The Republic of China: the Age of Enlightenment

"If we only learn the art of strengthening the army and enriching the country, but not the spirit that makes it strong and rich, can we be truly strong and truly rich? After the defeat of Sino-Japanese War, we bought more advanced warships, why did we still lose? Because the system has not changed. During the Reform Movement of 1898, we learned the Japanese system, but why did we still fail? Because people's hearts have not changed." "Utensils, systems, and people's hearts are three levels. To change only the utensils is to abandon the fundamentals and replace the weak points. The utensils are the fruit, the system is the branch, and the human heart is the root. If the root is not deep, the branches are not strong, and the fruit is not real. The urgent need today is the utensils, but if you only focus on the utensils and ignore the roots, today's strength will be just a flash in the pan, and there will be deeper disaster tomorrow." Who said that saving the nation from extinction and rebuilding civilization are bound to be contradictory? The war of resistance requires both guns and spirit. A nation that does not know why or for whom it fights is nothing more than a rabble, even if it has guns and cannons. A nation that understands the value of civilization and its historical mission will eventually rise even if it lags behind for a while. He paused and continued: "What we want to cultivate should be modern citizens with scientific knowledge, democratic awareness, and national concepts. But at the same time, they should also be Chinese, understand their own culture, identify with their own civilization, and have cultural confidence."