Multiple Modernities And Political Development

The spread of Modernity has brought the mankind both progress and tension. How to understand the complicated reality in the process of modernity spreading, and construct a harmonious and vital social and political order? How to understand the various tensions and confrontations developed in the process of modernity spreading? As for developing countries,how to choose the road of modernization , and how to respond to the challenges posed by varieties of resistance? Such problems constitue the main focus in our time,as for the transformation of China,and they must be solved.Facing the above-mentioned problems, S.N. Eisenstadt,one of the most famous social and political scientists has created a unique dimension of analysis,and he connected modernity, multiple Modernities with political development and political modernization. He parsed the historical gene of multi-Modernities stored in the Axial Civilizations from a macro- perspective. It is the different institutionalization of the tentions between the transcendental and the mundane order,and different ways resolving such tentions. He revealed the formation, the promulgation,the response of early modernity, as well as the marks left in international arena and within various fields of the nation- states.On the basis of questioning and criticizing the thoeries of "Westernization" , "homogenization", "The End of the History",and "Clash of the Civilizations" , he explained the conception of multiple modernities. As for the developing countries, Eisenstadt focused the compacts brought by the promulgation of modernity on the relationship between center and periphery, and on the imbalance of the relationship of the center-periphery. Such imbalance also contributed to the collapse of political modernization. Under the premise of this logic, he explored and put forward the strategise that most of the developing countries should adopt in the process of political modernization: strengthening the flexibility of central system, strengthening the construction of political parties,keeping the consistency between administration and political constitutions, cultivating the public spheres and civil societies, enhancing the place of participational education of the citizens, building the trust among the various departments, as well as between the social sectors and the centers. At the same time, he also stressed the elites' unique role in transforming or constructing social constitutions, with particular emphasis on the compromise between the elites of different orientations.Furthermore, Eisenstadt warned of the democratic and the democratizing countries that, openness of the political process is an important contributor to the fragility of modern democratic regimes, paradoxically, it also allows for their continuity.Eisenstadt also explored the characteristics of Chinese civilization in Axial Age, imperial China, and modern China. His exploration of China has unique features. Drawing on his theoretical results is helpful to the theoretical study and political practice in the process of modernization in China.