Is there a concept of state in traditional Chinese society (Essay)

The state is a political tool for one class to rule over another class. The concept of state existed in traditional society but it was different from modern society.

There are two fundamental facts about the structure of ancient Chinese society. First, the existence of the patriarchal system, which was based on blood ties, constituted the horizontal network of ancient Chinese society in the form of the family. Maintaining patriarchal relations became an important way to stabilize interpersonal relations and consolidate the social hierarchical order. Secondly, the high degree of decentralization of the natural economy as the basis of social existence, and the high degree of centralization of the monarchical rule as the state system. In order to enable the existence and consolidation of the decentralized natural economy, it is necessary to strengthen the high degree of political centralization; in turn, in order to maintain the highly centralized monarchical authoritarian system, it is necessary to strengthen the control and regulation of the decentralized natural economy.

The existence of the two most fundamental facts in ancient Chinese society influenced each other, forming the "family and state together". The patriarchal system centered on the father's head, the so-called "patriarchal system", not only stabilized the social structure of the family, but also maintained the monarch's "family world", i.e., "the monarch's system". The communication between the "clan" and the "ruler", between the "family" and the "state", formed the "clan system" in ancient Chinese society, which lasted for thousands of years. patriarchal system that lasted for thousands of years.