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Politics, Humanities and Rural Homeland 117

who lived in a totalitarian society—enjoyed a relatively superior social status. The
best examples are Voltaire and Rousseau, who were the most prestigious and
influential thinkers of the time.
The young Voltaire was twice thrown into the Bastille (where of course, he
could read and study); but his influence grew rapidly, later he earned enough to
have bought apartments and villas on the scenic border of Switzerland, from where
he wrote works that continued to be read all over Europe. To a large extent, these
works dominated public opinion; even France’s King Louis XV did not know
what to do about Voltaire. According to the biography Voltaire translated by Fu Lei
(傅雷 1908–1966), the writer once said that “I have a dozen kings in my hand,”
(Maurois, 2017, p. 117) indicating that he enjoyed the support of the monarchs of
Prussia, Denmark, Poland, and Russia. He actually became a protégé of a large
number of feudal aristocrats who loved literature and art. In addition, he was very
popular among the people because he had striven to redress an injustice which had
been levied against Jean Calas and others. Rousseau, penniless and homeless,
worse still, having offended quite a few friends of his, was a favorite of some
aristocrats and kings who admired his philosophy and intelligence, so he too had a
comfortable dwelling on the border. In his later years, he returned to Paris to live
out his days.
These men of letters did not want to enter politics, yet through their writings
they had great impact on social development, which naturally had its political
repercussions. A careful and detailed analysis of the Enlightenment is still needed
in order to thoroughly evaluate its social and political significance.
However, the longstanding tripartite relationships between politics, hu-
manities, and rural homeland throughout Chinese history created a resilient
framework producing a “selection-based society” with the countryside as its
foundation. This was because most of those selected through imperial exami-
nations came from rural China, and it was the rural homeland that most retired
officials preferred for their final years. It was their sweet home, their roots. It
was where they had started and it was also where they wanted to enjoy their
final days. Officials who retired and returned to their native hometown sup-
ported studious local youths, especially their own posterity. Thus, a new cycle
could be started afresh. As an agrarian society in ancient days, China had its
foundation in the countryside.
Politics was essential; it provided assurance. Only with the support of those in
power and institutional guarantee, ancient scholars could have access to stable
supply of various resources. Power was a good leverage for them to realize their
political aspiration.