Debunking the Theory of Progress: Reclaiming the Name of Chinese Culture

Author: He Qing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: This book aims to reveal that the "Theory of Progress" (or Social Evolutionism) judges the advancement or backwardness of a society based on material indicators, particularly embodying a Western-centric worldview that has caused deep cultural inferiority complex among the Chinese people. It has severely hindered China's cultural confidence and self-reliance. The "Theory of Progress" focuses solely on advancement or backwardness along a linear timeline, manifesting as a "cult of time" (or era worship), while disregarding the diverse differences of human culture in a spatial sense. The book cites the views of Lévi-Strauss on "cultural diversity" and Huntington on "cultural personality" to critique the notion of "world civilization" (or cultural homogeneity). The author calls on the Chinese people to uphold the cultural spirit of China or its "cultural personality" to vindicate Chinese culture.