European Liberalism History

Author: Rajiro
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-01-01
Features: This book by the Italian scholar Rajiro is a renowned work that thoroughly examines the history, significance, and trends of European, particularly 19th-century liberal thought and movement. It has long been a work cherished by scholars in China. The book was published at the end of 1924, during a critical period when fascism was rampant. At the time, it was "praised as a fierce defense of the representative political system." [Preface] General Preface: China is an ancient civilization, and the humanistic spirit has been particularly prominent among it. "The Zhou culture" has already been impressive, and the pre-Qin philosophers such as Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, Xunzi, and Han Feizi have broadly shaped the basic framework of Chinese cultural development for the following two thousand years, with occasional bursts of extraordinary brilliance. However, since modern times, they have encountered strong winds and rains from Europe and America, leading to a decline in their flowers and fruits. The reasons for this are both the overwhelming impact of foreign civilizations and the lack of successors within. Today, the world is interconnected, and no culture can develop or survive in isolation. The ancient Chinese culture has an urgent need to draw various sources of vitality from beyond its borders. Over the past century, Chinese people have translated many works. Now, without pretending to be modest, I have also established this "Humanistic Translation Series." The name may seem grand, but it aims to include as many valuable translations as possible, with the hope of contributing a small part to the revival of Chinese humanism. The selection of materials and themes for the series is not limited in scope, and it strives for relative concentration. Currently, several thematic albums have been roughly compiled:
1. Western Classical Thought and Figures, with special emphasis on ancient Greece.
2. Western Political Theory and Practice, with particular focus on the development of liberal democracy as the mainstream of Western thought and institutions since modern times.
3. Intellectuals and Free Markets, as globalization has involved us all in market economies, and the attitude of humanistic intellectuals toward this is particularly worth pondering.
4. Christian Spirit and Humanism, as this transcendence is perhaps what realistic Chinese humanism needs to pay special attention to.
5. Dostoevsky and Russian Thought, hoping to draw the attention of the Chinese people to the depth of the souls of our neighboring country.
6. "Academic and Intellectual Review," edited by He Junzhao and Tian, which includes both translations and critiques. In recent issues, special attention has been paid to the twists and turns of the intersection of Chinese and Western history as they extend into "modernity." Over the years, these initial achievements have been possible thanks to the strong support of the leadership of Jilin Publishing, Zhou Jun Dianfu and Hu Jun Weige, as well as the dedicated efforts of the editorial team and many translators and proofreaders. "Ten years to grow trees, a hundred years to cultivate people," the revival of humanism is not something that can be achieved "in the blink of an eye." We hope to make the "Humanistic Translation Series" a long-term endeavor, continuing to enrich the existing albums while also launching new ones, and sincerely hope that this cause continues to receive attention and support from all quarters.