When Noah's Ark Encounters Fuxi and Shennong — The Debate over Ancient Chinese History in Enlightenment Europe (Rebirth)

Author: Wu Liwei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: This book meticulously outlines the historical process of the development and evolution of discussions on ancient Chinese history during the European Enlightenment. It places the discussions of early European missionaries and scholars on ancient Chinese history within an intercultural context, particularly situating them within the narrative of European intellectual history. It highlights how ancient Chinese history, as a new factor and historical resource, influenced and impacted biblical studies, medieval theology, and European notions of the Enlightenment. It reasonably explains the underlying reasons for the changes in Europe's early understanding of "ancient Chinese history," thereby elevating a topic previously confined to the realm of Sinology to a major issue in European intellectual history. This effort holds significant value. The research actually engages with fundamental issues in the cultural exchange between China and the West, aspects that domestic scholars have rarely explored in detail. Therefore, this book has great significance for advancing the study of the history of Sino-Western cultural relations. The book does not merely address the traditional academic history issue of how a particular cultural phenomenon of China was positioned in Western intellectual circles, but rather seeks to explore, through the "event" of ancient Chinese history, how Westerners perceived Chinese culture and to what extent this perception shaped the development and transformation of modern European culture. Additionally, the book aims to demonstrate to what extent intentional misinterpretations of "Chinese culture" altered Europeans' understanding of their own culture. The overall structure of the book is highly creative, with rigorous arguments throughout. Particularly in the discovery and organization of new historical materials, it not only inherits the fine tradition of Chinese historiography in emphasizing the collection of historical sources but also breaks free from the conventional boundaries in source selection, extensively drawing on both Chinese and Western documents. The use of foreign language documents, in particular, demonstrates considerable expertise, providing a solid foundation for the author's interpretations and arguments. Thus, the book offers novelty in both "problem awareness" and "source organization."
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the European intellectual community engaged in prolonged debates over the credibility of ancient Chinese history. This book aims to describe this prominent event in the intellectual history of modern Europe and the history of Sino-European cultural exchange. Building on this foundation, it analyzes the impact of ancient Chinese history on Europeans during the Enlightenment, the factors that constrained the nature and extent of this influence, and the characteristics of Western perceptions of China. As mediums of transmission, Jesuit missionaries, and as recipients, European intellectuals, both shaped and interpreted the image of ancient Chinese history based on their respective interests. This reflects the general characteristics of how Europe has come to understand China since the modern era. China has always existed as an image that embodies European notions, which is both an inevitable challenge in cultural exchange and a driving force behind cultural creation—a thought-provoking reality.