It is still hard to ascertain when the landlord economy (in the exploitation form of a tenancy system) in China got started. At least, however, it was during the middle of the Warring States period, that is, the time of Mencius, that the earliest land issue in China was brought up. Raising the issue was a reflection of how the phenomenon of uneven distribution of wealth surfaced and developed in ancient times. The landlord economy based on the exploitation form of (...) a tenancy system came into existence in the wake of the widening of the uneven distribution of wealth in society. Therefore, we can presume that the landlord economy began to emerge during the middle of the Warring States period at the latest. It seems certain that the landlord economy was already an established fact toward the end of that period. For example, Han Fei noted in his representative writing "On Outstanding Schools": "When discussing the problem how to rule, most of the contemporary scholars propose: ‘Divide the land among the poor to provide resources for the have-nots.’" This shows the problem of uneven distribution of wealth, and the issue of land grew quite serious by that time. This was the first instance that the ruling class advanced the policy of "even distribution of land" in order to mitigate class contradiction. (In the time of Mencius, it seemed the system of "granting land" had not been totally abolished in the eastern states. Therefore Mencius proposed the land policy, aside from maintaining the system of "nine squares," of "restricting the people's property." From this phenomenon we can presume that the landlord economy had, it seemed, already begun to gain ground.) In consequence, out of the Confucians representing the reformists among the patriarchal nobilities emerged such intellectuals as Xun Zi who basically represented the interests of the landlord class. From that time onward, the Confucians gradually integrated themselves with the landlord class. Following the emergence and growth of the landlord economy, it became increasingly evident for China to move toward a unified country. There was the necessity for the small-sized centralized feudal states which arose during the early years of the Warring States period to merge toward the end of the period into a centralized feudal monarchy which stood for the landlords' interest. Han Fei's doctrine was precisely a set of ideas that fitted in with the situation toward the end of the Warring States period and served the autocratic feudal country. (shrink)

孟學與荀學作為兩種儒家心理的原型，而儒學又作為中國思想場域的大傳統，是以可說思想史脈絡中的孟荀論辯與交鋒，即為建構中國思想場域中人格特質的關鍵來源。亦即思想史上尊孟抑荀的現象，事實上便是孟學意識型態所 形塑之性善心理結構對於性惡陰影的潛抑現象。那是在孟學「四端」理論下所形塑儒家存有具有一不可見卻如四體般存在的「良知器官」之集體驅力。亦即在中國思想場域中的存有只能是「道德人」，而不存在西方基督宗教場域 中「生物人」脈絡下的自我認同與表述。而這樣的孟學心理結構已然成為具有集體性的無意識，驅動著存有的思維與行動，是以產生性善的權威、成聖的焦慮、他律的創傷與政治的昇華等現象。本書將通過孟荀而思，藉由荀學視 域涉入孟學意識型態形塑下之儒家心理結構，去反思、批判與重建存有的心理結構，進而作為思索當代華人乃至東亞儒學場域之人格特質的來源與基礎。.

While it is widely believed that bribery is ubiquitous among Asian firms, few studies have offered systematic evidence of such activities, and the dynamics of bribery in Asian firms have not been well understood. The research reported here used World Business Environment Survey data to examine some distinct characteristics of bribery in Asian firms and to empirically test 10 hypotheses on determinants of bribery. We find that firm characteristics such as firm size, growth rate, and corporate governance are important determinants (...) of bribery activities at the firm level, and that Asian firms are more likely to bribe when faced with fierce market competition, corrupted court systems, convoluted licensing requirements, nontransparent interpretation of laws and regulations, inefficient government service delivery, and high taxes. (shrink)

Lun Xun's collected anti-Confucianist writings.

美學大師蔣勳用文字，在時間裡的俯仰自得，找回東方最美的事物 東方美學即將再崛起，我們都要重新做好東方的文化功課 ★藝術、自然、摯友，蔣勳談東方美學，談美麗心事 ★精采收錄蔣勳水墨油畫創作，以及東方經典美術作品 ★天地、隔水、錦眉、畫心，裝幀再現長卷的荒涼與繁華 東方美學其實是生命的領悟， 領悟能夠永續，才是來日方長，領悟能夠傳承，才是天長地久。 東方美學是在漫長的歲月裡領悟了時間的意義， 領悟了生命是一個圓，周而復始。 ——蔣勳 他在文人山水畫思考時間的過去與未來，他在古典詩詞中找回不遙遠的傳唱歌聲，他在蟲痕鳥跡獸足之中看到天地大美，他在縱谷春秋之中聆聽長卷跋尾餘音裊裊。美學大師蔣勳重新思考東方美學的特殊意義，在連續不斷的心的 收藏印記中，回歸自然、溫文爾雅，在可有也可無之間，綻放最美麗的光亮。 留白、長卷、水墨、跋尾等東方美學元素，在這個全球化的時代靈光乍現，卻也內斂含蓄。也許是時候回頭省思屬於這個時代的東方美學。東方美學若要重新崛起，我們都應該從頭開始，重新做好自己的功課，迎接屬於東方的文 藝復興。.

The existing literature often assumes that the target of global interstate economic competition is the overseas market, that is, the markets in third, export-destination countries. However, in many countries, domestic industries compete fiercely for domestic market share with imports from other countries. Such import competition creates policy diffusion between a country and its import-competitor countries. Such policy diffusion can be observed in policy areas that affect production costs of domestic industries. We focus on import competition’s effect on social welfare policies (...) in developing countries and test our theory in two broad types of policies: social insurance spending and progressive social spending. We find strong evidence for import-competition-induced policy diffusion in both policy areas. Moreover, in the case of social insurance, the effect of policy diffusion is mediated by the strength of labor, suggesting that strong labor is more capable of blocking welfare retrenchment policies. (shrink)