Research On Fault Tolerance In Ancient China

Power is a resource that is closely related to interests,and holding power inevitably entails corresponding responsibilities.The essential purpose of accountability is to make those in power responsible,not a purely disciplinary means.Fault tolerance can eliminate the shortcomings of results-oriented accountability,and fully mobilize the enthusiasm and initiative of officials to respond to the needs of reality.The history of fault tolerance in ancient China has a long history,and the study of fault tolerance should learn from history and absorb the positive results of the ancient culture and system of fault tolerance.At present,there is still much room for exploration in domestic academic research on the phenomenon of fault tolerance in ancient China,and the development and historical value of the phenomenon of fault tolerance in ancient China still need to be deepened and explored.Therefore,on the basis of the conceptual interpretation of fault tolerance,focusing on the analysis of the phenomenon of fault tolerance in ancient China,clarifying the basis of the selection,revealing the function of governance,and grasping the characteristics of change and mining historical experience in the overall analysis,and then exploring a more timely and innovative research on fault tolerance has become an important scope of political science research.Concepts are the cornerstones on which the edifice of human knowledge is built.Through the etymological interpretation of fault tolerance in both Chinese and Western contexts,and the overall generalization of the concept of fault tolerance from different disciplinary perspectives,the specific connotation of fault tolerance can be refined in the specific scope covered and described,thus providing certain theoretical preparations for the study of fault tolerance.The phenomenon of fault tolerance in ancient China is mainly characterized by the monarch’s understanding and tolerance of the faults of officials who meet the restrictive conditions,and its purpose is to maintain the feudal political rule,so the study of the phenomenon of fault tolerance in ancient China should be analyzed in the perspective of imperial bureaucratic politics.Although there is no clear expression of "fault tolerance" in traditional Chinese culture and system,the existing theoretical resources and institutional forms have provided many value norms for the phenomenon of fault tolerance in ancient times.As typical phenomena of fault tolerance in ancient China,"innocence of the speaker","remembering merits and forgetting demerits",and "white collar position" have shaped the unique theoretical logic of fault tolerance from multiple aspects and perspectives.Innocence of the speaker fits in with the traditional Chinese idea of forgiving mistakes,and is a reflection of the monarch’s forgiveness of officials who dare to speak out and advise.It is an important presentation of the system and culture of admonition,and an explanation of the ancient Chinese tradition of fault tolerance.The purpose of the implementation of the speaker’s innocence is to limit the personal interests of officials under the dependency relationship and subordinate obligations of the monarch and the subjects,break the deadlock of "the monarch is not clear about public opinion",and grant special immunity to the advisor.The culture and system of remonstrance have shown different characteristics in the historical periods,and the implementation principle of the speaker’s innocence has also had different effects.The implementation of the speaker’s innocence has played a positive role in encouraging admonition and restraining the monarch’s self-discipline.The specific limiting factor is reflected in the relationship between the monarch and the subjects,which is a consideration of the admonishment and the subject.The monarch’s attitude towards admonishment is a prerequisite for the implementation of the speaker’s innocence,and the character of the admonishment is also the key to ensuring the effectiveness of the speaker’s innocent implementation.Remembering merits and forgetting demerits implies the color of traditional Chinese fault tolerance,which is reflected in the monarch’s tolerance of officials’ shortcomings.It is an ancient Chinese employment policy based on the implementation of the performance appraisal system,which constructs a set of fault-tolerant and power logic to record the merits of an official,in order to achieve the purpose of selecting and motivating officials.The reasons for the implementation of merit forgetting in ancient time can be summarized as the response to the phenomenon of officials shirking their responsibilities due to the prevalence of the simple concept of accountability,the development of the idea of knowing and employing people,and the creation and evolution of the performance appraisal system for officials.The implementation principle of forgetting achievements is reflected in the promotion and demotion of officials based on performance evaluation,advocating a combination of rewards and punishments to enhance the rationality of official governance.In ancient time,the practice of remembering merits and forgetting demerits became a link between the monarch and the bureaucrats,and played a positive role in the appointment of talent and the motivation of officials.Under the traditional Chinese political system,the measurement of officials’ merits and demerits relied heavily on the will of the monarch,whose subjectivity and personal preference determined the promotion and demotion of officials,thus leading to unclear criteria for the measurement of officials’ merits and demerits.The traditional color of tolerance for mistakes embedded in the white collar position is reflected in the leniency of punishment for officials who are able to repay their sins.The way that officials are given the opportunity to continue serving the country in white is a reflection of the ancient monarch’s "tolerance" for officials who qualify for the privilege of remission of penalties.The implementation of the white collar position was based on the development of the concept of ritual and law,the need to strengthen feudal political rule and rectify the rule of officials.White collar position in the Jin and the Southern and Northern Dynasties continued to improve and standardize,after the period it has gradually declined out of the historical stage.The White collar position had played a positive role in improving the system of appointment,dismissal and punishment of officials,however,there were inevitably limitations of the time and class,and the arbitrariness of the reinstatement of officials weakened the enforcement of the system,reflecting the monarch’s preferential treatment and protection of the clansmen and favored ministers in the actual process of governance.It is of great significance to scrutinize and reflect on the historical limitations and value factors of the ancient Chinese phenomena of fault tolerance in general,in order to grasp the whole historical picture of the phenomena of fault tolerance in antiquity.The historical limitations of the fault-tolerant phenomena in ancient China are manifested in the authoritarian and rule by man nature of the imperial system,the deep-rooted ideology of the official,and the adherence to hierarchical concepts and order.The value rationality of the fault tolerance phenomena in ancient China is reflected in the spirit of forgiveness and tolerance,the concept of appointing virtuous individuals to govern,the principle of achieving change through power,and the idea of using righteousness to unify interests.The construction of modern governance concepts largely relies on reflection on traditional governance concepts,and the construction of modern fault-tolerance requires a transformation of concepts in ancient fault-tolerant phenomena.Examining modern fault tolerance from the theoretical perspective of responsible politics can provide a corresponding institutional framework and a broader analytical perspective for modern fault tolerance research.The construction and implementation of fault-tolerance also need to be based on the development of the practical needs,continuously integrating new values into shaping governance concepts that are compatible with modern national governance.