German Classical University View and Its Impact on Chinese Universities (Revised Edition)

Author: Chen Hongjie
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: This book conducts a systematic study of the concept of German universities in the 19th century from a historical sociological perspective. Based on the analysis of a large amount of primary sources, it extracts the core concepts of the German university concept in the 19th century, namely cultivation, science, freedom, and solitude, and centers on these concepts to analyze the fundamental meaning and value orientation of the German university concept. The book also applies Max Weber's charisma theory, a sociologist from Germany, to analyze the classical university concept, demonstrating the charisma nature of the German university concept and thereby explaining its unique characteristics and unique modes of operation. As a case study on the international influence of the German university concept, the book focuses on Cai Yuanpei's reforms at Peking University (1917–1923) to explore the impact of the classical German university concept on Chinese university concepts. The argument shows that Cai Yuanpei largely accepted the German university concept and successfully applied it to Peking University at the time, through which the German university concept exerted significant influence on the early development of Chinese higher education and the academic transformation process.