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“Benjamin Franklin and China” (Publication, 2012)

Year

2012

Text

Wang, Dave. Benjamin Franklin and China.
http://www.benfranklin300.org/_etc_pdf/franklinchina.pdf. (Frank4)

Type

Publication

Contributors (1)

Wang, Dave  (um 2011) : Manager of Hollis Library, Adjunct Professor of St. Johns University, Queens New York

Mentioned People (1)

Franklin, Benjamin  (Boston 1706-1790 Philadelphia) : Staatsmann, Drucker, Verleger, Naturwissenschaftler, Erfinder, Naturphilosoph, Schriftsteller

Subjects

Literature : Occident : United States of America / References / Sources

Chronology Entries (17)

# Year Text Linked Data
1 1724-1790 Benjamin Franklin and China : general
Quelle : Du Halde, Jean-Baptiste. Description géographique, historique, chronologique, politique et physique de l'empire de Chine et de la Tartarie chinois. (1735) [ID D1819].
Dave Wang : Benjamin Franklin was 'the most eminent mind that has ever existed in America'. Americans show respect to him because he was 'generous, open-minded, learned tolerant '. He had a clear vision of the road America should take and he spent time in helping to make sure that it would be achieved. His ideas and visions helped to lay the foundation for the United States of America. Franklin was 'the first and foremost American sinophile' in the United States. He was an expert on China, even according to today's standard. His understanding of Chinese civilization was better and deeper than many of today's scholars. Franklin explored almost every aspect of Chinese civilization, from spiritual to material. His interest in China included Confucius' moral philosophy, industrial product, industrial technologies and agricultural plants. He endeavored to use Confucius' moral philosophy to improve his own virtue. It was in Philadelphia where Franklin had the opportunity to access his knowledge of Chinese civilization. Philadelphia was the center of Chinese culture in North America. In the 18th century, things Chinese, or in the Chinese style, then began a steady infiltration of the homes of the American city-dwelling merchant. The Philadelphia inhabitants had access to more reliable knowledge concerning this aspect of Chinese life than readers anywhere else in the West. It was popular for the residents, to use Chinese wall paper to decorate their homes. Chinese products, including teas, silk, porcelain, and cloth became part of the social milieu of colonial and post-revolutionary Philadelphia.
Franklin was deeply impressed by China Due to the limited communication between China and the United States, he was forced to use extra efforts to collect information on China. Unsatisfied with the book he read, he tried to contact people who had been to China. In order to obtain information on Chinese life and customs, he contacted the sailors on the Packet who had previously made the trip to the China seas. He obtained his knowledge of Chinese navigation from Captain Thomas Truxtun.
Franklin had a very deep interest in the Chinese governmental system, such as its legal code, the way of social promotion, statistics system and economical theory.
2 1737 Franklin, Benjamin. From the morals of Confucius [ID D28943].
[In diesem Text könnten Fehler enthalten sein, das die Kopien fast unlesbar waren].
The First Book of Confucius was published by one of his most famous Disciples named Cemcu ; and this Learned Disciple writ very excellent Commentaries there on. This Book is, as it were, the Gate through which it is necessary to pass to arrive at the sublimest Wisdom, and most perfect. The Philosopher here treats of three considerable Things.
1. Of what we ought to do to cultivate our Minds, and regulate our Manners.
2. Of the Method by which it is necessary to instruct and guide others, And.
3. Of the Care that every one ought to have to tend to the Sovereign Good, to adhere thereunto, and, as I may so say, to repose himself therein.
Because the Author chiefly design'd to address his Instructions to the Prince and Magistrates, that might be called to the Regality, this Book entituled, Ta Hio [Da xue], or The Great Science.
The great Secret, says Confucius, to acquire true Knowledge, the Knowledge, consequently, worthy of Princes, and the most illustrious Personages, is to cultivate and polish the Reason, which is a Present that we have received from Heaven. Our Concupiscence has disordered it, and intermixt several Impurities therewith. Take away there fore, and remove from it these impurities, to the end that it may reassume its former Lustre, and enjoy its utmost Pefection. This, here is the Sovereign Good. This is not sufficient. 'Tis moreover requisite, that a Prince by his Exhortations, and by his own Example, make of this People as it were a new People. In fine, after being, by great Pains, arrived at this sovereign Perfection, at this chief Good, you must not relax ; its here that Perseverance is absolutely necessary. Whereas Men generally pursue not the Methods that lead to the Possession of the Sovereign Good, and to constant and eternal Possession, Confucius has thought it highly important to give some Instructions therein.
He says, That after we now the End to which we must attain, it is necessary to determine, and incessantly to make towards this End, by walking in the Ways which lead thereunto, by daily confirming in his mind Resolution fixt on for the attaining it, and by establishing it so well that nothing may in the least shake it.
When you have thus fixt your mind in this great Design, give up your self, adds he, to Meditation : Reason upon all things within your self : Endeavour to have some clear Ideas thereof ; Consider instinctly what presenteth it self to you. Pass, without prejudice, solid Judgments thereon ; Examine every thing, and weigh every thing with Care. After Examination and Reasonings of this nature you may easily arrive at the End where you must fix, at the End where you ought resolutely to stand, viz, at perfect conformity of all your Actions, with what Reason suggests.
As to the Means which a Prince ought to use, to purifie and polish his Reason, to the end that being thus disposed, he may govern his States, and redress and beautifie the Reason of his People, the Philosopher proposes after what manner the Ancient Kings governed themselves.
That they might at last govern their Empire wisely, they endeavoured, faith he, prudently to sway a particular Kingdom, and to excite its Members to improve their Reaction, and to act like Creatures endow'd with understanding. To produce this Reformation in this particular Kingdom, they laboured to regulate their Family, they took an extraordinary care to Polish their own Person, and so well to compose their Words and Actions, that they might neither say, nor do any Thing that might ever so little offend Complaisance, and which was not edifying ; to the end that they themselves might be a Pattern and Example continually exposed to the Eyes of their Domesticks, and all their Courtiers. To obtain this exterior Perfection, they strove to rectify their Mind, by governing and subduing their Passions, for they for the most Part, remove the Mind from its natural Rectitude, to abase and incline it to all forts of Vice. To rectify their Mind, to rule and subdue their Passions, they so acted, that their Will was always bent to Good, and never turn'd towards Evil. In fine thus to dispose their Will, they studied to illuminate their Understanding, and so well to enlighten it, that, if it was possible, they might ignore nothing : For to Will, Desire, Love and Hate, it is necessary to know, this is the Philosophy of Right Reason.
This is what Confucius proposed to the Princes, to instruct them how to rectify and polish first their own Reason, and afterwards the Reason and Persons of all their Subjects. But to make the greater Impression, after having gradually descended from the wise Conduct of the whole Empire, to the Perfection of the Understanding, he reascends, by the same Degrees, from illuminated Understanding to the happy State of the whole Empire. If, saith he, the Understanding of a Prince is well enlighten'd , his Will will incline only to Good ; His Will inclining only to Good, his Soul will be entirely rectified, there will not be any Passion that can make him destroy his Rectitude : The Soul being thus recified, he will be composed in his exterior, nothing will be observ'd in his Person that can offend Complaisance. His Person being thus perfected, his Family, forming it felt according to this Model, will be reform'd and amended. His Family being arriv'd at this Perfection, 'twill serve as an Example to all the Subjects of the particular Kingdoms, and the Members of the particular Kingdoms to all those that compose the Body of the Empire. Thus the whole Empire will be well govern'd ; Order and Justice will Reign there ; we shall there enjoy a profound Peace, 'twill be an happy and flourishing Empire. Confucius afterwards certifies, that these Admonitions do not less regard the Subjects than the Princes ; and after having address'd himself to Kings, he tells them, that they ought particularly to apply themselves rightly to govern their Family, to take care thereof, and reform : For, he adds, it is impossible that he that knows not how to govern and reform his own Family, can rightly govern and reform a People.
Behold what is most important in Confucius's Doctrine contained in the First Book, and which is the Text, as I may thy, whereon his Commentator Cemcu has taken Pains.
This Famous Disciple, to explain and enlarge his Master's Instructions, alleges Authorities and Examples, which he draws from three very Ancient Books, highly esteem'd by the Chineses.
The first Book he mentions, which is of a later date than the rest, is entituled Camcoa, and makes up part of the Chronicles of the Empire of Cheu. This Book was composed by a Prince called Vuvam, the Son of King Venvam. Vuvam does therein highly extol his Father, but his principal Design, in magnifying the Virtues and admirable Qualities of this Prince, is to form according to this Model one of his Brethren, whom he would perfect in Virtue ; And it is observeable, that he ordinarily tells him that their Father had the Art of being Virtuous ; Venvam said he to him had the Art of Polishing his Reason and his Person.
The Second Book, from whence Cemcu cites his Authorities and Examples, is called Tar-Kia. This Book, which a great deal ancienter than the First, was writ by a Famous Emperor Xam, named Y-Ym, seeing Tar-Kia the Grandson of the Emperor Chim-Tam degenerate from the Virtue of his Illustrious Ancestors, and carry himself after a manner wholly different from theirs ; he commanded him to live Three Years in a Garden, where was his Grandfathers Tomb ; that this made so great an Impression upon his Spirit, that he chang'd his course : And that the same Y-Ym who had done to kind an Office, having afterwards advanc'd him to the Empire. Tar Kia govern'd it a long time in great Prosperity. King Tam, said Y-Ym to Tar-Kia, King Tam always had his Mind disposed to cultivate that precious Reason which has been given us from Heaven.
In fine, the Third Book, which is much ancienter than the Two former, is called Ti-Tien ; and upon the occasion of King Yoa, it is there read, That thus Princes could cultivate this sublime Virtue, this great and sublime Gift which he had received from Heaven, viz. Natural Reason.
There is nothing that gives a greater Idea of the Virtue of the Ancient Chinese, than what they have Writ and Practis'd in respect of their Law-Suits. They Teach, that Actions ought not to be commenc'd against any one ; That Frauds, Severities, and Enmities, which are tho general Attendants and Consequences of Law-Suits, were unbecoming Men ; That the whole World ought to live in Unity and Concord, and hat to this end it behoved every one to use their utmost Endeavours, either to prevent Law Suits from arising, or to stifle them in their Birth, by reconciling the Parties, or inspiring them with the Love of Peace ; that is to say by engaging them to renew and improve their Reasons : These are Cemcu's own Words.
But what which is most remarkable on this Subject, is the extraordinary Precautions which the Judges took before any Cause was brought before their Tribunals. They with the utmost Vigilance and Attention, Examin'd the Ouside of the Plaintiff, or him that began the Suit ; to the end, that by this Means they might know whether this Man was thereunto excited by good Motives ; whether he believ'd his Cause good, or whether he acted Sincerely. And for this Purpose they were Five Rules. By the first Rule, They examined the placing of his Words, and Manner of Speaking ; and this was called Cutim, that is to say, The Observation of the Words. By the Second, They consider'd the Air of his Countenance, and Motion of his Lips, and this was called Setim ; that is to say, Observation of the Face. By the Third, They observ'd his manner of Breathing, when he propos'd his Cause ; this Rule was called Kitim, that is to say, The Observation of the Respiration. By the Fourth, They remark'd whether his Reply was quick ; whether he gave not intricate, illgrounded, uncertain Answers, or whether he spake of any other Thing than that in question ; or whether his words were not ambiguous ; and this was called Ulthim, that is to say The Observation of the Answers. Lastly, by the Fifth, The Judges were carefully to weigh the Considerations, and respect to see whether there was no Trouble, Digression, or Confusion ; if there appeared not any Design of a Lye and Fraud ; and this last Rule was called Motim, that is to say, The Observation of the Eyes.
T'was by these exterior Marks that the Ancient Areopagite discovered the most hidden Thoughts of the Heart, render'd an exact Justice, diverted a great many Persons from Law-Suits and Frauds, and inspir'd these Rules are ignor'd in China, or ar least wholly neglected.
To return to Confucius's Doctrine illustrated with the Commentaries of Cemcu. This Disciple set a high value upon a Maxim which he had frequently heard his Master repeat, and which himself also very strongly inculcated. T'was this ; Always behave thy felt with the same Precaution and Discretion as you would do, if you were observ'd by Ten Eyes and pointed at by so many Hands.
To Render Virtue yet more commendable, and more easily to inspire the Sentiments thereof, the same Disciple demonstrates, That, whatever is honest and advantageous, is amiable ; and we are obliged to love Virtue, because it includes both these Qualities. That moreover Virtue is an Ornament which establishes, as I may say, the whole Person of him possesses it, his interior and exterior ; that so the Mind it communicates inexpressible Beauties and Perfection ; that as to the Body, it there produces very sensible Delights ; that it affords a certain Physiognomy, certain Transports, certain Ways which infinitely please ; and as it is the Property of Virtue to becalm the Heart and keep Peace there, so this Tranquility and secret Joy do produce a certain Serenity in the Countenance, a certain Joy, and Air of Goodness, Kindness and Reason, which attracts the Heart and Esteem of the whole World. After which he concludes, that the principal Business of a Man is to rectifie his Mind, and so well to rule his Heart, that his Passions might always be calm ; and if it happen that they be excited, he ought to be mov'd no further than is necessary, in a word, that he may regulate them according to right Reason. For as for instance, adds he, if we suffer our selves to be transported with excessive Anger, that is to say, if we fall into a rage without any cause, or more than we ought when we have Reason, we may conclude, that our mind had not the Rectitude it ought to have. If we condemn and mortally hate a person, by reason of certain Defects that we observe in him, and render not Justice to his good and excellent Qualities, if endowed therewith, if we permit our selves to be troubled by a too great Fear ; if we abandon our selves to an immoderate Joy, or to and excessive Sorrow, it can be said that our Mind is in the State wherein it ought to be, that it has its Rectitude and Uprightness.
Cemcu carries this Moral a great way further, and gives it a Perfection which, in my opinion, could never be expected from those that have not been honoured with Divine Revelation. He says, That it is not only necessary to observe Moderation in general, as oft as our Passions are stirred, but that also in respect of those which are the most lawful, innocent and laudable, we ought not blindly to yield up ourselves thereunto, and to follow their Motions ; it is necessary to consult Reason. As for Example, Relations are oblig'd to Love one another, Nevertheless, as their Amity may be too weak, so it may be also too strong ; and as to the one and the other Respect, there is doubltess Irregularity. It is just for a Child to Love his Father ; but if a Father has any considerable Defect, if he has committed any great Fault, 'tis the Duty of a Son to acquaint him with it, and tell him what may be for his Good, always keeping a due Respect, from which he ought not to depart. Likewise, if a Son is fallen into any Sin, 'tis the Duty of a Father to reprove him, and give him his Advice thereon, but if their Love is Blind ; if their Love is a mere Passion ; if it is Flesh and Blood which make them [t]o act, this Affection is an irregular Affection. Why ? Because it digresseth from the Rule of right Reason.
We should injure the Reader if we should omit Speaking of the Emperor Yoa, whose Elogy is recorded in the Work that affords the Matter of ours. Never Man has more exactly practic'd all these Duties, which have been propos'd by Confucius Disciple than he. It may be said, if his Portraiture is not flatter'd, that he had a Disposition made for Virtue. He had a tender but magnanimous and well-disposed Heart. He lov'd those that he was oblig'd do love but 't was with the least Weakness. He in a Word, regulated his Love, and all his Passions, according to right Reason.
The Prince arriv'd at the Empire 2357 years before Jesus Christ, he Reign'd an Hundred Years ; but he Rul'd with so much Prudence, Wisdom, and so many Demonstration of Clemency and Kindness to his Subjects, that they were the happiest People of the Earth.
Yoa had all the excellent Qualities desirable in a Prince ; his Riches made him not Proud ; his Extraction which was to noble and illustrious, puffed him not up with Arrogancy. He was Virtuous, Sincere, and Kind without Affectation. His Palace Table, Apparel, and Furniture discover'd the greatest Moderation that ever was seen. He delighted in Musick ; but it was a Grave, Modes and Pious Musick he detested nothing so much as Songs wherein Modesty and Civility were blemisht. 'Twas not a Capricious Humour that made him dislike these sort of Songs, 'twas the desire he had of rendering himself in all Things pleasing unto Heaven. 'Twas not Avarice that produc'd him that moderation which he observed in his Table, Apparel, Furniture and every Thing else. It was only the Love he bore to those that were in want, for he only design'd to relieve them. 'Twas also his great Piety, and that ardent Charity wherewith he bu'rnd, which made him frequently to utter these admirable Words, The Famine of my People is my own Famine. My People's Sin is my own Sin.
[Hier steht : 'To be continued', aber die Bibliothek, die die Kopien geschickt hat, hat vergeblich eine Fortsetzung gesucht.]

Sekundärliteratur
Dave Wang : Franklin introduced Confucianism to public readers in North America for the first time. He published the essay due to the fact that Confucius' teaching related to Franklin's efforts to establish a personal code of behavior. The main concepts that he wanted to let his readers to understand is how he tried to use Confucius' moral philosophy to improve his virtue. Through his autobiography, Franklin emphasized that his moral virtue was extremely important to his success, both socially and economically. He listed in his autobiography the thirteen virtues he thought to be the most important elements : 1) Temperance ; 2) Silence ; 3) Order ; 4) Resolution ; 5) Frugality ; 6) Industry ; 7) Sincerity ; 8) Justice ; 9) Moderation ; 10) Cleanliness ; 11) Tranquility ; 12) Chastity ; 13) Humility. All values are one of the most important content of Confucius' moral philosophy.
3 1738 Benjamin Franklin studies Du Halde, Jean-Baptiste. Description géographique, historique, chronologique, politique et physique de l'empire de Chine et de la Tartarie chinois. (1735) [ID D1819].
4 1763 Benjamin Franklin visited Ezra Stile in Newport, Rhode Island to discuss with him the experiment with raising silkworms. He sent him some prints copied from Chinese pictures concerning the produce of silk.
5 1765 Franklin, Benjamin. Memoirs of the culture of silk.
"About 2500 years before Christ, the Empress Siling began the Culture of Silk in China, where it was confined near 2000 Years, before it reached India and Persia.
That Part of the Imperial Revenue in China paid in Silk, amounts to above 955,000Ib. Troy, and perhaps this is not the twentieth Part of the Produce of that Empire. One Million of Trees disposed into Mulberry Walks, in Pennsylvania, would in a few Years, enable a yearly Remittance to Great-Britain of a Million Sterling, and no Ways interfere with the other necessary Branches of Labour in the Community."
6 1765 Benjamin Franklin encountered Chinese soybeans in England. He sent the soybeans to John Bartram.
7 1771 Benjamin Franklin in Europe : he spent some time on learning how to make Chinese products. He took time out of his busy schedule to visit European factories in order to find 'the difference of workmanship' in making Chinese products. Franklin visited the china pottery manufactures and silk mill in Derby. He found that 'there is something from all the China works in England'.
8 1772 Benjamin Franklin : To Cadwalader Evans. London, 6 February 1772.
Benjamin Franklin sent Cadwalader Evens some Chinese drawing demonstrating the process of raising silk, from the beginning to the end.
9 1772 Benjamin Franklin : To John Bartram, London, August 22, 1772.
Benjamin Franklin sent Chinese rhubarb seeds from London to North America. He was confident that the seeds would be "thriving well in our country, where the Climate is the same with that of the Chinese Wall, just without which it grows in plenty and of the best Quality".
In October, Franklin sent John Bartram some Seeds of the Chinese Tallow Tree.
10 1772 Benjamin Franklin : To Noble Wimberly Jones, London, October 7, 1772.
Franklin sent Wimberly Jones from London a few Seeds of the Chinese Tallow Tree.
11 1772 Franklin, Benjamin. To the managers of the Philadelphia Silk Filature.
Franklin learned that in one of the Provinces of China, where the climate is very likely that of North America. He told the managers, that they should try to see if they could do the same thing.
12 1774 Benjamin Franklin : To George Whatley (1774).
It was an excellent saying of a certain Chinese Emperor, I wil, if possible, have no Idles in my Dominions for if there be one Man idle, some other Man must suffer Cold and Hunger. We take this Emperor's Meaning to be, that the Labor due to the Public, by each Individual, not being perform'd by the Indolent, and necessary to furnish his Subsistence, must naturally fal to the share of others, who must thereby sufer.
13 1784-1785 The 'Empress of China' becomes the first United States ship to trade with China. She left New York on February 22, 1784 and returned to New York on May 11, 1785. As soon as the Americans got rid of British control, they sent the ship 1785 to Guangzhou to bring tea back to North America. The ship was carrying a full loads of goods, 30 tons of ginseng. John Ledyard developed a plan to organize trade between the United States and China. Robert Morris, with other investors, underwrote the voyage of the ship. Ginseng became the main commercial good that the Americans could trade with the Chinese. The voyage had been a remarkable financial success.
14 1784 Benjamin Franklin was amazed by Chinese technology in navigation. He was very impressed by the well practice of the Chinese, to divide the hold of a great ship into a number of separate chambers by partitions tightly caulked. He applied the technology of the division of ships into watertight sections to a proposal to institute passenger service between France and the United States.
"As the vessels are not to be laden with goods, their holds may without inconvenience be divided into separate apartments after the Chinese manner, and each of those apartments caulked tight so as to keep out water. In which case if a leak should happen in one apartment, that only would be affected by it, and the others would be free ; so that the ship would not be so subject as others to founder and sink at sea. This being known would be a great encouragement to passengers".
Franklin began to study the Chinese way of rowing a boat. For him, the Chinese method differed from that customary in the West. "In the Chinese way, the oars being worked two-a-stern as we scull, or on the sides with the same kind of motion, being hung parallel to the keel on a rail and always acting in the water, not perpendicular to the sides as ours are, not lifted out at every stroke, which is a loss of time, and the boat in the interval loses motion. They see our manner, and we theirs, but neither are disposed to learn of or copy the other".
15 1785 Benjamin Franklin about Chinese heating technology.
"It is said the northern Chinese have a method of warming their ground floors, which is ingenious. Those floors are made of tiles, a foot square and two inches thick, their corners being supported by bricks et on end, that are a foot long and four inches square ; the tiles, too, join into each other, by ridges and hollows along their sides. This forms a hollow under the whole floor, which on one side of the house has an opening into the air, where a fire is made, and it has a funnel rising from the other side to carry off the smoke. The fuel is a sulphurous pit coal, the smell of which in the room is thus avoided, while the floor, and of course the room is well warmed.
I conceive that burning the smoke by obliging it to descent through red coals, would in this construction be very advantages, as more heat would be given by the flame than by the smoke, and the floor being thereby kept free from soot would be more heated with less fire.
I would propose erecting the funnel close to the grate, so as to have only an iron plate between the fire and the funnel, through which plate, the aire in the funnel being heated, it will be sure to draw well, and force the smoke to descend."
On the basis of his assimilation of the Chinese heating technology, Franklin invented a fire place, which was called the Pennsylvania Fire Place.
16 1786 Benjamin Franklin showed his position against accumulation of debts as a practice adverse to the economy and cited the high interest in China as a salutary means of discouraging borrowing. He started that interest in 3 percent per month, for 10 months in China, or 30 per cent per ann., which promoted industry, kept down the price of land, & made freehold more common.
17 1973 Benjamin Franklin : To Thomas Percival. West Wycomb, the Seat of Lord Le Despencer, Sept. 25, 1773.
Dear Sir…
In China I have somewhere read, an Account is yearly taken of the Numbers of People, and the Quantities of Provision produc'd in good time. To facilitate the Collecting this Account, and prevent the Necessity of entering Houses and spending time in asking and answering Questions, each is furnish'd with a little Board, to be hung without the Door during certain time each Year ; on which Board is marked certain Words, against which the Inhabitant is to mark Number or Quality, somewhat in this Manner ; (Men, 1 ; Women, 2 ; Children, 3 ; Rice or Wheat, 5 Quarters Flesh, &c. 1,000 Ibs.)
All under 16 are accounted Children, and all above Men and Women. Any other Particulars, which the Government desires information of, are occasionally mark's on the same Boards. Thus the Officers, appointed to collect the Accounts in each District, have only to pass before the Doors, and enter in their Book what they find mark'd on the Board, without giving the least Trouble to the Family. There is a Penalty on marking falsly ; and, as Neighbours must know nearly the Truth of each other's Account, they dare not expose themselves, by a false one, to each other's Accusation. Perhaps such a Regulation is scarce practicable with us…
Dave Wang : Then discussing the efficient management of the state government, Franklin noticed the efficiency of the Chinese imperial governmental statistics system. He hoped that the government of Pennsylvania could learn something from the system.