Civilian Ideals: Mozi and Chinese Culture

Author: Su Fengjie et al.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: The dialectics of history repeatedly reveal that development is not merely simple growth and increase; it often does not follow a linear progression but is achieved through a series of spiral layers. Thus, "return" does not always mean repeating the past but can be an upward form—a way of "awakening" the potential that was already latent at the beginning of a thing. As culture, created by conscious human beings, it vividly demonstrates a spiral trajectory of development. For example, Europe's "Renaissance," which revered ancient Greek culture, and the "Protestant Reformation," which adhered to the Bible, were both developments and recreations of the "spirit of the canonical texts." It was through such "returns" that European culture achieved historical progress. This phenomenon of drawing inspiration from "cultural canons" to gain a foundation for advancement has also appeared multiple times in China, with the famous "Classical Chinese Movement" being a typical case. Examining the history of modern Chinese thought and culture, one finds this tendency of "returning to the roots while forging the new" or "emancipating through retrogression"—that is, returning to the spirit of the canons to seek renewal—everywhere. Of course, modernization is a cultural transition process full of changes and new life. Modern life is like a massive filter, allowing or blocking elements of traditional culture, and in the process of selection and rejection, it rises and falls. Modern Chinese people, standing at the crossroads of civilization transformation and the struggle to save the nation, chose the adaptable philosophy, sense of crisis, distinction between the Chinese and foreign, revolutionary ideas, and people-centered thought from the spirit of Chinese canons. They then engaged in dynamic interaction and integration with relevant aspects of Western learning, thereby forging theories that played a significant role in modern China, such as social transformation theory, theory of saving the nation, theory of the nation-state, theory of social revolution, and democracy. It is evident that the selective promotion and creative transformation of the spirit of the canons are an inherent part of modern and contemporary culture. This theme is one that the present and future generations must repeatedly explore and strive to practice.