Essentials of Governance: Twelve Lectures on Social Contradictions in China

223 Pages·2021·11.2 MB·English

by  Wu Zhongmin, He Jun

Essentials of Governance
The Social Sciences of Practice

the Social History and Sociology of Practice
Series Editor
Philip C.C. Huang
(University of California, Los Angeles and Renmin University of China)
volume 8
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/ ssop
Essentials of Governance

Twelve Lectures on Social Contradictions in China
By
Wu Zhongmin
Translated by
He Jun
LEIDEN | BOSTON
This book is the result of the translation license agreement between Shandong People’s Publishing House
and Koninklijke Brill NV. This book is translated into English from the original《治道之要：社会矛盾十
二讲》(Zhidao zhiyao: shehui maodun shi’er jiang) (吴忠民著) (by WU Zhongmin) with financial support
from the China Classics International.
The English translation was copyedited by Kerry Allen and Malcolm Thompson.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: 880-01 Wu, Zhongmin, 1959- author. | He, Jun (Translator),
translator.
Title: Essentials of governance : twelve lectures on social contradictions
in China / by Wu Zhongmin ; translated by He Jun.
Other titles: 880-02 Zhi dao zhi yao. English
Description: Leiden ; Boston : Brill, [2021] | Series: The social sciences of
practice : the social history and sociology of practice, 2214-952X ; volume 8 |
880-03 Translation of: Zhi dao zhi yao : she hui mao dun shi er jiang. |
Summary: “There are twelve lectures in this book. The theoretical section
addresses the concept of social contradictions, their various forms and
influencing factors, their dual functions and how they aid social development.
The author then compares the characteristics of contradictions in traditional
and modern society, and analyzes how their special laws have become
applicable during periods of transition in contemporary Chinese society.
He interprets the contradictions between the public and officials, the rich
and the poor, and labor and capital. He also looks at social contradictions in
the internet era. He finally analyzes the possibility of social unrest in China
and proposes how to actively and effectively deal with social contradictions.
His study of social contradictions is of theoretical and practical
significance”– Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021023316 (print) | LCCN 2021023317 (ebook) |
ISBN 9789004468405 (hardback) | ISBN 9789004468597 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Social conflict–China. | China–Social conditions.
Classification: LCC HN733.5 .W837 2021 (print) | LCC HN733.5 (ebook) |
DDC 303.60951–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021023316
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021023317
Typeface for the Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts: “Brill”. See and download: brill.com/b rill- typeface.
issn 2214-9 52X
isbn 978-9 0-0 4-4 6840-5 (hardback)
isbn 978-9 0-0 4-4 6859-7 (e- book)
Copyright 2021 by Shandong People’s Publishing House of China. Published by Koninklijke Brill nv, Leiden,
The Netherlands.
Koninklijke Brill nv incorporates the imprints Brill, Brill Nijhoff, Brill Hotei, Brill Schöningh, Brill Fink,
Brill mentis, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Böhlau Verlag and V&R Unipress.
Koninklijke Brill nv reserves the right to protect this publication against unauthorized use. Requests for
re- use and/ or translations must be addressed to Koninklijke Brill nv via brill.com or copyright.com.
This book is printed on acid- free paper and produced in a sustainable manner.
Contents

S eries Editor’s Note xiii
T ranslator’s Note xv
1 N ot All Contradictions in Society Are Social Contradictions 1
1 T he Concept of Social Contradictions at Macro and Micro Level 2
2 T he Concept of Social Contradictions at Meso- Level 4
2.1 A Problem at the Structural Level of the Social Stratum 6
2.2 T here Are Concerned Parties That Interact or Communicate
Their Interests 6
2.3 T he Interactions between Parties Involved in Social
Contradictions Show Consistencies as Well as
Inconsistencies 7
3 T he Difference between Social Contradictions, Social Conflicts,
and Social Movements 10
4 T he Difference between Riots and Social Unrest 11
4.1 W hether or Not It Is Subversive 13
4.2 W hether There Is a Violent Confrontation 14
4.3 W hether It Is Destructive on a Large Scale 14
5 C onclusion 15
2 T he Important Influence of Non- material Interest Factors on Social
Contradictions 17
1 A Definition of Non- material Benefits 18
2 C ontradictions with Non- material Benefits Have Dual Effects 20
3 T he Stimulating Effect of Extreme Spiritual Factors on Intense
Social Contradictions 23
3 T he Important Influence of the Structure of Social Power Contrasts
on Social Contradictions 30
1 T he Influence of the Resisting Party’s Specific Situation on Social
Contradictions 31
1.1 T he Weight of the Opposition Party’s Influence on Society 31
1.2 T he Internal Integration of Resistance Forces 32
1.3 W hether the Economic Situation Has Changed or Not 33
2 T he Influence of the Ruling Party’s Specific Situations on Social
Contradictions 33
2.1 T he Credibility of the Ruling Party 33
2.2 T he Power of Control of the Ruling Party 34
vi Contents
2.3 T he Ruling Party’s Own Degree of Integration 35
3 T he Influence of the Middle Party’s Situation on Social
Contradictions 36
4 T he Strength of Social Contradictions Related to Party Conflict and
Other Influential Factors 37
4 H ow Social Contradictions Force Social Development 44
1 S ocial Contradictions Have Dual Functions and Aid Social
Development 44
2 S ocial Contradictions Force Social Development 49
2.1 S ocial Contradictions Promote the Continuous Improvement of
Social Justice 49
2.2 T he Aggravation and Escalation of Social Contradictions
Will Often Become an Important Opportunity for New
Arrangements of Interests 50
2.3 S ocial Contradictions Can Effectively Promote the Development
and Perfection of Institutions 51
2.4 T he Prominence of Specific Social Contradictions Can Often
Indicate a Fault or a Shortcoming in Society 53
2.5 I n Certain Conditions, Social Contradictions Can Lead to
Discontent and the Accumulation of Resentments 54
3 T he Necessary Conditions for Social Contradictions to Force Social
Development 56
3.1 T he Parties Involved in Social Contradictions, Especially
Influential Ones, Cannot Fall into an Irrational State 56
3.2 M ost Social Groups Have a Relatively Broad Consensus on
Future Prospects 57
3.3 T he Right Policies Are Launched at the Right Time 58
5 A Comparison of the Contradiction Characteristics in Traditional and
Modern Society 60
1 T here Are Obvious Differences in How Probable Social
Contradictions Are 60
1.1 T here Are Great Differences between Traditional and Modern
Societies with Regard to Social Energy and the Pace of
Change 61
1.2 T here Are Different Degrees of Complexity in Traditional and
Modern Societies 62
2 T he Different Basic Causes of Social Contradictions 64
Contents vii
3 T he Manifestations of Serious Social Contradictions Are Obviously
Different 68
4 T he Ability to Resolve Social Contradictions Differs Greatly 71
4.1 M odern Society Has Relatively Reasonable and Stable
Systems 73
4.2 M odern Society Has a Strong Ability to Absorb Social
Contradictions 73
4.3 M odern Society’s Institutions Can Keep Pace with the Times in
Handling Social Contradictions 74
6 K ey Features of Social Contradictions in Modern China 75
1 P eople’s Livelihood Outweighs Political Appeals 76
2 O utstanding Contradictions between the Government and Its
Citizens 77
3 I ndividual Cases Often Turn into Group Contradictions 79
4 T he Methods of Appeal Are Mild 82
5 D ilemmas in Solving Social Contradictions 84
6 T here Is a High Probability That Social Contradictions Will
Increase in Intensity 85
7 S pecial Topic: Guarding against Lone Wolf Terrorist Attacks in
China’s Mainland 89
7 K ey Features of “Public versus Officials” Contradictions in Modern
China 93
1 C ontradictions between the Government and the People Occupy an
Important Position among Social Contradictions as a Whole 94
2 C ontradictions between the Government and the People Are
Increasingly from Top to Bottom 97
3 S ome Disputes between Officials and Civilians Are Social
Contradictions Rooted in Anger 98
4 C ontradictions between the Government and the People Show
Signs of Ossification 101
4.1 I n the Distribution of Revenue 101
4.2 B arriers Are Beginning to Form between Government Officials
and Citizens 102
5 T he Lack of Institutions and Mechanisms for Resolution 103
5.1 T here Are No Effective or Smooth Mechanisms to Respond to
People’s Interests and Demands 103
5.2 T he Institutional Mechanisms to Deal with Social
Contradictions Are Often Missing 104
viii Contents
6 C ontradictions between the Government and the People Are
Non- confrontational 105
6.1 T he Chinese Communist Party Still Having the Legitimacy to
Govern 107
6.2 T he Way People Appeal for Their Interests Is Generally
Moderate 107
6.3 T he Public Generally Trusts Officials 108
8 K ey Features of Contradictions between Rich and Poor in
Contemporary China 109
1 T he Core Contradiction between Rich and Poor Lies in the Social
Structure 110
1.1 T he Inequality of Status, Influence, and the Right to Speak
among Different Social Groups 111
1.2 A lliances Created in the Interest of Elite Political and Economic
Groups 111
1.3 E ncroachments on the Actual Interests of the
Disadvantaged 112
2 T he Inability of Government to Fulfil Its Responsibilities of Public
Service 113
3 T he Chinese People Care More about the Gap between the Rich
and the Poor 115
4 C ontradictions between the Rich and the Poor Are Negative,
Extensive, and Profound 119
5 C ontradictions between the Rich and the Poor Are at a Critical
Turning Point 122
6 S pecial Topic: Distinguishing Two Types of Contradictions
between the Rich and the Poor 125
9 K ey Features of Contradictions between Labor and Capital in
Contemporary China 130
1 T here Are Problems between Labor and Capital at the Level of
Institutions 131
1.1 T he Government Does Not Sufficiently Support Workers 131
1.2 T here Is a Clear Absence of Trade Unions 133
1.3 T he Lack of a Policy on Strikes 134
1.4 A Lack of Functions in Employers’ Organizations 135
2 L abor- Capital Asymmetry 137
2.1 T here Are Obvious Problems for Laborers When Signing Labor
Contracts 137
2.2 L abor Income Is Not Proportionate to Labor Input 139
Contents ix
2.3 S ecurity Conditions Are Poor for Laborers 141
2.4 T he Situation Regarding Social Security Is Still
Worrisome 142
3 W orkers’ Interests Are Mainly Economic 143
4 L aborers Pursue Their Interests in a Relatively Moderate Way 144
4.1 E xpressing Interests within the Framework of Laws and
Regulations 144
4.2 E xpressing Interests through Peaceful Means Such as Sit- ins,
Petitions, and Marches 144
4.3 E xpressing Interests and Demands through Work Stoppages
and Strikes 145
4.4 U sing a Decentralized, One- on- one Approach 145
4.5 W orkers Hope to Solve Their Problems and to Coexist with
Management 146
4.6 L abor Contradictions Are Basically Related to Economic
Interests Rather than Political Power 147
4.7 A t Present, the Circumstances of China’s Workers Are
Unique 148
4.7.1 W orkers Have a Relatively Strong Capacity for
Endurance 148
4.7.2 M ost Workers Are Concerned about Their “Security”
When Expressing Their Demands 148
4.7.3 M ost Migrant Laborers Still Have Their Basic Source
of Livelihood 149
10 K ey Features of Social Contradictions in the Internet Era 150
1 T he Concurrence of Equality and Inequality 151
1.1 I nterest Groups Such as Internet Developers and Access
Companies Are Controlling Internet Users 152
1.2 T he Inequality of Online Voices 153
1.3 C yber Violence 155
2 H ow the Internet Fuels Social Contradictions 157
2.1 U sers Tend to Be More Reckless When They Are
Anonymous 157
2.2 R eckless Communication among Internet Users Facilitates
Anger and Stimulates Irrationality 158
2.3 E fficient Internet- based Tools Can Facilitate the Rapid
Formation of Certain Social Contradictions 158
3 T he Internet Is an Effective Magnifier of Social
Contradictions 159
3.1 C omments and Complaints 159
x Contents
3.2 D iverse Opinions and Angry Forms of Expression 159
3.3 T he Rapid Shifting of “Trends” 160
4 T he Positive Role the Internet Can Play in Mitigating Social
Contradictions 161
4.1 B y Illuminating Public Opinion, an Important Indicator of
Social Contradictions 161
4.2 T he Internet Can Help Relieve How People Feel about Social
Contradictions 162
4.3 T he Internet Can Effectively Prevent and Rectify Abuses of
Power 163
5 C onclusions 164
5.1 I n the Internet Age, Social Contradictions Will Necessarily
Possess Certain Characteristics 164
5.2 S ocial Contradictions on the Internet Reflect Real- life
Contradictions 165
5.3 T he Internet Has Both Positive and Negative Influences on
Social Contradictions 165
5.4 R egulating the Internet 165
11 T he Possibility of Social Unrest in China 167
1 T he Birth of Social Unrest 168
2 S ocial Integration 169
2.1 T he Government Is Good at Dealing with Social
Contradictions 170
2.1.1 T he Government Itself Is Good at Maintaining
Control 170
2.1.2 T he Government Has a Strong Spirit of Pragmatism
and the Ability to Keep Pace with Social
Change 171
2.1.3 T he Government Has a Strong Capacity for National
Mobilization 172
2.2 T he Basic Attitude of the People Is Conducive to Social
Integration 172
2.2.1 T he People Still Have a Basic Level of Trust in the
Government 172
2.2.2 P eople’s Interests Are Mainly Related to Their Basic
Livelihoods, Not Politics 173
2.2.3 P eople Value and Have Confidence in Social
Stability 174