A Study of Chinese and Western Culture (

AStudyofChineseandWesternCulture(AGuidetotheReadingCanonicalLiterature：ChinaandWest)2014ProfessorJiangHongxinTel:88872886Email:[e-mail]:Thurs,afternoon,thepresident’soffice202TheBalladofEastandWestOh,EastisEast,andWestisWest,Andneverthetwainshallmeet,ButthereisneitherEastnorWest,norBreed,norBirth,Whentwostrongmenstandfacetoface,thoughtheycomefromendsoftheearth!---RudyardKipling1865.12.30～1936.1.18MajorGeneralLionelCharlesDunsterville,“Youcanmeetbyrunningupalongside,whichsetsupnodisturbance,oryoucanmeetheadon,intheformofacollision.ThatisjusthowEastandWestdomeet.Everysingleidea,everythreadofheredity,,oftheorientalis—anditisrightthatitshouldbe–diametricallyopposedtotheoccidentalmentalityandheredity.”东西方对立说（incommensurability)在中国东西洋民族不同，而根本思想亦各成一系，若南北之不相并，水火之不相容也。西洋民族以战争为本位，东洋民族以安息为本位。--陈独秀《东西民族根本思想之差异》李大钊：东西文明根本之异点一为自然的，一为人为的；移位安息的，一为战争的；一为消极的，一为积极的；一为依赖的，一为独立的；一为苟安的，一为突进的，一为因袭的，一为创造的；一为保守的，一为进步的；一为直觉的，一为理智的；·····东方文化优越论世界文化大致分为西方、中国和印度三种路向，20世纪初，西方文化已经衰微，西方的路已走不通了，现在就连西洋人也在改变人生态度，而他们“要求趋向之所指就是中国的路，孔家的路。”---梁漱溟：《东西文化及其哲学》1938，LiangtalkedwholenightwithMao季羡林论东西方东西方“最基本的差异的根源”乃在“思维方式之不同”，“东方主综合，西方主分析，倘若仔细推究，这种差异在有所表现，不论是在人文社会科学中，还是在理工学科中。”好斗争胜、暴烈索取的思维方式给自然界和人类世界都造成了极大破坏，唯一的拯救办法就是“要按中国人、东方人的哲学思维，其中最主要的就是‘天人合一’的思想，同大自然交朋友，彻底改恶向善，彻底改弦更张。只有这样，人类才能继续幸福地生存下去。”ChinaIdealizedInFrance,MicheldeMontaignealreadyspokeaboutChinainthesixteenthcenturyasagreatnation,whosehistorymadehimrealize“howmuchamplerandmorevariedtheworldisthaneithertheancientsorweourselvesunderstand.”Inthelate17thcenturyandearly18th,GottfriedWilhelmLeibnizardentlypromotedthemutualunderstandingoftheEastandtheWest,andhesawChinaasopeningupthepossibilitiesofathemoralandsocialproblemsintheEuropeofhistime.“Certainlytheconditionofouraffairs,slippingasweneedmissionariesfromtheChinesewhomightteachustheuseandpracticeofnaturalreligion,justaswehavesentthemteachersofrevealedtheology.”FrancisBaconremarksthattheChinese“writeincharactersreal,whichexpressneitherlettersnorwordsingross,butthingsornotions,”“weseeinthecommerceofbarbarouspeople,thatunderstandnotoneanother’slanguage,andinthepracticeofdiversthataredumbanddeaf,thatmen’smindsareexpressedingestures,thoughnotexactly,yettoservetheturn.”ManyJesuitshadpropagatedtheviewthattheChineseweredescendantsofNoahandhadreceivedfromhimtheprinciplesofnaturalreligion,whichhadpreparedthemwellforacceptingtherevealinglightofChristianity.Undertheinfluenceofsuchatrulymythicalview,WalterRaleghassertsinhisHistoryofWorld(1614)thatNoah’sarkfinallylandedintheEast,somewherebetweenIndiaandChina.JohnWebb:AnHistoricalEssayEndeavoringaProbabilityThattheLanguageoftheEmpireofChinaIsthePrimitiveLanguage.WebbScriptureteacheth,thatthewholeEarthwasofonelanguageuntiltheconspiracyatBABEL;historyinformsthatChinawaspeopled,whilsttheEarthwassoofonelanguage,andbeforethatConspiracy.ScriptureteacheththattheJudgmentofConfusionofTongues,felluponthoseonlythatwereatBABEL;Historyinforms,thattheCHINOISbeingfullysettledbefore,werenotthere;andmoreoverthatthesamelanguageandcharacterswhichlongprecedingthatConfusiontheyused,areinusewiththematthisveryday;whethertheHebrew,orGreekChronologybeconsulted.ChinaScandalizedAfteraperiodofinfatuation,thereisboundtobedisenchantmentandachangeofheart.AndindeedwefindaquitdifferentpictureofChinain18th-centuryEnglishliterature.This,ofcourse,correspondswiththesocialchangesinEnglandofthetimeonmuchlargerscale.Theseventeenth-centuryidealizationofChinacanbepartlytracedtoreligiousintereststhepromptedtheJesuitmissionariestogotoChinaandstudyitsculture.Suchevangelisticzeal,however,seemslesscharacteristicoftheso-calledAgeofReason.DanielDefoe:RobinsonCrusoeWhataretheirbuildingstothepalacesandroyalbuildingsofEurope?....ourcityofLondonhasoretradethanalltheirmightyempire.OurEnglish,orDutch,orFrenchman-of-warofeightygunswouldfightanddestroyalltheshippingofChina.Abarbarousnationofpagans,littlebetterContemptibleherdorcrowdofignorant,Sordidslaves,subjectedtoagovernmentQualifiedonlytorulesuchapeople.Dr.SamuelJohnsonSir,bydoingso,youwoulddowhatwouldbeofimportanceinraisingyourchildrentoeminence,therewouldbealusterreflecteduponthemfromyourspiritandcuriosity.TheywouldbeatalltimesregardedasthechildrenofamanwhohadgonetoviewthewallofChina.Iamserious.Sir.（先生，如果你真能去看长城，那对你培养孩子成为伟人是很重要的。你的精神和好奇心会从孩子身上放射出光辉。他们将被人们看作是到过中国长城的人的孩子，他们会以此为荣的。我说的是实话，先生。)Theyhavenotanalphabet.Theyhavenotbeenabletoformwhatallothernationshaveformed.KarlMarxinhisgreatworkTheCommunistManifestoThebourgeoisiehasthroughitsexploitationoftheworldmarketgivenacosmopolitancharactertoproductionandconsumptionineverycountry.TothegreatchagrinofReactionists,ithasdrawnfromunderthefeetofindustrythenationalgroundonwhichitstood.Allold-establishednationalindustrieshavebeendestroyedoraredailybeingdestroyed.Theyaredislodgedbynewindustries,whoseintroductionbecomesalifeanddeathquestionforallcivilizednations,byindustriesthatnolongerworkupindigenousrawmaterial,butrawmaterialdrawnfromtheremotestzones;industrieswhoseproductsareconsumed,notonlyathome,buti