in other orders.We do not admit that minors have a will, which also shows the fact that they have not entered into the order of consent.

I once said: "What a child encounters is not a world set up for his convenience, but a field set up for the convenience of adults. He broke in without the power to create a new order, but There is no desire to submit to the old order." (The System of Birth, p. 101).Their indoctrination may be said to be undemocratic insofar as they do not seek, take into account, or agree with them, lay down the social way of life to which they must adapt, but they are not so violent.Tyrannical power occurs in social conflicts and is a tool used to exploit the ruled for benefits.To say that the indoctrination process is exploitative is obviously going too far.I once called it a job of "harming oneself and benefiting others". One person is responsible for cultivating an embryo to an adult. Apart from spiritual comfort, what are the material benefits? The time limit for "adults" is reduced to the level where they are still biologically children, and thus "exploitation" may start to happen, but having boys and girls for economic planning is at least a loss-making business with poor planning .

On the surface, "A child's interference in one hour will definitely exceed the number of social criticisms an adult receives in a year. Being a commoner under the most despotic king is no more painful than a child's It is difficult for his parents to lead a life." (Note above) But in nature, a strict father is different from an autocratic king.The difference lies in the fact that the process of enlightenment replaces the society and cultivates elements suitable for managing group life in a certain cultural way. Those who undertake this work can be said to be for the society on the one hand, and to be educated on the other. Not a relationship of dominance.

Although the edifying power is most obvious in the parent-child relationship, it is not limited to the parent-child relationship.All national, not political coercion includes this power.The difference between culture and politics is here: norms that are accepted by society without problems are cultural; when a society has not yet accepted a set of norms, there are various opinions, and the activity of seeking temporary solutions is political. .The basis of culture must be consent, but culture is mandatory for new members of society, a process of indoctrination. In a society with little change, the culture is stable, there are few new problems, and life is a set of traditional ways.If we can imagine a social life completely regulated by tradition, this society can be said to have no politics, but only education.In fact, there is no such society, but any rural society is a society close to this standard. "Government does not talk too much" and "government by doing nothing" are simple descriptions of political activities.It is also this kind of society, where people's behavior is governed by traditional etiquette.It is very interesting for Confucianism to want to form a king based on civilized power; they have never been enthusiastic about the order maintained by tyrannical power. The government of "tyranny is fiercer than a tiger" is tyrannical, and the government of "government with virtue" is educational. "Parents for the people" means paternal power.

The extension of civilizing power to relations between adults must assume a stable culture.A stable cultural tradition is an effective guarantee.If we seek individual solutions to individual problems, it is because the problems encountered in each period of life are different.Culture is like a life tree, we can look it up according to the problem.So in this kind of society there are no boundaries of what we now call adulthood.Anyone who is older than me must have had the problems I have now, and he can be my "teacher".Threesomes, there must be someone who can teach me how to deal with the problem.And every older person has the power to coerce younger people to educate: "If you come out, you will be brotherly." Every older person must respect and submit to this power.

It is not accidental that we ask each other's age in our courtesies. This politeness reflects that in our society, we treat each other according to the order of seniority.The order of seniority and youth also points out the effect of enlightenment power.In our kinship titles, seniority is an extremely important principle. We distinguish between brother and brother, sister and sister, uncle and uncle, which is not the case in many other ethnic groups.I remember my teacher, Mr. Shi Luguo, once reminded me: this division of seniority is the most basic principle in the Chinese kinship system, and sometimes it can cover up the principle of generations.The principle of kinship is formed in social life, and the importance of the principle of seniority also indicates the importance of civilizing power.

When the culture is unstable and traditional methods are not enough to deal with the current problems, the power of education will inevitably be reduced, and the parent-child relationship, teacher-student relationship will be reduced, and it will be limited to a short period of time.In the process of social change, people cannot rely on experience as a guide.What can be relied on is the principle beyond the individual situation, but it is not necessarily the elders who can form and apply the principle.This ability has little to do with age, what matters is intelligence and professionalism, and a little opportunity.Speaking of opportunities, the younger ones have more opportunities than the older ones.They are not afraid of change, curious and willing to experiment.In change, habit is an obstacle to adaptation, and experience equals stubbornness and outdatedness.Stubbornness and backwardness are not just a verbal sneer, but a threat to one's chances of survival.In this case, a child calling his father by his nickname will not arouse the father's scolding, but it is a kind of affectionate expression, and at the same time, it will give the father a kind of comfort that he is not squeezed.Seniority is not based on age, seniority becomes a meaningless comparison, and no longer ask Gui Geng when they meet. ——This kind of society is also far from the locality.

Going back to our rural society, in its power structure, although there is an undemocratic tyrannical power and a democratic consent power, there is also a civilizing power between the two, which is neither democratic nor different from An undemocratic autocracy has another kind of work.Therefore, judging Chinese society with the yardstick of democracy and non-democracy, neither is the same.If I must give it a noun, I can't think of a better term than elder rule.