The Dynastic Cycle in China
As Usher writes, “A dynastic cycle is a periodic alternation of society between despotism and anarchy.” The political theory of a dynastic cycle implies to the idea that each dynasty undergoes four major steps of development: foundation, consolidation, deceleration, and extinction. After its creation, the dynasty reaches its peak giving the country all possible benefits and making it prosperous, and then declines and falls being replaced by the new dynasty. Throughout its history, China was under the reign of lots of dynasties and, hence, experienced lots of repetitive dynastic cycles. All of them had similar structures but different causes ...
