The Structure, Function and Evolution of the State and the Social System

This chapter first, sorts out the concepts of state in ancient and modern China and abroad, and briefly describes the birth process of primitive states in China based on recent anthropological and historical research results; puts forward a two-tiered structural model of the state system on the basis of analysing the internal and external environment and constituent elements of the state system; redefines the concept of human-culture by clarifying the connotation of culture; puts forward a two-tiered structural model of the human-culture system on the basis of analysing the internal and external environment and constituent elements of the human-culture system; explains the main functions, production activities and evolutionary mechanisms of the human-culture system, and explores the issue of social progress from the perspective of social reform; redefines the concept of polity by studying Chinese and foreign scholars’ political conceptions; puts forward a two-tiered structural model of the political system on the basis of analysing the internal and external environment and constituent elements of the political system; briefly discusses the dynamic factors affecting the development of the social system from the angle of structure; discusses the main mechanisms behind the evolution of social system from the four aspects of social division of labour, social coordination, stratification and differentiation, as well as gradual change and disruptive change; describes the development trajectory of the social system from the perspective of multifactor correlation and interaction; and demonstrates the book’s historical philosophy and views of social evolution.