The Chinese idea: A study in Chinese thought,politics,and intellectual history of capitalism,1895-1923.
详细信息
文摘
This study traces the history of modern Chinese radicalism from its origins around 1895 to the emergence of several incompatible political groups in 1922-1923. The term "the Chinese idea" is employed in this study to designate and delineate the Chinese radicalism of this period. The Chinese idea is treated as a historical phenomenon,and is studied for preference by using materials drawn from books,pamphlets and periodicals of that time. This study is thus based mainly on primary sources. It is a work of synthesis which draws together miscellaneous materials,drawing from them the leading themes and rudimentary patterns of the Chinese idea which are then meshed into a fresh picture of history. Suddenly confronted with so many new,dazzling and mutually contradictory ideas,vocabularies and sign systems that were pouring into the country from the West during this period,Chinese intellectuals suffered,as a matter of course,from a "translation crisis" of vast proportions in the realm of language and thought. As a result,many long quotations are used to liberally represent and express individual theses,discourses,arguments,thoughts and responses. I have tried as much as possible to analyze the Chinese idea by identifying its genesis and growth in connection with several of the most important polemics of the time and with the Young China Association,which was the largest and most important organization of its kind in the May Fourth period,and which was also to have the greatest influence on Chinese politics and thinking in the years to come. Much effort has been made,in this work,to place the Chinese idea in the modern context and framework of radical responses in China a backward country on the periphery of the world capitalist system) to the challenges and problems posed by world capitalism. How did the Chinese intellectuals perceive and deal with these challenges and problems? How did they envision a better future? And how did they propose to carve out alternative paths to modernity? These questions are outlined in the Introduction.