The Path to the Future: A Dialogue with Giddens

Author: Zheng Xiyou, Li Fanghui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features: When we talk about the Pink Europe, Blairism, "The Third Way," and other current trendy terms, we cannot fail to mention Anthony Giddens. Understanding Giddens is beneficial for gaining a thorough understanding of the current state of European politics and grasping the major trends in international politics. Domestic academia has been working on translating and researching works by Anthony Giddens for some time, but the general public remains largely unaware of them. It is well-known that many profound intellectual movements in Chinese thought originated in Europe. In this sense, briefly introducing and discussing Giddens' ideas holds certain value in helping the Chinese public understand European intellectual trends and expanding our own areas of reflection. In recent years, Chinese academia has made considerable efforts in translating and introducing the works and thoughts of Western academic masters, a phenomenon that stands in stark contrast to the ignorance and arrogance of some Westerners toward Eastern culture. However, when the urgency of understanding Western academic culture is infected by a short-sighted societal mindset, the quality of translation and introduction work significantly declines. As a result, some translations are superficial and mechanical, while others are overly literal and rigid. The mix of good and bad, the inclusion of both the genuine and the mediocre, leaves serious scholars in confusion, losing their way; they sigh in frustration over the state of academia, deeply moved by its decline!