Modernization of Man -- A Study on the Transformation of National Character in Modern China

Author: Yuan Hongliang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: From the perspective of the history of social development, the modern history of China after the Opium War can be seen as a gradual process of modernization, which is also the realization of a dual modern transformation of society and individuals. The author of this book, starting from the perspective of the modern transformation of individuals, is committed to an intellectual history examination of the discourse on the reform of national character among the intellectual circles in the modern period (after the Opium War to the eve of the Great Revolution). By defining the concept of "national character," the book not only systematically examines, explores, and interprets the development process, basic content, and main inherent conflicts of the reform of national character in modern China from three aspects—culture, social psychology, and behavioral patterns—but also selects three representative thinkers and Li Dazhao, Chen Duxiu, and Lu Xun, conducting case analyses of their early thoughts on the reform of national character. From different angles and a broader perspective, the book explores the rich connotations of the reform of national character in modern China, reveals the unique laws of this reform, and aims to provide valuable references for building socialism with Chinese characteristics in the modern era.