Another Western Learning: Chinese Modern Students in Germany and Their Reception of German Culture

Author: Ye Jun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: The concept of "Western Learning Spreading Eastward" has been frequently used in academia, but it is overly broad. The intellectual and cultural resources of each country are distinct, especially Germany's thought, which is characterized by its unique features differing from the "Anglo-American tradition" and "Soviet resources." Similarly, during the process of "Western Learning Spreading Eastward," the differences in the receiving subjects often determined the significant variations in their aesthetic preferences and value orientations. The role of students who studied in Germany has been pivotal in the introduction of German intellectual resources into modern China. Based on these considerations, this thesis selects modern students who studied in Germany as the research subjects. In the writing process, it focuses on the key cases of Ma Junwu, Zong Baihua, Chen Qian, and Feng Zhi from the first half of the 20th century; at appropriate times, it will also examine other influential students who studied in Germany during the same period. Previous narratives and studies of Chinese students who studied in Germany have primarily focused on the organization of historical facts, with very few in-depth explorations of individual cases, thus lacking a "sympathetic understanding" and "considerate respect" for the research subjects. Past research on these four scholars has mainly emphasized their roles as revolutionaries, aesthetes, representatives of the War State Faction, or outstanding poets, while overlooking their uniqueness as modern intellectuals, especially those with a background in studying in Germany. Given the current state of academic research, this thesis narrows its focus, attempting to reveal the influence and significance of students who studied in Germany in the history of modern Chinese culture through several representative cases. In the selection and study of cases, it strives to consider the interplay of different eras (and comparative analysis within the same era), different professional backgrounds (and comparative analysis within the same profession), and different spheres of activity (and comparative analysis within the same field), thereby highlighting the thesis's core issue: How did modern Chinese students who studied in Germany seek paths for the development of Chinese culture? The basic strategy of the research is: "seeing the big in the small," "using individuals to lead the history," and "using problems to generate ideas." The basic approach is: "case studies as the foundation," "conceptual analysis as the thread," "responding to the question of finding a path for Chinese culture as the center," and "influence studies as the primary method" to explore the establishment of Sino-German intellectual and cultural relations. Therefore, this thesis attempts to grasp the cultural contributions of students who studied in Germany after their return from abroad within the broader context of Sino-German cultural exchange, based on the changes in the history of modern Chinese culture. It highlights their localized role after selecting, borrowing, and absorbing German resources, tracing their intellectual formation through the interplay and connections of literary history, educational history, academic history, and intellectual history, and exploring the role of German resources in their conceptual formation. The content of each chapter is as follows:
Chapter 1: Introduction
Through an in-depth analysis of "Western Learning Spreading Eastward," German intellectual resources, the cultural historical significance of students who studied abroad, and the intellectual and cultural relations between China and Germany, this chapter outlines a relatively complete and clear theoretical framework for the thesis. It also introduces the research achievements in related fields to date, summarizes the basic paradigms of research in this field, and establishes the research approach and direction of this thesis.
Chapter 2
Examines the relationship between German culture and the formation and practice of Ma Junwu's pragmatic university concept. It uses the "pragmatic" concept to connect his early enlightenment translation activities with his later ideological development as the president of Guangxi University, summarizing his ideas as the pragmatic university concept for running Guangxi University.
Chapter 3
Discusses Zong Baihua's cultural construction ideals and their German cultural background and significance in the history of modern culture. It uncovers the long-overlooked "pragmatic sentiments" hidden beneath Zong Baihua's image as a "leisurely aesthete," emphasizing how Zong Baihua, using the platform of the Shishijinbao·Xuelamp during the Anti-Japanese War, gathered the efforts of others to realize his cultural construction ideals.
Chapter 4 and Chapter 5
Respectively examine Chen Qian's "national literary concept" and Feng Zhi's "academic writing" in relation to German culture. The selection of these two friends, who have similar experiences, the same profession, extensive interactions, yet vastly different fates, follows a comparative approach. In terms of the artistic quality of literary creation, Chen Qian is indeed inferior to Feng Zhi. However, regarding the positivity of "engaging with the world" and the "pragmatic sentiment," Chen Qian surpasses Feng Zhi. Throughout the thesis, Goethe, as a symbol of German intellectual and cultural thought, is chosen to provide a common topic for modern Chinese students who studied in Germany. Through the different interpretations of Goethe by these scholars, it aims to illustrate that the acceptance of external resources primarily depends on the recipients' own intellectual tastes, value orientations, and the historical context they are in.
Chapter 6: Conclusion
From a theoretical perspective, this chapter summarizes the characteristics of modern students who studied in Germany and their cultural historical significance, analyzes their views on German culture, reveals the strengths and weaknesses of these views and their implications, and further emphasizes their achievements and shortcomings in responding to the era's questions—finding a path for Chinese culture.