feudalism nor capitalism is an inevitable or even common phase in human historical development, then much of the theoretical underpinning of modern Marxism disappears.
I would not maintain that either Communism or Socialism today derive their main strength from the theories on which they were originally based. But unquestionably these theories are an important part of their strength, particularly in Asia, where many people, facing chaotic conditions and mountainous problems, have found solace in the rigid theoretical certainties of Marxism. These Marxist theories have often proved very damaging to American hopes for Asia. It is indeed ironic that we have remained oblivious to Asian history when it contains such effective proof of the fallacy of the Marxist theories that are so prejudicial to American foreign policy in Asia. Our seemingly impractical study of Asian historical patterns, by showing the historical illusions behind Marxism and by producing a more accurate picture of world history, could have very profound practical results.
So much for our very brief and sketchy consideration of the possible significance of the Chinese dynastic cycle and of Japanese feudalism in understanding the West as well as Asia. It has not been my purpose to attempt to convince you of the validity of any of the theories I have put forward. That would require a much more thorough presentation than has been possible in so short a time. I have merely wished to illustrate the ways in which a deeper knowledge of Asia might contribute to an understanding of the development of human society and might throw light on the great problems that mankind faces today. Equally valid illustrations could have been presented from the point of view of the anthropologist, the sociologist, the economist, the political scientist, the philosopher, or even the psychologist. The whole realm of the arts and letters would also prove as rewarding a field for study, for a knowledge of Asian achievements in these fields, though not likely to contribute much to a solution of present world tensions, could contribute greatly to a revitalization in our own society of those things that make life most worth while.
I hope that I have made the case for basic research in the Asian field clear. In the short time that remains, I should like to consider briefly the problem of the successful application of what knowledge we do have about Asia to the solution of practical problems. Here we find a challenging frontier of a quite different sort.
Let us return for a moment to our analogy taken from the natural sciences. There is relatively little problem in the natural sciences in the application of the results of basic research. The validity of a new theory established by the research work
