Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age

Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age
AuthorZheng Guanying
LanguageTraditional Chinese
Publication date
1893
Publication placeQing dynasty

Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age[1] or Words of Warning in Times of Prosperity[2] (Chinese: 盛世危言), also translated as Blunt Words in a Time of Prosperity,[3] is a book written by Zheng Guanying[4] that advocates self-strengthening and seeking wealth, and reforms.[5] The Chinese phrase "危言" (Weiyan; pinyin: Wēiyán) refers to upright speech, not dangerous speech.[6]

Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age was completed in 1892[7] and first published in 1893.[8] In the book, Zheng suggested the establishment of a constitution and a parliament[9] and the adoption of a constitutional monarchy, pointing out that the root cause of the country's weakness and the people' poverty was authoritarian politics.[10] He argues that "armed warfare" is not as good as "commercial warfare".[11]

References

  1. ^ Jerome B. Grieder (1983). Intellectuals and the State in Modern China. Simon and Schuster. pp. 105–. ISBN 978-0-02-912670-7.
  2. ^ Patrick Anderson (2021). Sun Yatsen, Robert Wilcox and Their Failed Revolutions, Honolulu and Canton 1895: Dynamite on the Tropic of Cancer. Routledge. pp. 461–. ISBN 978-1-00-039623-2.
  3. ^ Theodore Huters (2005). Bringing the World Home: Appropriating the West in Late Qing and Early Republican China. University of Hawaii Press. pp. 360–. ISBN 978-0-8248-7401-8.
  4. ^ "Mao exhibition held to celebrate double anniversaries shows snapshots of Chinese leader's life". Macau Daily Times. 2016-08-25.
  5. ^ Zheng Guanying (2005). Blunt Words in a Time of Prosperity. Inner Mongolia People's Publishing House. ISBN 978-7-204-07920-9.
  6. ^ Wang Jiting; Zhang Shaocheng; Wang Sulong (1990). Common Classical Chinese Written Language. Chongqing Publishing House. ISBN 978-7-5366-1300-3.
  7. ^ Guangqiu Xu (2011). American Doctors in Canton: Modernization in China, 1835-1935. Transaction Publishers. pp. 64–. ISBN 978-1-351-53277-8.
  8. ^ Wang Gungwu (2003). Anglo-Chinese Encounters Since 1800: War, Trade, Science and Governance. Cambridge University Press. pp. 184–. ISBN 978-0-521-53413-0.
  9. ^ Yongming Zhou (2006). Historicizing Online Politics: Telegraphy, the Internet, and Political Participation in China. Stanford University Press. pp. 121–. ISBN 978-0-8047-5128-5.
  10. ^ "To practice armed warfare is not as good as practicing commercial war". Southern Metropolis Daily. 2004-06-24. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30.
  11. ^ Guo Wu (2010). Zheng Guanying: Merchant Reformer of Late Qing China and His Influence on Economics, Politics, and Society. Cambria Press. pp. 188–. ISBN 978-1-60497-705-9.
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