Another Western Learning -- Chinese Modern Students in Germany and Their Acceptance of German Culture

Author: Ye Jun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: The concept of "Western Learning Spreading Eastward" has often been used in academia, but it is too broad. The intellectual and cultural resources of each country are distinct, especially Germany's thought, which differs significantly from the "Anglo-American tradition" and "Soviet resources," exhibiting unique characteristics. Similarly, during the process of "Western Learning Spreading Eastward," the differences in the receiving subjects often determine the significant variations in their choices of taste and values. The role of students who studied in Germany is pivotal in the introduction of German intellectual resources into modern China. Based on these considerations, this paper selects modern students who studied in Germany as the research subject. In the writing process, it focuses on the key cases of Ma Junwu, Zong Baihua, Chen Qian, and Feng Zhi from the first half of the 20th century; at appropriate times, it will also examine other influential students who studied in Germany during the same period. Previous accounts and studies of Chinese students who studied in Germany have mainly focused on the organization of historical facts, with little in-depth exploration of individual cases, thus lacking a "sympathetic understanding" and "considerate respect" for the research subjects. Past research on these four scholars primarily emphasized their roles as revolutionaries, aesthetes, representatives of the War State Faction, or outstanding poets, while overlooking their uniqueness as modern intellectuals, especially those with a background in studying in Germany. Given the current state of academic research, this paper narrows its focus, attempting to reveal the influence and significance of students who studied in Germany in the history of modern Chinese culture through several representative cases. In the selection and study of cases, it strives to consider the interplay of different eras (and comparative analysis within the same era), different professional backgrounds (and comparative analysis within the same profession), and different scopes of activity (and comparative analysis within the same field), thereby highlighting the paper's research question: How did modern Chinese students who studied in Germany seek a path for the development of Chinese culture? The basic strategy of the research is: "seeing the big in the small," "using individuals to lead the history," and "using problems to generate ideas." The basic approach is: "case studies as the foundation," "conceptual analysis as the thread," "responding to the question of finding a path for Chinese culture as the core," and "influence studies as the basic method" to explore the establishment of Sino-German intellectual and cultural relations. Therefore, this paper attempts to grasp the cultural contributions of students who studied in Germany after returning from Germany within the broader context of Sino-German cultural exchange, based on the changes in the history of modern Chinese culture. It highlights their localized role after selecting, borrowing, and absorbing German resources, tracing their intellectual formation through the interplay and connection of literary history, educational history, academic history, and intellectual history, and exploring the role of German resources in their conceptual formation. The content of each chapter is as follows:
Chapter 1: Introduction
This chapter provides an in-depth analysis of "Western Learning Spreading Eastward," German intellectual resources, the cultural historical significance of students who studied abroad, and the intellectual and cultural relations between China and Germany, outlining a relatively complete and clear theoretical framework for the paper. It also introduces the research achievements in related fields to date, summarizes the basic paradigms of research in this field, and establishes the research approach and direction of this paper.
Chapter 2
This chapter examines the relationship between German culture and the formation and practice of Ma Junwu's pragmatic university concept. It uses the concept of "pragmatism" to connect his early enlightenment translation activities with his later ideological development as the president of Guangxi University, summarizing his ideas as the pragmatic university concept for running Guangxi University.
Chapter 3
This chapter explores Zong Baihua's cultural national construction ideal and its German cultural background and significance in modern Chinese cultural history. It uncovers the long-overlooked "pragmatic sentiment" hidden beneath Zong Baihua's image as a "leisurely aesthete," emphasizing how Zong Baihua, using the platform of the Shishijinbao·Xuelamp during the Anti-Japanese War, gathered the efforts of others to realize his cultural national construction ideal.
Chapter 4 and Chapter 5
These chapters respectively examine the relationship between Chen Qian's "national literature concept" and Feng Zhi's "academic writing" and German culture. The selection of these two friends, who have similar experiences, professional backgrounds, and extensive interactions but vastly different fates, follows a comparative approach. In terms of the artistic quality of literary creation, Chen Qian is indeed inferior to Feng Zhi. However, when it comes to the positivity of "engagement with the world" and the "pragmatic sentiment," Chen Qian surpasses Feng Zhi. Throughout the paper, Goethe, as a symbol of German intellectual and cultural thought, is chosen to provide a common topic for modern Chinese students who studied in Germany. Through the different interpretations of Goethe by these scholars, the paper aims to illustrate that the acceptance of external resources primarily depends on the recipients' own intellectual tastes, values, and the historical context in which they live.
Chapter 6: Conclusion
This chapter provides a theoretical overview of the entire paper. It summarizes the characteristics of modern students who studied in Germany and their cultural historical significance, analyzes their views on German culture, reveals their strengths and weaknesses and the lessons they offer, and further emphasizes their achievements and shortcomings in responding to the era's questions—finding a path for Chinese culture.