Humanistic Reflections

Author: China Literature and History Press
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features:
On Academic Pursuit and Character
I once wrote a scroll long ago with the words, "Academic work reflects the heart, and character is revealed in style." Someone jokingly asked me, "Can you see the author's heart from a physics book?" I replied, "No." He then asked, "Can you judge the author's character from an anonymous painting?" I again replied, "No." Thus, he laughed at me for writing empty words on the scroll. I realized that I had not deeply reflected on the relationship between academic pursuit and character, merely because traditional beliefs held that the two were connected, and I had blindly followed the crowd. In recent years, the relationship between academic pursuit and fame and fortune has grown increasingly close. Both academia and the cultural and artistic fields have seen instances of people pursuing fame and fortune at any cost. Consequently, I began to think that the traditional views still had some merit, though they should not be understood rigidly. Through superficial reflection, I believe one of the key reasons why academic pursuit and character are intertwined is that the fundamental purpose of academic work lies in creation and contribution. Creation and contribution are unique human social behaviors. Animals lack society and this kind of behavior. Therefore, creation and contribution truly relate to the realization of the "intrinsic value" of the individual human. In other words, dedicating oneself to creation and being willing to contribute is what truly embodies the essence of being a "person." However, creation and contribution cannot be achieved solely through intellectual factors; they require close coordination of "non-intellectual psychological elements" (including will, perseverance, temperament, interest, emotional control, etc.), as well as regulation and motivation from social morality and behavioral norms. If the quality of these "non-intellectual factors" is poor and there is a lack of conscious moral awareness, it is unlikely that significant creation and contribution can be made. Take, for example, the prevalent practices of plagiarism and obfuscation in academia. Some people clearly know these are wrong, yet they still engage in them. Clearly, this is because they are (eagerly pursuing fame and fortune). Such people lack the will and perseverance to engage in dedicated research, and they are deeply tempted by material incentives due to their vulgar temperament and interests. As a result, they are restless and greedy, unable to focus on academic work, and thus find it difficult to achieve true creation and contribution.
Due to weak links and loopholes in the academic system, some people who lack moral integrity and ethics can still achieve both fame and fortune. They then believe they have "realized their intrinsic value." Unaware of this, the more fame and fortune they acquire through such means, the more it demonstrates their lack of creative ability and awareness of contribution, and the further they stray from the true realization of their "intrinsic value."
My late mother, who dedicated her life to traditional Chinese medicine, often told me how remarkable Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica was. Upon reviewing the book, I was struck by the extraordinary effort the author invested in this monumental work. If Li Shizhen had only pursued fame and fortune as motivation for writing it, he would never have made such a commitment, because he could not have seen any prospect of fame or profit during the compilation process. Reflecting on this, I realized that many great academic and cultural works in ancient China were completed under the strong drive of a spirit of creation and contribution. Many authors could not have expected their works to be published or even compensated during their lifetimes.
Under the current market economy conditions, scholars...