How much do you know about the past?

Author: Zhi Xiaomin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: This book is divided into five parts: 1. Are We Nurturing People or Manufacturing Machines? 2. What's Wrong with the Academic World? 3. Character Is More Important Than Knowledge; 4. It's Easy to Talk About the Past, Difficult to Discuss the Present; 5. How Much Do We Know About the Past. All are historical essays with strong contemporary relevance. This is a collection of essays written by the author during his reading years. The issues discussed are closely tied to current realities and are also deeply connected to many cultural figures in modern Chinese history. The author initially didn't understand why the academic world today is in such a state, but after reading discussions by figures like Cai Yuanpei and Hu Shi, he realized that since the traditions of learning and values established by the May Fourth intellectuals were broken, the system of academic independence no longer existed. The book also touches on education, personal cultivation, and social corruption. The author believes that without understanding the past events of modern Chinese history and the process of historical evolution, one cannot comprehend why China has long been backward.