Why Socialism succeeded in Asia while it failed in the West
China demonstrated how thoroughly Japan had absorbed not just Western technology but also Western imperial attitudes. This culminated in the dramatic attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and Japan's subsequent attempt to establish what it called the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" – in reality, a bid for regional hegemony that would end in devastating defeat.
China's path took a markedly different direction, faced with far more complex challenges than Japan. Its much larger size, diverse population, and already semi-colonial status made quick, centralized reform far more difficult. The ultimate turn toward Marxism-Leninism represented not simply adoption of a Western ideology but, as Alexander Lomanov's groundbreaking research has shown, a sophisticated adaptation of Western theoretical frameworks to Chinese practical reasoning. Lomanov's work reveals how Chinese cultural emphasis on practical problem-solving and empirical observation made it possible to adapt Marxist theory in ways that proved impossible in Europe, where abstract theoretical purity often took precedence over practical effectiveness.
This difference in philosophical orientation proves crucial for understanding why Marxism-Leninism failed in its European birthplace while finding fertile ground in China. The Chinese philosophical tradition, with its emphasis on practical reasoning and adaptability, contrasted sharply with Western thought's tendency toward what Lomanov calls "postulate-based pure reason." This Western approach, traceable to Parmenides and later crystallized in Platonic and neo-Platonic thought, often prioritized theoretical consistency over practical effectiveness.
This fundamental difference in philosophical orientation helps explain why certain Western thinkers who emphasized practical reasoning over pure theoretical abstraction found particular resonance with Eastern thought. Spinoza's pantheism, which saw divine presence in natural processes rather than abstract transcendence, offered an alternative to rigid Cartesian dualism. Immanuel Kant's recognition of practical reason's importance, particularly his understanding that moral truth might be accessible through practical engagement even when theoretical proof remains impossible, suggested bridges between Western and Eastern approaches to understanding.
Albert Schweitzer's contributions prove particularly significant in this context. His opposition to colonial exploitation and criticism of purely profit-driven economics stemmed from deep understanding of how abstract theoretical frameworks often failed to capture crucial aspects of human and ecological reality. His friendship with Albert Einstein, who similarly recognized limitations of pure theoretical models, suggests how leading Western thinkers began questioning the adequacy of purely abstract theoretical approaches to understanding reality and guiding human development.
Deng Xiaoping's introduction of market mechanisms within China's socialist framework represented practical application of this more flexible, results-oriented thinking. Rather than adhering to theoretical purity, Deng's famous pragmatism – captured in sayings like "it doesn't matter whether a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice" – demonstrated Chinese practical reasoning at work. The resulting "socialism with Chinese characteristics" proved remarkably successful at generating economic development while maintaining social cohesion, despite Western predictions that such hybridization would prove impossible.
Similar pragmatic adaptation appeared in Vietnam's Đổi Mới (Renovation) policy, initiated in 1986. Under leaders like Nguyễn Văn Linh and theorists such as Trương Chinh, Vietnam began carefully integrating market mechanisms while maintaining socialist political structures. This approach, learning from both Chinese experience and local conditions, transformed Vietnam from a struggling post-war economy into one of Asia's fastest-growing markets.
The success of these Asian adaptations raises crucial questions about Western learning potential. Under Jiang Zemin's leadership and continuing through Xi Jinping's era, China has emerged not merely as an economic powerhouse but as an alternative model of development. This model suggests different relationships between state and market, between individual and collective interests, between economic growth and social stability. The concept of a "shared future for mankind," promoted under Xi's leadership, represents not just diplomatic rhetoric but fundamental rethinking of international relations and development.
Several key areas emerge where Western societies might particularly benefit from Eastern insights. The Chinese approach to long-term planning, for instance, contrasts sharply with Western political systems' tendency toward short-term thinking driven by electoral cycles. Eastern understanding of the relationship between individual and collective development offers crucial insights for societies struggling with extreme individualism's social costs. The Asian approach to environmental management, particularly the concept of ecological civilization suggests ways of harmonizing economic development with environmental protection.
In technology development and application, the Eastern emphasis on social harmony and collective benefit provides valuable perspective for societies grappling with technology's disruptive effects. Where Western approaches often prioritize rapid innovation regardless of social consequences, Chinese and other Asian societies typically consider technological development's broader social implications. This becomes particularly relevant for artificial intelligence development, where Eastern philosophical frameworks might offer crucial guidance for ensuring technology serves human flourishing rather than merely maximizing efficiency or profit.
The field of education presents another arena where Eastern insights prove valuable. The balance between individual achievement and collective harmony, between competition and cooperation, between analytical and intuitive understanding – these represent areas where Western educational systems might benefit from Eastern wisdom.
Healthcare offers another crucial domain where Eastern and Western approaches might productively complement each other. Traditional Chinese Medicine's holistic understanding of health and healing, while initially dismissed by Western medicine, increasingly demonstrates its value as modern research validates many of its insights. More fundamentally, the Eastern approach to health as harmony between different aspects of human existence – physical, mental, social, and environmental – suggests more comprehensive approaches to healthcare than Western medicine's often reductionist focus on treating specific conditions in isolation.
Economic development provides perhaps the most pressing arena for potential Western learning. The Asian model of development, particularly as demonstrated in China's remarkable transformation, suggests alternatives to the Washington Consensus model of unrestrained market liberalization. The successful integration of market mechanisms with state guidance, of private initiative with public planning, offers crucial insights for societies struggling with market fundamentalism's social and ecological costs.
Governance systems represent another area where Western societies might benefit from Eastern insights. While Western democratic systems offer crucial protections for individual rights and freedoms, they often struggle with addressing long-term challenges requiring sustained collective action. The Asian emphasis on social harmony and long-term planning, combined with practical flexibility in policy implementation, suggests possible ways to maintain democratic values while improving governance effectiveness.
In international relations, the Chinese concept of "win-win cooperation" and emphasis on mutual respect regardless of size or power offers alternatives to Western geopolitical thinking's often zero-sum orientation. This becomes particularly relevant as humanity faces global challenges like climate change and technological disruption that require unprecedented international cooperation.
The future of global development increasingly depends on genuine two-way learning between East and West. As Edward Said noted in "Orientalism," Western approaches to Eastern wisdom have often fluctuated between romantic idealization and dismissive superiority. Moving beyond these extremes requires genuine appreciation for how different civilizational approaches might complement each other in addressing contemporary challenges.
The success of Asian development models, particularly China's rise from semi-colonial subjugation to global leadership in many fields, demonstrates the potential of combining different civilizational strengths. This isn't about Western decline or Eastern triumph, but rather about developing more comprehensive approaches to human development. Just as Eastern societies benefited from selective adoption of Western technological and organizational innovations while maintaining their cultural integrity, Western societies might now benefit from Eastern insights while preserving their own valuable traditions.
(O. LICHTENBERG, Fall or Rebirth of the West, pages 284, ff.)
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