Philosphy and Science

It is sometimes maintained that the conflicts of the twentieth century (war and international contests in general) might best be characterized as between the left and right political persuasions (e.g., “communism” against “fascism” or “democracy” against “fascism”). Defend or dispute such a characterization using the two socioeconomic and political systems that have been the central concerns of our readings and discussion: that of Sun Yat-sen (The Kuomintang on the Chinese mainland and on Taiwan) and that of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism (the Chinese Communist Party) in the People’s Republic of China. Your answer should include (1) ideological components (both domestically and internationally relevant), (2) structural features (leadership and political party properties), (3) economic strategies (both domestically and internationally relevant) and (4) general consequences. What are you prepared to argue are the major differences between the two systems here discussed?

Now, answer that question in a coherent fashion. Don’t try to answer each question in particular, except where the questions are numbered, for example, #1 ideological components, #2 structural features, #3 economic strategies, make sure that is clear so the readers understand that’s what you are answering. For example you say, as for ideological components, so something to indicate that you are answering that specific part of the question. Now, I think the question is relatively clear. It is a complex, but relatively clear question.

I don’t know exactly what experience you have. You know again, as I told you, I am sort of visiting the planet sodospeak. I mean you are completely outside the range of my comprehension. I don’t know what you know, what you don’t know. Education nowadays has become so impoverished, I’m not even sure that you have the prejudices that we used to have. So right on this campus, my sense is, the world is divided between the left and the right. And so when they look back on the past experience of the preceding century, they think that the conflicts of the preceding century were on the left and the right, you see? And somehow the world is divided into the left and the right. Now, part of this, and if you read any of the material, again I am being very generous in my expectations, but if you read any of the material, for years, the second World War was characterized as a conflict between the left and the right. That carried over into Asia.