Social practices of confucianism at the early 20th century: Kang youwei and the “heaven people”

Abstract

Readers are invited to the first Russian translation of extracts from the first chap-ter of the sixth part Datong shu (“The Book of the Great Unity”) by Kang Youwei (1858–1927). Kang Youwei proposed an original project for the radical liberation of humanity, in which the traditional mechanisms of family, marriage and gender inequality and coercion will be eliminated, and the state will take care of each person at every stage of his life. Kang Youwei adhered to the view that the main goal of a person's life is to achieve a state of happiness and satisfy all emerging needs. Congenital hedonism is in conflict with the need to reproduce. According to Kang Youwei, the institution of the family was created in ancient times and is the product of violence and suppression. In the future, free partnership will be re-lieved of the burdens of raising and educating future generations.