"Cang Liao knows etiquette and knows honor and disgrace when he has enough food and clothing." This old adage seems to be the true portrayal of a society. In a society of material abundance, people will naturally strive for higher morals and etiquette.
In the sixties and seventies, China was in an era of scarcity of materials, and it was difficult to guarantee food and clothing.
In those days, being able to fill their bellies was already the primary goal of many families. In such a difficult period, how likely is it to achieve the ideal state of "leaving no road behind and never closing the door at night".
Sixty or seventy years
In the early years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the whole country was faced with a huge task of economic recovery and construction. After years of war and political turmoil, China's economic fundamentals are extremely weak. In order to quickly recover and develop the economy, the government took a series of measures, the most important of which was the "Great Leap Forward" movement in 1958. This movement aimed to achieve a leap forward in the country's economy through rapid industrialization and collectivization. The reality is that it has backfired.
In the course of the "Great Leap Forward" movement, exaggeration prevailed, and various localities reported good news but not bad news, and falsely reported output. The implementation of the people's commune movement has seriously affected the peasants' enthusiasm for production, and grain production and supply have become even more strained. To make matters worse, the following three years of natural disasters exacerbated the already tense economic situation. Many rural families can barely survive on sweet potatoes, wild vegetables and coarse grains, while urban residents also need tickets to supply basic daily necessities. In such a social context, the extreme scarcity of materials makes the ideal state of "not leaving the road unforgotten and not closing the door at night" particularly distant.
In such a social context, although the state and the government vigorously promote moral education and the spirit of mutual assistance and mutual love, in real life, these beautiful ideas are often difficult to implement. Material scarcity has made people's moral bottom line constantly lowered, and the construction of social atmosphere is facing huge challenges.
In China in the sixties and seventies, food supply was extremely difficult.
Most rural families rely on sweet potatoes and wild herbs to feed their stomachs, and sometimes even these basic foods are not guaranteed. Coarse grains have become a staple food on people's tables, and scarce meat has become almost a luxury. Although the residents of the city are relatively better, they still need to provide basic daily necessities with tickets, and food rations are still insufficient. Many people have resorted to extreme measures such as stealing in order to obtain more food and necessities.
The scarcity of supplies makes people's lives very difficult. In rural areas, farmers toiled every day, but the harvest was often not enough to feed their families. Many families rely on sweet potatoes, wild herbs and coarse grains to survive. Meat has become almost a scarce commodity, and it is only on special occasions that you have the opportunity to eat it. In the city, although it is relatively better, it is still necessary to supply basic daily necessities with a ticket. Lack of food rations and daily necessities make life a hardship for city dwellers.
In such an economy, theft has become very common. In order to obtain more food and daily necessities, many people have to resort to extreme measures such as stealing. Material scarcity has made people's moral bottom line constantly lowered, and the construction of social atmosphere is facing huge challenges.
In such a context of extreme scarcity of materials, it is almost impossible to achieve "no road left behind, no door closed at night".
The scarcity of materials has led to the widespread occurrence of theft, and the management of social security has also become inadequate. Although the government and society vigorously promote moral education and the spirit of mutual assistance and love, in real life, these beautiful ideas are often difficult to implement. During the night, many families have to take various anti-theft measures to prevent theft of their belongings from their homes. Even during the day, it is inevitable that lost items on the road will be picked up by others.
In the face of such a reality of extreme material scarcity, the construction of social morality and customs is particularly difficult. Material deficiencies put people under great pressure to survive, and many beautiful moral ideals are particularly fragile in the face of reality. Despite efforts by the government and all sectors of society to promote moral education, in practice, such education and propaganda often struggle to withstand the pressure of survival. The widespread occurrence of theft is a direct manifestation of this contradiction.
Material scarcity increases the pressure on people's survival, and also greatly reduces the effect of moral education. In China in the sixties and seventies, many families had to resort to all kinds of extreme measures in order to survive. In this case, the good morals of society are particularly fragile. Although the government and society continue to promote moral education, the weak economic foundation makes it difficult to implement these moral education and social norms.
In rural areas, many families lack basic necessities and have to rely on stealing to make ends meet. Such a situation makes the moral bottom line of society constantly lowered, and the spirit of mutual assistance and mutual love seems weak in the face of reality. In the cities, although life is relatively better, there is still a need to supply basic daily necessities with tickets, and many people have to resort to some immoral means in order to obtain more necessities.
Material scarcity has a direct impact on the construction of social morality and customs. The contradiction between the survival needs of individuals and families and the morality of society was particularly prominent during this period. Although the government and all sectors of society are trying to promote moral education, in practice, such education and propaganda are often difficult to resist the pressure of survival.
In China in the sixties and seventies, a highly centralized political system and a tightly controlled social atmosphere promoted social stability to some extent, but also limited individual freedom and creativity. The frequent development of political movements has filled society with tension and unease, and the building of social morality and customs is facing tremendous challenges. In such an environment, it is difficult to effectively improve the moral atmosphere of society, and people's behavior is driven more by the pressure of survival than by moral norms.
In political campaigns, individuals often need to strictly follow political correctness in their words and actions, or they may face severe punishment. In this case, the freedom and creativity of the individual are greatly restricted, and the construction of social morality is also affected. Although the government and society continue to promote moral education and the spirit of mutual assistance and love, in real life, such education and propaganda are often difficult to resist the pressure of survival.
In such a political and social environment, the building of a moral atmosphere in society is facing tremendous challenges. Although the government and all sectors of society are trying to promote moral education, in practice, such education and propaganda are often difficult to resist the pressure of survival. The lack of material things has made people's moral bottom line constantly lowered, and the construction of social atmosphere is facing huge challenges.
conclusion
Looking back at China in the sixties and seventies, it is not difficult for us to find that the construction of social morality and customs during this period faced tremendous challenges. The extreme scarcity of materials and the special political environment make it difficult to realize the beautiful moral ideal of "never leaving the road behind and never closing the door at night". The importance of the material foundation to the construction of social morality and customs is self-evident. Today, with the rapid development of the economy, we should pay more attention to social fairness and justice, and strive to build a society with both material and spiritual harvests.
Looking back on that difficult era, we can have a deeper understanding of the importance of the material foundation to moral construction, and learn the lessons of history in today's social construction to create a better future. Although the difficult years of that era have passed, the lessons and enlightenment they have brought us are far-reaching.
In today's rapid economic development, what kind of memory do you have of China in the sixties and seventies?
How do you think we should balance the material foundation and the moral construction in the modern society?
Welcome to share your views and stories in the comment area, so that we can draw wisdom from history and explore the future together.