Charming Scholar Xu Zhimo

Author: Liu Jiemin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-01-01
Features: represents wood, followed by four dots below, Xu Zhimo then specialized at Cornell University, meeting Clark University's requirements. In June 1919, he graduated from Clark University with honors, receiving the First-Class Honors Award. Upon arriving abroad, Xu Zhimo was filled with patriotic fervor, and his passion only grew stronger during his studies in the United States. At Clark University, he joined the Student Army Training Corps for military training. His purpose was not to become an American soldier but to enhance his physical fitness and military skills, as well as to kindle his patriotic spirit. Together with a few classmates in his dormitory, he developed a schedule to inspire patriotism, holding morning morning meetings and evening national anthem sing-alongs. He also joined associations with Chinese students from other schools, attending the "Defense League" organized by Chinese students at Harvard. In his diary, he wrote: "At this time, the heavens and earth were bright, and the winds and clouds were clear. With this sincere, pure, and brave patriotic spirit, we soared and found solace. Alas! The empire will never rise again, democracy is boundless, and the blood of the warriors is not in vain! The empire will never rise again, democracy is boundless, and the blood of the warriors is not in vain!"
Soon after entering Clark University, Xu Zhimo wrote to Liang Qichao: "I have come to Clark University to study. There are fewer than a hundred Chinese students here, and only ten are scholars. Everyone here is deeply concerned about the war. The upper and lower classes share the same grief, and their patriotic passion is awe-inspiring. However, the city is running out of supplies, prices are rising daily, and life is becoming increasingly difficult." He was deeply concerned about the changes in the world. When the news of the end of World War I reached the United States, he was overjoyed. He witnessed the ecstatic and frenzied excitement of the American people and the magnificent parade of over a kilometer. In a letter to Liang Qichao, he wrote: "Today, the clouds have cleared, and the light has been revealed. The news (at 2:50 a.m. on November 11) arrived in the United States, and the Americans were mad with joy." In this letter, Xu Zhimo also gave a detailed account of the overall situation of the war.
Although Xu Zhimo was in the United States, he was always concerned about China's political situation and was deeply moved by the May Fourth Movement. To find a solution to China's problems, he continuously absorbed new knowledge from the West, whether it was anarchism, socialism, individualism, or various political thought schools, as well as figures like Nietzsche, Marx, or Kropotkin, all of whom became the subjects of his research. Later, Xu Zhimo pursued a master's degree in economics at Columbia University in New York. From the courses he took, it was clear that he focused more on politics. The issues he was most concerned about were politics, labor, democracy, civilization, and socialism, rather than economic theory, which did not interest him much. These courses led Xu Zhimo into a familiar yet unfamiliar world: familiar because he could sense, perceive, and recognize these social phenomena; yet unfamiliar because he did not know how these phenomena occurred or how they were interconnected.
Xu Zhimo's master's thesis was titled "On the Status of Chinese Women." Although the thesis was not of high quality, he wrote it with a sincere patriotic heart, striving to defend the dignity of Chinese women in the eyes of Westerners. The article discussed the cultural cultivation of Chinese women since ancient times and the liberation of Chinese women. In September 1920, Xu Zhimo received his master's degree from Columbia University. Although he met some Chinese students at Clark University and Columbia University, such as Li Jiyuan and Wu Mi, the person who had the most significant impact on him was the one who went to England. During his year of studying for a master's degree at Columbia University, his studies and interactions led to significant changes in his thinking. His father sent him abroad to study with the hope that he would enter the financial industry and become a Chinese Hamilton, making a mark on China's political stage. Influenced by his father, Xu Zhimo initially held great hope for saving China through industrial development, but his thoughts and mindset began to change after arriving in the United States. Especially after hearing his history teacher lecture on the industrial conditions of the early 19th century and the miserable experiences of factory workers, he grew to despise chimneys, which he once liked. He studied the works of figures like Ruskin, Owen, and Marx, developing a strong aversion to modern industry. He said: "Everything is now dominated by materialism. What I see are airships, cars, movies, radio, dense wires, and rows of chimneys, making me dizzy and unable to find a moment of rest. This has truly changed the objects of our experience. The spiritual life of people is almost driven away by this busy life. Every day in New York, I only see tall billboards and cannot see the clear moon. Every day, I only hear the sounds of cars, trains, and trams everywhere, and I cannot hear the sound of the wind or the loud singing. Almost everyone who has lived in the West has felt a sense of rebellion due to disgust: he was deeply to what he called 'modern civilization' in the United States, and he did not like the values and lifestyles of Americans. Although he did not write articles as strongly as Wen Yiduo to criticize the racial discrimination of Americans, he did write articles to protest the exploitation of capitalism, industrial competition, and materialism, proposing the idea of opposing private capital and protecting labor: 'In terms of the root cause, whether the development of industry can only be left to the bourgeoisie naturally, or whether there is room for centralized operation by the state and local governments; in terms of the immediate measures, it is necessary to implement various regulations related to labor protection laws, otherwise, the conflict between labor and capital will inevitably escalate into chaos.' He denied the capitalism centered on competition, saying: 'One goal of industrialism is 'success,' and its essence is competition. Competition demands 'shortcuts' to success. The psychology or worldview formed by competition and shortcuts is the reason why industrialism is becoming increasingly self-destructive and why humanism is becoming increasingly mechanized.' He also believed: 'Competitionism also hinders the development of genuine sympathy. Industrialism only breeds ugliness, vulgarity, corruption, crime, arrogance, tall chimneys, and fat merchants.' It is clear that Xu Zhimo had already abandoned the belief in saving China through industrial development.
The socialism that Xu Zhimo initially sympathized with was the utopian socialism of Robert Owen before Marx. It was a "socialism" that combined humanitarianism, philanthropy, and utopianism, which suited his taste. Therefore, during his year in New York, his bookshelf was often filled with books on Russia and the Soviet Union, and he was determined to study socialism. As a result, some students jokingly called him a Bolshevik. During his time studying in the United States, Xu Zhimo was also fascinated by Nietzsche, and he "spoke of nothing but those blood-stained words." From Nietzsche, he drew inspiration, believing that the philosophy of the übermensch could inspire people to strive upward and help individuals or nations break free from the status of the weak or weak countries. He hoped to use Nietzsche's "übermensch" to bring about a new rebirth for individuals and nations. He said: "I seem to have climbed the mountain of philosophy with Zarathustra, the clear air of the high sky filling my lungs, and the colorful life stretching before my eyes." From these ideas of Nietzsche, Xu Zhimo absorbed the spirit of relentless self-improvement and fierce struggle. Even after returning to China, he often read Nietzsche's works to motivate himself to move forward. For example, in his essay "Moving Forward," he quoted a line from Nietzsche: "Strength, like the of stars in the sky and the meridians of mountains and rivers, silently suggests the mystery of life, removes your confusion, and illuminates your path. He said: 'Those who suffer have no right to be pessimistic.' At that time, I felt a strange shock, a strange enlightenment. This shows that Nietzsche's humanistic ideas became one of the factors that led Xu Zhimo to rebel against reality and tradition later.
Xu Zhimo said he was "obsessed with Nietzsche," but the person who had the most lasting impact on him was Bertrand Russell (1872–1970). During his time in the United States, Xu Zhimo had read many of Russell's works, and Russell's courage to face adversity, his persistence in pursuing truth, and his refusal to bow to the wealthy and powerful deeply respected him. As a highly sensitive and curious person, Xu Zhimo was deeply attracted to Russell's profound knowledge and insights. Russell's political views left a deep impression on Xu Zhimo. If Xu Zhimo's decision to leave the United States and study in England was due to his dissatisfaction with the United States, then his impulsive decision to cross the Atlantic to England to "follow Russell" was also an important reason. He did not apply to the University of Cambridge, did not contact Russell in advance, and had no understanding of Russell's situation. It can be said that his decision was both impulsive and blind. Xu Zhimo did not realize that his farewell to the American continent was a major turning point in his life. He abandoned his dream of becoming a Hamilton and his ambition to save China through industrial development. China lost a politician and economist but gained a poet and writer.