The four Chinese characters of The Three Principles of the People, hand written by Dr. Sun Yat-sen

The Three Principles of the People (三民主義) : Nationalism (民族主義), Democracy (民權主義) and Livelihood (民生主義), is the political philosophy developed by Dr. Sun Yat-Sen (國父孫中山先生 1866-1925), Father of the Republic of China. The Three Principles of the People is the ideological force that overthrew two thousand years of imperial rule, the compass that directs the building of the Republic of China, the national spirit in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (抗日戰爭 1937-1945), the rationale in the National Mobilization for the Suppression of Communist Rebellion (全國總動員戡平共匪叛亂 1947-1991), the convictions of the Central Government to withdraw to Taiwan, and the energy source to reconstruct Future China.

Diagram that explains the philosophy of The Three Principles of the People

The Constitution of the Republic of China states in Chapter 1, Article 1 of the General Provisions: 

“The Republic of China, founded on The Three Principles of the People, shall be a democratic republic of the people, to be governed by the people and for the people.”

Beginning from 27th January in the 13th year of the Republic (1924), Dr. Sun Yat-sen gave a series of lectures on The Three Principles of the People in Canton. Some of his words are:

“What is the philosophy of The Three Principles of the People? Its simplest definition is an ideology to save China…….

Since The Three Principles of the People is an ideology to save China, let us ask whether the China of today needs to be saved?…….

The two Chinese characters of Nationalism, hand written by Dr. Sun Yat-sen

What is Nationalism? Considering the social customs and conditions of China in history, I can use a straightforward sentence: Nationalism is the identification of the nation through ethnic groups…..

Now that we want to restore the stature of our race, apart from uniting together to form a nation of ethnic groups, we must restore the morality that we originally possessed. Only when we restore our former morality, can we then restore the former stature of our race.

When we discuss the morality China used to possess, Chinese today still cannot forget the following tenets, first Loyalty and Filiel Piety (忠孝), followed by Benevolence and Compassion (仁愛), then followed by Truthfulness and Righteousness (信義), lastly Harmony and Peace (和平). As for these old morals, Chinese today still frequently refer to them. However during the oppression inflicted by intruding foreign races, new culture assails the country. The powers behind the new culture now run amok in China. Those who are intoxicated with the new culture, they reject the old morals. They believe by consuming the new culture, they can discard old morals. They do not understand the things we originally have, if they are good, of course they should be kept, only the bad should be abandoned……..

We do not just want to restore the former stature of our race, we want to take on a huge responsibility in this world. If China cannot take on this responsibility, when China becomes strong and powerful, it will not be of great benefit to the world, it will only be of great harm. What kind of global responsibility should China undertake? The path of the great powers is to obliterate other countries. If China becomes strong and powerful, and go about obliterating other countries, imitating the imperialism of the great powers, by walking the same path, we will be following their faults. Therefore we must first decide on a new policy, to ‘ help the weak and support the fallen’, this is really Heaven’s mandate for our race…….

The two Chinese characters of Democracy, hand written by Dr. Sun Yat-sen

What is Democracy?……..

In the end, is democracy suitable or unsuitable for China now? Some people say that the standard of the Chinese people is too low, they are not suited to democracy. The United States is of course a democratic country. But when Yüan Shih-k’ai (袁世凱 1859-1916) wanted to be emperor, there was an American university professor named Frank Johnson Goodnow who came to China to advocate the rule of emperor, on the grounds that the thinking of the Chinese people was not developed, their culture inferior to that of Europe and America, therefore it was unsuitable to implement democracy. Yüan Shih-k’ai took advantage of this opinion, overthrew the Republic of China, and made himself emperor. Now that we are advocating democracy, we should have a clear understanding of democracy. From the beginning of recorded history in China, democracy has not been implemented. Even in the last thirteen years of the Republic of China, democracy has not been implemented. In our history, for over four thousand years, through periods of peace and chaos, it had been under the rule of emperors. By the end, is the rule of emperor beneficial or harmful to China? It can be said that the impact of the rule of emperor in China is a mixture of benefits and harms. But taking account of the intelligence, ability and wisdom of the Chinese people, if democracy is to be implemented now, in comparison to the rule of emperor, it will be far more appropriate. That is why over two thousand years ago, Confucius and Mencius already advocated democracy. Confucius said:

‘When the Grand Course was pursued, a public and common spirit ruled all under the sky.’

This is advocacy for democracy in the World of Universal Harmony (大同世界).

Confucius was also described in this manner:

‘Always made laudatory references to Yao (堯) and Shun (舜).’

The reason for such frequent references was because Emperor Yao and Emperor Shun did not retain the country as personal nor family fiefdom. The political system employed by Yao and Shun was rule of emperor in name only, in reality it was a democratic system. Hence Confucius held them in high esteem.

Mencius said:

‘The people are the most important element in a nation, the spirits of the land and grain are the next, the sovereign is the lightest.’

He also said:

‘Heaven sees as the people see, Heaven hears as the people hear.’

He also said:

‘I have heard of the cutting off of the fellow Chau (紂), but I have not heard of the putting a sovereign to death.’

Note: Chau (1105 BC-1046 BC) was the last emperor of Shang dynasty. He was known as a tyrant and Mencius did not regard him worthy to be called a sovereign.

In his time, Mencius already knew that the rule of emperor was not a necessity, he already knew that the rule of emperor could not last. So he differentiated those who brought betterment to the people as sage-ruler (聖君), the brutal and the wicked as tyrant (獨夫), and people should rise in revolt against the latter. This is revealing of the Chinese insight into democracy, and it has been contemplated as far away as over two thousand years ago. However, at that time, it was assumed it could not be carried out, like the ‘utopia’ of Occidentals, an ideal that could not be accomplished immediately…..

That is why thirty years ago, our revolutionary comrades made the commitment, that our proposal to make China strong and powerful was to carry out revolution, whereby we must propagate nothing but democracy……

In the past, many in China were against democracy. They frequently asked us what power did the revolutionaries have to topple the emperor of Ch’ing Dynasty? But the emperor of Ch’ing Dynasty was easily toppled in hsin-hai year (辛亥 1911). This is the result of international tide…….

This international tide has flowed from the rule of god to the rule of emperor, then from the rule of emperor to the rule of democracy. Now we have moved to democracy, there is no way to hold out against it……..

If we strive in unison with the tide, even if we encounter temporary setbacks, we will still win in the end, and it will be an eternal victory. ……

To separate the authority to govern (權) and the capability to govern (能) should be very easy in China. We can use the historical example of A-tou (阿斗 207 AD - 271 AD, proper name Liu Ch’an 劉禪, last king of the state of Shu-han 蜀漢) and Chu-ko Liang (諸葛亮 181 AD - 234 AD, chancellor and regent of the state of Shu-han) to illustrate. If the government is capable, the total population of forty million Chinese will assume the government to be Chu-ko Liang, and authorize the full power of the state. If the government is incapable, the total population of forty million Chinese can exercise the authority of an emperor, to remove the government, and withdraw the full power of the state……

The two Chinese characters of Livelihood, hand written by Dr. Sun Yat-sen

What is Livelihood? …… 

The means to achieve Livelihood are already stated in the party manifesto of the Chinese Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party 中國國民黨). The Chinese Kuomintang has devised two methods to tackle Livelihood. The first is Equalization of Land Ownership (平均地權) and the second is Regulation of Capital (節制資本). Following these two methods, the problems of Livelihood can be resolved in China.

After the unification of China, in order to resolve the problems of Livelihood, government revenues and assets must grow to invigorate enterprises. There are many ways to invigorate enterprises. Firstly, transportation such as railroads and canals will require large scale constructions and buildings. Secondly, China’s huge mineral resources will be mined and extracted, rather than kept underground. Thirdly, industry will need urgent development. Although there are many workers in China, they do not have machinery to compete with foreign countries. The products we use throughout the country are made and imported from overseas, so we always lose out on our financial rights. In order to reclaim our financial rights, we need to quickly use the might of the country to develop industry, to use machinery for manufacturing, so that all workers across the country can be fully employed. When all workers across the country are fully employed, when machinery is used for manufacturing, it will be a large source of wealth. If we do not use the might of the country to manage them, and let Chinese or foreign businesses freely operate, the end result is no more than the enrichment of some private businesses, and create the inequality of the very wealthy. So when we talk about Livelihood, although we respect the learning of Karl Marx, we must not apply the method of Marx in China. The reason is very easy to understand. Since the revolution, the Soviet Union has been applying the method of Marx, but their economic policy still needs to be revised. The reason for them to use a new economic policy is their society and economy are not as advanced as British nor American, the method of Marx is inapplicable. Even the society and economy of the Soviet Union cannot be compared to British nor American, how can the society and economy of China be compatible? How can we use the method of Marx? For those party devotees of Marx, who want to use the method of Marx to resolve the social problems of China, it is simply impossible.

The objective of the philosophy of The Three Principles of the People, is to build a democratic republic of the people, by the people, for the people. Of the people, by the people, for the people mean that the country belongs to all the people, the political system is governed by all the people, the benefits are shared by all the people. According to this definition, the people not only share the material benefits of the country, they also share all things and all rights. When all things and all rights of the country are shared by the people, then this is the real attainment of the goal of Livelihood. This is the Confucian aspiration of the World of Universal Harmony (大同世界).”