By Xuan Xiaowei, Member of theResearch Team on “The Waxing and Waning of a State and the Role of Human Capital” of DRC，

Research Report No 7, 2016 (Total NO 1482) 2016-2-26

Abstract: It is noteworthy to noticethe reason why France could not establish a modern country in the process of competing for an early rising among big powers, but faced a lot of difficulties in the course of modern transformation. Human capital is one of the most important reasons. This report analyzes the related system changes of French autocratic monarchy. The establishment of French autocratic monarchy fiercely destroyed the shackles of original feudal aristocracy imposed on the talents, which laid a solid foundation for France to become a strong country in Europe. However, while expanding and building a corresponding bureaucratic system, France failed to make the state power become non-identifiedand specializedin a rational manner. Instead, it fell deeply into the mire of privatization, familization and power seeking. The French centralization system stifled local and social vitality, which was difficult to meet the diversified social requirements for tapping the potential of talents, and constituted a serious obstacle to itstransformation for modernization. It is also a major issue for China to figure out how to establish a strong government, promote the development of a pluralistic society and ultimately create a favorable social environment for talented personnel to come to the fore and tap their full potential in the process of transformation for modernization.

Key words: human capital, the rising of big powers, France