Abstract

This paper systematically analyzes the thought structures underlying civilization-level madness and their historical catastrophic consequences. Focusing on Zhang Zai’s concept of “Establishing a Heart for Heaven and Earth” and Wang Yangming’s principle of “the Mind is Principle,” it reveals how this philosophical chain grants individual consciousness potential authority over social systems, institutions, and natural laws, forming the foundation of unconstrained subjectivism. The study further examines how Mao Zedong politicized this chain, leading to absolute power, institutional failure, and civilization-level systemic destruction, exemplified by the Great Leap Forward famine and the Cultural Revolution. By comparing the totalitarian regimes of Hitler and Stalin, the paper demonstrates that the destructive potential of the Zhang Zai–Wang Yangming–Mao Zedong chain is more systemic and structural, reflecting the interaction between thought structures and institutional environments that produces “civilization-level madness.” The paper proposes modern societal preventive strategies, including clearly defining the boundaries of rational civilization, critically addressing the expansionist logic of philosophical chains, strengthening institutional checks and balances, and establishing multi-layered protections in education, technology, and ecological systems. The study aims to reveal the fundamental role of thought structures in civilization self-destruction and provides theoretical guidance and practical warnings for preventing systemic disasters in contemporary society.