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As a model of self-cultivation in accordance with the Confucian theory of Xinxing-Gongfu (心性-功夫论), Zeng Guofan (1811–1872), a well-renowned Confucian scholar and successful minister of the Qing Dynasty (1636–1912) in China, is a prime exemplar of ‘self-cultivation as the basis of person-making’ (修身为本). Considerable historical data proves he consciously strove to perfect himself in a systemic way. By examining his Diaries, Family Letters, and Reading Records, this study identifies that he had three interrelated practices of self-cultivation: (a) The establishment of the moral self. With the proposition that ‘if you are not a sage, you are a beast’, Zeng advocated improving one’s character through self-reflection, self-blame, self-discipline and self-encouragement. (b) Individual moral practice and the learning of moral knowledge. Zeng believed that one could strengthen one’s moral cultivation by keeping a diary, meditating, reading Confucian classics, extracting and reciting famous quotes from former sages, writing essays and practicing calligraphy. (c) The construction of family and cultural community. Zeng’s experience provides illustration that cultural communities can be constructed through the process of a father delivering life experiences to his children, friends and colleagues, and that self-criticism can be used in the service of self-enhancement in Confucian psychology.

According to the self-organizing theory, we first constructed an index system of the self-organizing evolution level of China's photovoltaic (PV) industry chain system from two aspects: of development level and synergy level. Furthermore, according to the relevant data of China's PV industry, the self-organizing evolution level of the system from 2008 to 2017 was measured and evaluated by using the system evolution level measurement model and cloud model. Finally, the GM (1, 1) model was used to predict the self-organizing evolution level of the system from 2018 to 2022. The results show that the overall self-organizing evolution level of China's PV industry chain system shows a rising trend in the ten years from 2008 to 2017, gradually transitioning from a low evolution level to a relatively low evolution level, with the evolution level declining in 2012 and 2015. It is expected that the self-organizing evolution level will continue to maintain a stable and orderly growth trend in the next five years, entering a medium evolution level stage from 2021. If the current evolution speed can be maintained, it is expected to reach a self-organizing evolution state in the next 20 years or so.Sustainability 2020, 12, 1792 2 of 22 heads outside" at that time [8]. Shortly thereafter, in order to enhance cost competitiveness, many PV companies implemented a vertical integration strategy to expand production to the upstream and downstream of the industry chain. In addition, the government's relevant policies also promoted the comprehensive development of the PV industry in all aspects of the industry chain [9][10][11][12]. In 2013, China's PV industry initially established a complete industry chain [13]. In some areas where the PV industry had developed well, such as Wuxi in Jiangsu Province, the local PV industry chain was relatively perfect [8], which basically fulfilled the goal set by the central government in the 12th five-year plan [14]. In the 13th five-year plan, the government has put forward new requirements for diversified applications in the PV industry.It can be seen from the above that although China's PV industry has formed a complete industry chain system, its connotation and extension still need to be expanded. At the same time, the policy retreat requires China's PV industry to rely more on its own strength in the future development [15][16][17][18][19], and the development of PV industry chain will gradually enter the stage of self-organizing evolution. According to the self-organizing theory, the self-organizing evolution is a process driven by the internal power of the system, from simple to complex, from disorder to order, from low-level order to high-level order, and finally realizes the self-organizing state [20][21][22]. The level of self-organizing evolution refers to the scale and degree of development of an industry in each stage from its birth to the formation of dissipative structure [23], and then to the state of self-organizing. It can measure the status and potential of self-organizing evolut...