Civilianism and Modern Society -- A Collection of Lectures by Dewey in China

Author: Yuan Gang Sun Jiaxiang Ren Bingqiang (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: John Dewey was a world-famous thinker of the 20th century, a major representative of pragmatism, and an outstanding educator and social activist. He visited China from 1919 to 1921 for over two years of travel and teaching activities, delivering more than 200 speeches in total. These included long academic lectures at universities as well as short speeches for the general public, with audiences often numbering in the thousands. His Chinese-translated speeches were published in major newspapers and magazines of the time and gained widespread circulation. Some of his speeches were even compiled into books, causing a sensation in the academic circles at the time. In 1998, Dewey's speeches in China were selected by the China Culture College as "important documents that influenced the historical process of the 20th century in China." Dewey's visit to China was a significant event in the history of modern Chinese philosophy, politics, and educational thought. However, due to the limitations of the time, Dewey's speeches were not recorded, and no English originals were preserved. Even his outlines were lost, leaving only the translated Chinese manuscripts as the only surviving records. Except for a small number that were published at the time, most of them were scattered in old publications such as the Morning News, the Current Affairs Journal, and the Republic Daily, making it very difficult for researchers. This has led to significant gaps in the study of the impact of Dewey's visit to China, the evolution of his thoughts during his time in China, and the flow of Chinese and Western intellectual and cultural exchanges. This book comprehensively organizes and compiles historical documents related to Dewey's speeches, bringing together those scattered in newspapers and books of the time. It also includes some speeches by Dewey's wife, a chronology of Dewey's activities in China, a directory of Dewey's speeches in China, and some commentaries by prominent figures, providing a valuable resource for researchers and worldwide.