501. Benjamin Franklin and Confucian Merit System

Most Western countries today have adopted some form of the Confucian merit system, one of China’s greatest contributions to modern democracy. Interestingly enough, despite now being one of the cultural icons of the West, the United States adopted the Confucian system later than many of its European peers.[1] It was only in 1884 that Congress passed the Pendleton Act, alternatively known as the Civil Service Reform Act, which initiated a long-overdue reform of the US civil service system. The passage of the Pendleton Act marked the US federal government’s embracement of the Confucian merit system.  Although the passage of the Pendleton Act represented the first time the Confucian system gained legal credence within the United States, it was not the first time such a change had been suggested. About a century earlier, American “Founding Father” Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) had proposed that the fledging nation look to the ancient Chinese merit system for selecting public servants.

For more information concerning the topic one can read Dr. Dave Wang's paper,

A JOURNEY OF ADOPTING THE CONFUCIAN MERIT SYSTEM:  FROM BENJAMIN FRANKLIN TO THE PENDLETON ACT OF 1883

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[1] History of Civil Service Merit System of the United States and Selected Foreign Countries, together with Executive Reorganization Studies and Personnel Recommendations, compiled by The Library of Congress Congressional Research Service, for the Subcommittee on Manpower and Civil Service of the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, House of Representatives 94^th Congress, 2^nd session, December 31, 1967, U.S Government Printing Office, Washington, 1976, p.4.

500. Dr. Dave Wang's Paper on Benjamin Franklin was Twitted

My readers can tell that this the 500th post of this weblog. It is a perfect post to show you Dr. It is not new that Dr. Dave Wang's publications were used as history class texts in both under graduate and graduate level. No one should feel surprised to find that famous scholars with world reputation cited Dr. Dave Wang's publications. However, today I was surprised finding that Dr. Dave Wang's paper was recommended by Mr. Matthew Schofield. It was posted almost two years ago. Through his post Mr. Schofield from Australia recommended Dr. Dave Wang's paper, Benjamin Franklin and Chinese Civilization.  I believe that my readers like me will be surprised when one found out that he is not an academician but an entrepreneur.

Following the link of the paper, Benjamin Franklin and Chinese Civilization, I have found surprisingly that 79 people have recommended the same paper as Mr. Matthew Schofield. This certainly can serve as an indicator of showing world wide influence of Dr. Dave Wang's examination of the US founders' efforts to borrow from Chinese civilization in their struggle for a new nation in North America.  I would say that Dr. Dave Wang's influence has widely been beyond academic world.

499. Dr. Dave Wang's Talk on Benjamin Franklin and Confucius Translated into German

Thanks to the Schillar Institute's hard work, Dr. Dave Wang' presentation that introduces some of his works on Chinese culural influence on the early United States has been translated into German.

Konfuzius und Benjamin Franklin

Von Dr. Dave Wang

 

Dr. Wang ist Leitender Bibliothekar der Queens Library in Laurelton im New Yorker Stadtbezirk Queens und Lehrbeauftragter an der katholischen St. John’s University in New York. Er hielt bei der New Yorker Konferenz des Schiller-Instituts am 13. April den folgenden Vortrag; die schriftliche Fassung ist leicht bearbeitet.

Guten Tag. Ich habe, wie wir alle, den Vortrag von Dr. Patrick Ho sehr genossen. Ich habe viel über die chinesische Kultur und über die neue Initiative, die die Chinesen gestartet haben, gelernt.
Bevor ich meinen Vortrag beginne, möchte ich noch Herrn Bill Jones und John und Renée Sigerson vom Schiller-Institut danken, die diesen Vortrag möglich gemacht haben. Ich glaube nicht, daß ich hier eine gründliche Darstellung meiner Forschungen geben kann. Ich will Ihnen aber meine Publikationen über den kulturellen Einfluß Chinas auf die Vereinigten Staaten vorstellen.¹
In einem meiner frühesten Papiere über den chinesischen kulturellen Einfluß auf die Vereinigten Staaten schrieb ich, daß wir hier über den Amerikanischen Traum sprechen. Der Amerikanische Traum hat in China angefangen. Schon bevor die ersten Kolonisten landeten, hat es den chinesischen Einfluß gegeben. Denn die Virginia Company, die die Erforschung Nordamerikas förderte und einen Ort für die erste Landung aussuchen mußte, wollte möglichst nahe an einem Ort landen, von wo aus sie weiter nach China gelangen konnte.
Frankreich half bei der Amerikanischen Revolution. Warum? Die Franzosen waren sich sicher, daß George Washingtons Guerillas den Unabhängigkeitskrieg ohne internationale Unterstützung, im wesentlichen aus Frankreich, nicht gewinnen könnten. Und einer der entscheidenden Gründe, warum Frankreich diesen Krieg unterstützte, war es, zu verhindern, daß die Briten den Handel mit China monopolisieren könnten.

498. Dr. Dave Wang's Research Papers Still Interested

Dr. Dave Wang's pioneering research in the field of Chinese civilization's influence on the founding fathers continues to attract readers worldwide. For example, it was in last year when the books and movies cite included Dr. Dave Wang's two published papers in its widely liked website, including

Benjamin Franklin and China ---A Survey of Benjamin Franklin’s Efforts at Drawing Positive Elements from Chinese Civilization during the Formative Age of the United States

and From Confucius to the Great Wall: Chinese Cultural Influence on Colonial North America.



497. Dr. Dave Wang Gave an Overview of His Exciting Work on Benjamin Franklin's Dissemination of Confucius

I have found that another language that introduces Dr. Dave Wang' s exciting study of the US founders and Chinese civilization. This time it is French.

Elle a été suivie par le Dr. Dave Wang, qui a donné un aperçu de son passionnant travail sur l’étude et la diffusion par Benjamin Franklin du confucianisme et la science et la technologie chinoises dans les colonies américaines puis dans la jeune République américain, et par Mike Billington d’EIR, qui a exposé les méthodes utilisées par les Britanniques aux XIXème et XXème siècles pour diffuser parmi les Chinois une fausse image de la « pensée occidentale » (vidéo).

It was followed by Dr. Dave Wang who gave an overview of his exciting work on the study and dissemination by Benjamin Franklin of Chinese Confucianism and science and technology in the American colonies and then in the young American Republic.