Gu Jiegang

Author: Liu Mengxi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1996-10-01
Features: The Chinese Modern Academic Classics series collects the works of modern Chinese scholars since the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic period. The works are organized into volumes based on the length of the authors' writings, with some divided into multiple volumes and others combined. The combined volumes also consider the discipline and mentorship relationships of the selected scholars. This series comprises forty-four scholars, totaling thirty-five volumes. The selected works are based on their exemplary and representative nature, primarily focusing on their intrinsic academic value. Although some of these works have been published in various forms before, their inclusion in this classic series under the specific concept of modern Chinese academia is a first. The selected works mainly consist of monographs, with a selection of essays as well, emphasizing both renowned works and notable articles. Works where scholars describe their academic journey or discuss their scholarly perspectives and methods are appropriately included. The works of modern Chinese scholars span a wide range of writing and publishing periods, with varying versions. In this selection, efforts have been made to choose the best available texts, organize them, and uniformly add modern punctuation. For previously published versions that are particularly good, permission has been obtained from the original compilers and publishers to include them directly. Through this (organization) and (proofreading), it is hoped that these works of classic academic masters will become more accessible for readers.
Each volume begins with a brief biography of the scholar and ends with an academic chronology and a list of the author's works, both written by the compilers. The content varies in detail but is committed to accuracy to facilitate readers' reference. For the included monographs and essays, explanatory notes are provided in a thematic manner. These notes introduce the background of their creation, the time of publication or publication, the evolution of versions, and their translation into other languages.
Gu Jiegang, the founder of the influential "School of Doubting Ancient History," dedicated his life to the (organization) and study of ancient texts. This book collects important academic works by Gu Jiegang, including A Brief History of Han Dynasty Academia, A Study on the Authorship of the Yao Dian, The Position of the Book of Songs in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods, The Evolution of Zhou and Yue, and the preface to the first volume of The Examination of Ancient History. These works provide a comprehensive view of the thoughts and style of this historian known for his skepticism toward ancient history.
A Brief History of Han Dynasty Academia. In 1933, due to the illness of Deng Zhicheng, a professor in the Department of History at Peking University, Gu Jiegang took over the course on the History of the Qin and Han Dynasties. He revised a long essay written for the Tsinghua Journal in 1930, titled Political and Historical Views under the Five Elements Theory, into a popular lecture on Han Dynasty history, titled A Brief History of Han Dynasty Academia. This lecture was published by Shanghai Asia Press in August 1935, and the version included here is from that edition.
Gu Jiegang (1890–1980) was a renowned historian from Wu County, Jiangsu Province. His original name was Songkun, and he styled himself Mingjian. He graduated from the Philosophy Department of Peking University and spent much of his life engaged in historical research and education. He compiled and wrote works such as The Examination of Ancient History, A Brief History of Han Dynasty Academia, and Early Notes on Historical Studies. Through his academic research, he accumulated extensive experience in scholarly pursuits and wrote over 5 million words of reading notes. He emphasized five key principles for reading:
1. Cultivating a special interest in a particular field;
2. Distinguishing the urgency and importance of books;
3. Using one's own judgment;
4. Avoiding preconceived notions;
5. Seeking a broad range of knowledge.
He once said, "I dislike forced associations and even more so, I dislike being like a barking dog with no vision." He also remarked, "Our reading should help us find a path to knowledge and wisdom through the records in books, rather than allowing the books to govern our thoughts." Gu Jiegang's insights remain valuable to readers today.