Sun Yat-sen

Father of modern China

Modern influential 85 sayings

Sayings by Sun Yat-sen

Please keep my movements strictly secret for it is very important to our cause.

Circa 1912-1914 — In a handwritten letter to his friends James and Mabel Cantlie during his exile.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Please keep my movements strictly secret for it is very important to our cause.

Circa 1912-1914 — In a handwritten letter to his friends James and Mabel Cantlie during his exile.
Strange & Unusual Disputed

No matter what nationalities became a part of our country in the future, they would have to assimilate into the Han nationality. The nationalism our party supports is a positive nationalism. Do not forget that.

Approx. 1920s — On nationalism and ethnic assimilation in China.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

No matter what nationalities became a part of our country in the future, they would have to assimilate into the Han nationality. The nationalism our party supports is a positive nationalism. Do not forget that.

Approx. 1920s — On nationalism and ethnic assimilation in China.
Strange & Unusual Disputed

The peoples of Europe suffered so bitterly from despotism that as soon as the banner of liberty was lifted high, millions with one heart rallied about it. Therefore the aims of the Chinese Revolution are different from the aims in foreign revolutions, and the methods we use must also be different. Why, indeed, is China having a revolution?

1905 — From 'The Three Principles of the People', explaining the unique nature of the Chinese Revolution.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The peoples of Europe suffered so bitterly from despotism that as soon as the banner of liberty was lifted high, millions with one heart rallied about it. Therefore the aims of the Chinese Revolution are different from the aims in foreign revolutions, and the methods we use must also be different. Why, indeed, is China having a revolution?

1905 — From 'The Three Principles of the People', explaining the unique nature of the Chinese Revolution.
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

But we, because we have had too much liberty without any unity and resisting power, because we have become a sheet of loose sand and so have been invaded by foreign imperialism and oppressed by the economic control and trade wars of the Powers, without being able to resist, must break down individual liberty and become pressed together into an unyielding body like the firm rock which is formed by the addition of cement to sand.

1905 — From 'The Three Principles of the People', discussing the need for national unity over individual li…
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

But we, because we have had too much liberty without any unity and resisting power, because we have become a sheet of loose sand and so have been invaded by foreign imperialism and oppressed by the economic control and trade wars of the Powers, without being able to resist, must break down individual liberty and become pressed together into an unyielding body like the firm rock which is formed by the addition of cement to sand.

1905 — From 'The Three Principles of the People', discussing the need for national unity over individual li…
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

Marx was a social pathologist... What Marx gained through his studies of social problems was a knowledge of diseases in the course of social progress. Therefore, Marx can only be called a social pathologist; we cannot say that he is a social physiologist.

August 3, 1924 — From his August 3, 1924, lecture on livelihood, influenced by Maurice William's 'The Social Interpre…
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Marx was a social pathologist... What Marx gained through his studies of social problems was a knowledge of diseases in the course of social progress. Therefore, Marx can only be called a social pathologist; we cannot say that he is a social physiologist.

August 3, 1924 — From his August 3, 1924, lecture on livelihood, influenced by Maurice William's 'The Social Interpre…
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

After China has established a powerful government, we must not be afraid, as Western people are, that the government will become too strong and that we will be unable to control it.

1924 — From his lecture on 'The Principle of Democracy'.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

After China has established a powerful government, we must not be afraid, as Western people are, that the government will become too strong and that we will be unable to control it.

1924 — From his lecture on 'The Principle of Democracy'.
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

Let the people in thinking about government distinguish between sovereignty and ability. Let the great political force of the state be divided into two: the power of the government and the power of the people. Such a division will make the government the machinery and the people the engineer. The attitude of the people toward the government will then resemble the attitude of the engineer toward his machine.

1924 — From his lecture on 'The Principle of Democracy', using a mechanistic analogy for governance.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Let the people in thinking about government distinguish between sovereignty and ability. Let the great political force of the state be divided into two: the power of the government and the power of the people. Such a division will make the government the machinery and the people the engineer. The attitude of the people toward the government will then resemble the attitude of the engineer toward his machine.

1924 — From his lecture on 'The Principle of Democracy', using a mechanistic analogy for governance.
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

If the people are vested with the powers of electing and recalling public servants and of making laws and referring them to popular vote, there will be no fear of the government becoming uncontrollable.

Approx. 1924 — Elaborating on the principle of democracy and popular control.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

If the people are vested with the powers of electing and recalling public servants and of making laws and referring them to popular vote, there will be no fear of the government becoming uncontrollable.

Approx. 1924 — Elaborating on the principle of democracy and popular control.
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

The Chinese people have shown the greatest loyalty to family and clan with the result that in China there have been familyism and clanism but no real nationalism.

Approx. 1924 — From his Principle of Nationalism, critiquing the lack of broader national cohesion.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The Chinese people have shown the greatest loyalty to family and clan with the result that in China there have been familyism and clanism but no real nationalism.

Approx. 1924 — From his Principle of Nationalism, critiquing the lack of broader national cohesion.
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

For forty years I have devoted myself to the cause of the people's revolution with but one end in view, the elevation of China to a position of freedom and equality among the nations.

February 20, 1925 — From his Last Will and Testament.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

For forty years I have devoted myself to the cause of the people's revolution with but one end in view, the elevation of China to a position of freedom and equality among the nations.

February 20, 1925 — From his Last Will and Testament.
Strange & Unusual Confirmed