Great Unity

The Great Unity (Chinese: 大同; pinyin: dàtóng) is a Chinese vision of the world explicitly based on the past period of "three dynasties"¹ as understood by the Confucian tradition. In this ideal historical model, everyone and everything was at peace and this model must be restored. It is found in classical Chinese philosophy as a model based on the past but beginning with Kang Youwei (1858 – 1927) it was often combined with utopian ideas.²

Confucius said: “When the Great Way prevailed, it was shared by the whole world. (天下為公) The men of worth and ability were chosen; trust was spoken and harmony cultivated. Therefore people did not cherish only their own parents, nor nurture only their own children. The aged were able to complete their years, the strong had employment, the young were able to grow, and the widowed, the orphaned, the solitary, the childless, the disabled, and the sick were all provided for. Men had their proper roles, women their proper homes. Goods were disliked if they lay wasted upon the ground, yet it was not necessary that they be stored for one’s own use; strength was disliked if it were not exerted, yet it was not necessary that it be exerted for oneself alone. Hence schemes were shut away and did not arise; theft, robbery, and disorder did not occur. Therefore outer doors were left open and not closed. This was called the ‘Great Unity’ (Datong).” — Confucius, Book of Rites (Liji), “Liyun”³

The notion of the "Great Unity" appeared in the "Lǐyùn" (禮運) chapter of the Book of Rites, one of the Confucian Chinese classics.⁴⁵ According to it, the society in Great Unity was ruled by the public, where the people elected men of virtue and ability to administer, and valued trust and amity. People did not only love their own parents and children, but others as well. People also secured the living of the elderly until their ends, let the adults be of use to the society, and helped the young grow. Those who were widowed, orphaned, childless, handicapped and diseased were all taken care of. Men took their responsibilities and women had their homes. People disliked seeing resources being wasted but did not seek to possess them; they wanted to exert their strength but did not do it for their own benefit. Therefore, selfish thoughts were dismissed, people refrained from stealing and robbery, and the outer doors remained open.⁶

The first true "Great Unity" state in Chinese History begins with the Qin dynasty. ⁷ Qin Shi Huang implemented a series of standardisation measures to unify the country's transportation, language, currency, weights, and measures. Subsequent dynasties adopted this institutional framework with their own changes. With the "Great Unity" ideology aligned with the centralised system implemented by dynasties, it is said that the ideology was built after this "Great Unity" state structure. ⁸

The concept was used by Kang Youwei in his visionary utopian treatise, The Book of Great Unity (Chinese: 大同書).⁹

The Great Unity is also often mentioned in the writings of Sun Yat-sen and is included in his lyrics of the National Anthem of the Republic of China, currently in official use in Taiwan.

This ideology can be reflected in the following examples, each from a national anthem of the Republic of China:

• 「三民主義，吾黨所宗，以建民國，以進大同。」 (literal translation: "Three Principles of the People, the aim of us (The Kuomintang), to build the Republic, to advance into Great Unity.") - National Anthem of the Republic of China
• 「毋自暴自棄，毋故步自封，光我民族，促進大同。」(literal translation: "Never abandon in desperation, nor being complacent with achievement; Glorify our nation and work promoting Great Unity.") - National Flag Anthem of the Republic of China

The concept was invoked in prominent occasions several times by Mao Zedong, including in his address On the People's Democratic Dictatorship in 1949, as the Communist Party prepared to assume control throughout mainland China.¹⁰

The "World Harmony Launch Ceremony," themed "Religious Harmony and World Peace," was solemnly held at the Guanyin Temple in Pingzhen District, Taoyuan City.¹¹

The concept of "Great Unity" originates from early Chinese philosophical debates on how to unify a society marked by division and conflict, particularly during the Warring States period. In the Book of Rites, the "Lǐyùn" (禮運) chapter presents datong as an ideal social and political order in which "the world is shared by all" (天下为公).

Scholars have noted that the idea of datong is closely related to the broader concept of tong (同), often translated as "unity" or "togetherness." However, recent interpretations suggest that tong more precisely refers to the process by which differences are brought into alignment or coordination, rather than eliminated entirely.¹²

In this context, datong represents not mere uniformity, but a state in which social, moral, and political differences are harmonized into a coherent whole.

Apart from the Great Unity, classical Chinese philosophy offered differing interpretations of how social unity (tong) could be achieved. Scholars have identified at least two contrasting models.

The other model is associated with the Mozi and its "Shangtong" (尚同) chapter,and argues for a top-down approach in which unity is achieved by conforming to authority. In this view, social disorder arises from divergent opinions and can only be resolved by aligning all individuals under the direction of a ruler through laws, rewards, and punishments.¹³ In the Mozi's version of Unity, a strong ruler is needed to allow social stability through the enforcement of law and order

These competing visions between the Confucian version and the Mozi version of Tong reflect broader philosophical differences regarding governance, authority, and the role of individual moral development in achieving social order.