Mr. Lu once said that Capital and General Theory are policy theories, not purely economic works. What is policy?
I think of the opening chapter of the 1988 Japanese movie "Dunhuang", when the scholar Zhao Xingde was asked in the temple examination: In the face of the plague of Western Xia, what countermeasures should I take in the Song Dynasty? The examiner went on to say: The land of the Hexi Corridor, the Uighurs and Tubo have become divided, the Western Xia is becoming stronger and stronger, and the only place that the Han people can control is the distant Dunhuang. You start discussing. What kind of country was Western Xia? How do I make it submit to my Great Song?
Zhao Xingde was dumbfounded. After that, he traveled to Western Xia and Dunhuang.
Mr. Lu called his article mainly policy and said that policy should focus on two things: the interests of the country and the interests of the people.
So what kind of country is Germany? Or which country should we learn from when we study the West? How to learn from the West? Is it like Chinese football, learning everything and learning nothing? There are also a bunch of phobias, fear of Korea, fear of Japan and West Asia. Recently, it has also lost to the war-torn Syria, which is very embarrassing.
The West is still far away, don't we want to see it? Or, do we really have a good look? Looking at the analytical articles that are now more and more fragmented, there are many brainwashing eight strands of text, literary emotional incitement texts, emotional satisfaction articles of spiritual victory, and there is not much real thinking and discussion.
In "The Lessons of Wilhelm II" and "The Causes of the Demise of the German Empire", Mr. Lu discussed the two reasons for the demise of the German Empire, on the surface of which were two fatal mistakes made by Wilhelm II, and the deep reason was: "The demise of the German Empire is the inevitable result of the serious backward economic development of the political system. ”
In addition, the differences between the constitutional monarchies of the German Empire and the British Empire are analyzed. The German Empire remained essentially a monarchy, and it was unable to solve the ills of totalitarian absolutism. "The biggest drawback of totalitarian rule is that it is not inclusive and resilient, and it is almost inevitably going to extremes."
As a result, Wilhelm II made repeated mistakes and was utterly stupid in his strategy. "Its mistakes are universal and representative." It's also worrying.
In short, the similarity of "cordiality" inevitably leads us to pay more attention to Germany and its destiny. Hopefully, we can transcend history and transcend reincarnation.
Germany is fortunate and admirable. After the two world wars, they still have a philosophical height, and the German spirit continues to this day.
In his essay "Skimming Freiburg im Breisgau", Mr. Lu suggested that we should go our own way, like the Germans. We must regain China's long-lost academic subjectivity and develop China's economics. Like the Germans, we should not be dizzy and lose our souls under the aura of the British Empire and the American Empire.
In the history of German development, there have been a century-old controversy between the German school of history and the Austrian school (1840-1941), a debate on subjectivity.
"The German school of history has always adhered to the importance of historical and cultural characteristics, using inductive reasoning to reveal economic phenomena and economic laws. The Austrian School adheres to the principles of universality and generality, believing that only abstract economic people and economic behavior are the objects of economic research, and economic principles have universal applicability. ”
That is to say, divorced from history, the so-called advanced nature that transcends the limitations of time and space, those universal truths, often do not have transplantability. Mr. Lu said: "History has repeatedly proved that the "advanced nature" that is divorced from reality always constantly creates "backwardness." ”
"Divorced from the actual situation, the theory has no advanced nature to speak of. That is to say, adaptability is more important than advanced. "Insisting on seeking truth from facts, we are not strangers.
The Freiburg School of Germany, after the defeat in World War II, made a wise choice. After accepting some important ideas of neoliberalism, he still adhered to the consistent ideas of the historical school and established the concept of "social market economy" after the war. The productive forces of the free economy and the secondary distribution of the state's public finances guarantee the prosperity of the German people. Through institutional constraints, administrative bureaucracy and financial oligarchies are controlled within a specific range.
The determination and high degree of philosophical rationality of the Freiburg school are also admirable in the article "Skimming Freiburg". If the ten best articles in Mr. Lu's collection must be selected, "Skimming Freiburg" should be included. Because it has a very important reference significance for China's reality, it presents a more substantial Germany under the surface, a more real Germany, the most core Germany.
I have always been deeply skeptical and confused about whether we have learned the core of Western culture. Reading Mr. Lu's collected writings, I found the treasure and saw hope.
I can't believe that thinkers who don't understand economics see their own limitations, and can they still be called thinkers. Economics and economic activity are important and extensive in our lives. If you don't understand economics, you can't even say that you can read history, and you can't understand politics deeply, or you can't understand economics and you can't get a correct understanding of history and politics.
And philosophy. And strategy. Plus economy. Without these three items, how can you write a good policy?!
Looking at the map of Europe, or looking back at the history of Europe, Britain, France and Germany are like three legs, and their influence on Europe is also far-reaching. The history of division has always been the history of China, and the history corresponding to China seems to be only compared with the history of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States. In the history and culture of Germany and France, more chinese shadows can be found, while Britain may be truly Western, with few similarities with China.
In the two articles "The Meaning of the Germans Sending Maps of China" and "The Great Road Towards the West", more strategic thinking is reflected. Lack of international vision makes it difficult to have a truly international strategy. Understanding the real world and its interpretation, and grasping the main countries, it is possible to produce effective strategies. This is of great significance to foreign affairs and internal affairs.
Mr. Lu's concentrated exposition of strategy is refreshing. Previously, the understanding of strategy could be described as obscure. Even because of their ignorance of strategy, they will learn to laugh at strategy.
In Mr. Lu's article, there are very few sections dealing with Germany. The word Germany appears with a frequency of 396; the word Germany appears with a frequency of 140.
But I think what Germany means to China is very important. Read through Mr. Lu's collection of essays, and you will know these five articles on Germany in detail. More often, we look at the world more than we look at the United States. Looking at our own modern and contemporary history, the United States has always been a presence that cannot be ignored. But don't forget Germany.
There is also Marx's Capital and Simmel's Philosophy of Money.