Fifteen Lectures on Chinese Traditional Culture

Author: Gong Pengcheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: Chinese traditional culture, which has become quite difficult to discuss after the May Fourth Movement. Some praise it, saying how good it is, while others condemn it, saying how bad it is, and its toxic effects persist to this day, leaving us unable to hold our heads high. Both those who praise and those who criticize it often have a poor understanding of the true essence of traditional culture, resorting to prejudice and misunderstanding in their fierce debates. This book does not wish to repeat these arguments but takes a unique approach, from the perspective of "humanity" to explore how ancient culture addressed various aspects such as the human body, diet, relationships between men and women, family, social relationships, the relationship between humanity and nature, historical consciousness, modes of thinking, the realm of emotions, moral and professional responsibilities, and cultural practices. It also examines the forms and strengths and weaknesses of the culture thus formed when compared to other cultures in the world. For some misunderstandings that arose in modern Sino-Western cultural exchanges, the book traces their origins to explain how they came about. It also expresses some hopes for the potential rebirth of Chinese civilization in its modern transformation and alienation. The book emphasizes the relative stability of knowledge, highlights key points, and is written in an accessible manner while also touching on the forefront of academic research to inspire interdisciplinary thinking and learning. The book adopts the style of an academic lecture, intentionally retaining the tone and vivid writing of a lecture, creating a sense of being present in the classroom and making it more approachable and engaging. The intended readers of this book are primarily young people, making it suitable as a popular reading material for the general public to enhance cultural literacy. If used as a textbook for general education courses in universities, instructors can refer to its framework and basic content while adding supplementary material and elaborations. Alternatively, students can be assigned specific chapters in advance, and class discussions can be organized around them. The book can also be used as a reference textbook.