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China and Rome What “cultural genes” did the ancient
empires bequeath? Presented at Texas Tech
University, November 19, 2014 Abstract The world situation two
millennia ago was uncannily similar to that of today, when the United States
as a “New Rome” faces the rise of New China. From conditions as far apart as
that between the West and the East in the nineteenth century, the ancient
western and eastern realms converged in four centuries to two superpowers:
the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty of China. The early republican or feudal
experiences respectively left indelible marks on the two ancient empires,
otherwise strikingly similar in scale, sophistication, and staying power.
This talk analyzes and compares the Roman and Chinese styles in exercising
power and maintaining order. It reveals the Roman penchant for militarism,
wealthy elites, and respect for the law, and the Chinese proclivity for
bureaucracy, ideological elites, and moral indoctrination. By tracing
historical roots, it uncovers the origins of the “cultural genes” underlying
western “hard power” and eastern “soft power” and explains why they are so
resilient to the passage of time to be relevant now. |
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