New Culture and True Scholars

Author: Wang Kailin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-11-01
Features: This book is an excellent read on historical essays. The protagonists are all renowned figures in Chinese culture, education, and Buddhism during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. They lived in a complex era of cultural collision between China and the West, as well as the intersection of old and new cultures. They possessed distinct personalities and an irrepressible sense of their time's limitations. Among them are the eccentric Su Hongming, the unwavering Wang Guowei, the compassionate Master Hongyi, and the dashing yet tragic Xu Zhimo, among others. They were both inheritors and reformers of old culture, as well as introducers and improvers of new culture. What remained unchanged was that they were all vivid and highly individualistic people—this is what the book reveals to its readers. Culture has only new and old, not true or false; scholars have only true or false, not new or old. Figures like Su Hongming, Wang Guowei, Yi Shunding, Chen Yinke, and Liang Shuming are typical old scholars, while Zhang Jingsheng, Su Manshu, Xu Zhimo, and Yu Dafu are typical new scholars. Yet, they are all genuine scholars in their own right. Whether in chaos or order, true scholars are free-spirited. They seek goodness from truth, beauty from goodness, and truth from beauty. To determine whether a scholar is genuine, one must see if they are willing to enter this cycle. False scholars are obsessed with fame, fortune, power, and status. They must resort to the methods of "thick skin and black heart" to survive, let alone be willing to walk the cycle of truth—goodness—beauty. Even if they do, wearing a false mask, their journey is futile and serves no purpose. How many people possess such genuine nature? To ask this question carries a touch of pessimism, but we still need to remain optimistic. Regardless of the era, true scholars will not go extinct like dinosaurs. Their very existence makes it impossible for false scholars to hide and reveal themselves at will, as they are always exposed for who they truly are.