China and the West

Rousselot de Surgy, Jacques-Philibert. Mélanges intéressans et curieux [ID D10154].
Basil Guy : Despite Rousselot's contentious tone, despite his desire for greater precision, greater reliability, and so far a truer representation of reality, despite his announcement that, "nous nous appliquerons autant qu'il sera en nous à en rechercher les causes [des prodiges], démontrer [leur] possibilité, ou à rapporter les raisons qui doivent [les] faire rejeter comme fabuleux" ; despite his rather ostentatious reliance on any but Jesuit relations ; despite all this, Rousselot invariably has recourse to missionary sources in his superficial treatment of, for example, indigenous religions, including the 'ru qiao', marriages and funerals, and the examination-system. While none of the details is new or its colour lessened, we should note here that Rousselot was more interested in those aspects of political economy which would prove his contention that the basis for mankind's progress throughout the ages, in every clime, has been agriculture. From this, kings drew their power and, hence, their authority ; to this all belonged, if men would prosper ; and whatever products were consumed which did not originate with one or the other facets of agricultural activity werde condemned as wasteful of the goods which a beneficent nature had made available. Although the exemplification of these proofs, as found in China, may not at first have been important for the physiocrats, certainly Rousselot's particular interests must have had a strong fascination for them. Though this coincidence in their attitutdes, and the corroboration of their own use of the Middle Kingdom, as an ideal illustration of their thesis, not to mention the favourable reception earlier accorded China among their contemporaries, the physiocrats' choice of a model found ample justification.