Preliminary Observations

Preliminary Observations on the Emergence of Humanity as Exampled in
the SAN KUO CHIH YEN-I

"Empires wax and wane; states cleave asunder and coalesce."

In the name of them who have trodden the path of life ahead of us,
in the name of all now alive, in the name of all who will be born,
may this essay contribute beneficially to the natural process of the
emergence of the human species.

SAN KUO, THE ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS, the great novelization
of the historical period from the decline and fall of the Latter Han
Dynasty, through the period of disintegration and disunion until
reunification under the Chin Dynasty, is not only a highly literary
and entertaining production of remarkable inspiration. It is an
excellent opportunity for analyses of the balance between extremes
of poorly restrained ambition and unachieved idealism.

Indeed, the novel is a very good place to start in seeking a focus
balanced centrally among a number of extremes. Primarily, centrally,
essentially it is an indication that howeversomuch the energetic, 
the wealthy, the technologically advanced European and European
derived influences have been on recent history, the coalescing of
humanity indicates a global civilization much more informed of the
other components of the emerging species than hitherto the most
powerful and ordinary Westerners have shown.

>From the most natural binary divination system to the duality of
Confucian rationality and Taoist mysticism, to the honouring of both
traditional ways and the creativity of highly inventive ingenuity,
impressively literate China provides a very valuable laboratory of
historical experimentation. It is only appropriate that world
civilization contain a more general and widespread consciousness of
the fact of China's attainments and familiarity with some of the
most outstanding examples, of which ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS is
one.

The deeds, selfish and base, heroic and altruistic, recounted and
embellished by generations of storytellers, coming to a refined
crystalization in this probably early Ming novel are among the
surviving treasures of this planet's entertainment and literature.
And while this book has been criticized as being thirty per cent
fiction, this only underlines the largely historical nature of this
century long account.

A precis of the long novel has already been placed on the solarguard
web site. Future considerations of the many poems (some by such
superb poets as Tu Fu and Su Tung-p'o) adorning the text, of the
historical, geographical, literary, technological and Classical
philosophical references may appear later.

This essay introduces primarily the specific topic of leadership and
ambition, its first purpose being to raise deliberations on how best
to quicken and maintain the coalescing of humanity.

Retaining a focus on the primary point of balance, this novel can be
viewed as a great cautionary example of the consequences of the
harmful excesses of even very brilliant and ingenious minds when
such minds are firmly fixed to a predetermined concept. Chuko Liang,
the awesomely potent intellect, and, indeed, in this story, the
accomplished possessor of supernatural power, is described as
demonstrating his inflexible adherence to the idea of the Han
Dynasty through a repeated launching of unsuccessful invasions of
the kingdom of Wei. King Ch'an, however stereotypical the character
may be, at least in the novel is portrayed as an individual not
really worthy of ruling even his own kingdom, let alone one meriting
Chuko Liang's excessive destabilizing energy trying to establish
Ch'an's ascendency over all of China.

The novel does contain intimations of a more balanced exercise of
energy. The Chin general Yang Hu is described as employing his army
in the achievement of a great agricultural harvest and of acquiring
such a friendship with the opposing Wu general Lu K'ang that Lu does
not hesitate to take the medicine Yang sends him and Lu receiving a
royal command to hurry up his attack of Chin responds by advising
his ruler that such a venture is not in the best interests of Wu.

One of the aspects of a balanced view is that, contrary to so much
of the tragic conflict depicted in this novel and throughout so much
of this planet's history, the best interests of any one segment of
humanity are often in accord with the best interests of each of the
other parts; the best interests of one country require consideration
of the best interests of the species as a whole and each of its
component parts. An option, a variant, a choice, a selection
favouring a particular portion at the expense of others is likely
one actually contrary to the real interests of the faction believing
itself to be the winner.

As the proverb succinctly has it, "Lips gone, teeth cold."

In the real world, we can always be alert to the great difficulty
some have perceiving their best interests, we can take care not to
forget, even after the birth of human consciousness, that recessive
attributes can manifest within the population. The actual existence
of the natural single federal planetary state which is the logical
conclusion of the present process of societal evolution on Earth is
not an entrance into a utopian eternity permitting an abandonment of
the intellectual rigor, the scholarly instruction, the balanced
deliberations, the harmonious legalities addressing the, to term it
appropriately, pre-human, traits exampled in SAN KUO and in much
else up to, and including, recent events.

Throwbacks are to be expected and a species that has, again to
express it dispassionately and with unbiased language, crossed the
threshold to intelligence, has a duty to safeguard itself with the
knowledge of the attitudes of its pre-human stage and their
antidotes.

This novel, this historical period, Earthly history in general,
highlight the great harm caused by extremes of idealism. One easily
notices common complaints about excessive consumption of alcohol,
attention to the delights of the opposite sex, the influence on the
state of eunuchs, of consort families, of powerful ministers. Also,
Chang Fei, one of the three sworn hero-friends, is assassinated
because of his overly harsh administration, perhaps caused or
exacerbated by his grief for slain Kuan Yu. The ideal of this
friendship leads Liu Pei to disregard the sage advice of Chuko
Liang, to Liu Pei's later regret.

The excessive idealism of friendship, the excessive value placed on
the life of one friend contains the tragic incongruity of such
assertions as Liu Pei's, "I want to send my armies to punish Wu and
appease my wrath," and, "I am going to lay waste Chiangnan and slay
the whole of the curs that live there." The original intent of
deterring murder by threatening a response against the murderer by
the surviving relatives of the slain fails through such excesses as
these and through the terrible creation of feuds.

In addition, as exampled in this novel and recorded by historians
throughout centuries, a ruler ordering execution often felt impelled
not simply to terminate one offending life, but also to end the
lives of all those closely connected to that offender. In this
manner, the killer removed those likely to want his own death, at
the same time eliminating from the gene pool the relatives of those
outstanding enough to attract such attention from wielders of power.

The debasement of the species through this single practise cannot be
fully quantified.

A central perspective of the book, informing so much of its action,
may be expressed as the contention between legitimate authority and
natural self-promotion. One perception of the life work transmitted
by Confucius is his concern to restore the fit respect, esteem and
authority of the imperial family. This same concern permeates
ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS, both in the unwillingness, even of so
intelligent and perceptive a figure as Chuko Liang to accept
placidly the tripartite nature of his time and in the continuing
erosion of respect, esteem and authority for the titular rulers of
the successor dynasties.

Ts'ao Ts'ao, perhaps an epitome of poorly restrained ambition, is
the real founder of the Wei Dynasty. However, the novel displays the
ceremonial inauguration of Wei's first official emperor in Chapter
Eighty and of the first successor to deposed Wei in Chapter One
Hundred and Nineteen.

History clearly records the limitations of imperial offspring. The
selection of leadership from a more broadly based sample of a
generation's gene pool, now more widely the norm, has much to
recommend it, as do systems of popular expression, group dynamics
and the balancing of individual whim with general regulations.

Whereas Confucius and the sentiments underlying ROMANCE OF THE THREE
KINGDOMS looked backwards for authority, so undervalued by many of
their contemporaries, balancing our present requires understanding
the essential authority of the United Nations, however enhanced its
functioning and organization must be to administer the planet
naturally, legitimately, effectively, beneficially.

Our equivalent of the Warring States are not the ambitious regional
families too inconsiderate of Chou and Han authority, but rather the
ambitious individuals and families seeking mistaken personal and
group advantages over the real benefit of humanity.

How does an emerging human species rise above the platitudes of:

   in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure
   domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the
   general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves
   and our Posterity" ?

The first step required of an intelligent species, indeed required
for the designation of intelligent, is its own self identity, its
actual consciousness, knowledge and awareness of its existence.
Liberty at present and in the future, general welfare, common
defence, domestic tranquility are not attainable unless and until
the practical measures embodying realistic ideals are implemented,
not only more universally within the United States, but at a
planetary level.

One of the pre-human impediments to the attainment of human
specieshood is fundamentalist religious opposition to planetary
authority. Religious imbalances are not restricted to Yellow Turban
rebels or Islamic jihadis and the conceptual recognition of
pre-human attitudes and preparation of educational antidotes to all
such traits will remain an ongoing human concern even after the
species, again to use frank language, achieves intelligence.

It has been expressed that ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS is a kind
of Eastern Machiavellian masterpiece, a collection of plots and
schemes. In time, one of the features of the solarguard site may
well be an annotated enumeration of the schemes unfolded in the
book. For now, it is sufficient to respond to this comment with the
words of Igor Rosokhovatski from his superb fictionalized
consideration "The Laws of Leadership":

   "It is not truly human, in the highest sense, you know, to
   scheme, to seek crooked deals, to invent nasty things. Only a
   beast can do some of that, especially if you feed him some of
   that polygene or something."

In Chapter Eighty Six of ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS, the Wu
ambassador Chang Wen is assured that the conundrums and riddles
exhibited by Ch'in Fu were just amusing dinner entertainment
unworthy of lasting significance. Although there may well be some
call to answer specific perplexities and tricks, whether those of
religious fundamentalists, company owners or parochial politicians,
the antidote includes a general awareness that such pre-human
plotting for limited advantage is illusory and unworthy of lasting
significance.

Specific applications of the wide outlook contained above may well
be placed on this site as opportunity and circumstances occur. At
present this article concludes with the expression of one of the
most often ignored of human realities. Although it is very natural
for actors on the stage today to assume their importance, time
passes, people pass away and newer individuals emerge to face
ongoing potential.

The human species can in the relatively near future come into
conscious existence, become intelligent and initiate its factual
presence on Earth. If those now alive fail to live up to this
possibility, others will be born capable, willing and able to do so.

"Empires wax and wane; states cleave asunder and coalesce."

Michael McKenny November 22, 2003 C.E.


--
"My name's McKenny, Mike McKenny, Warrant Officer, Solar Guard."
       (Tom Corbett #1 STAND BY FOR MARS p2)