Knowing Some Chinese Philosophy (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: Tian Xiaofei
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: The Duke of Zhou was a statesman and thinker in the early Western Zhou Dynasty. He can be considered one of the earliest philosophers in ancient China, and some revered him as a great sage of the slave society. Later, Confucianism became the main branch of ancient Chinese thought and an important part of traditional Chinese culture. The Duke of Zhou was known as the ancestor of the Confucian tradition. In philosophy, it is said that he wrote the hexagram lines for the 384 lines of the 64 hexagrams in the Book of Changes. It is believed that the period of Yao, Shun, Yu, and the three dynasties of Xia, Shang, and Western Zhou was the time when ancient Chinese philosophy emerged. The Duke of Zhou summarized and advanced it, reaching the highest level achievable at that time.
A group of young scholars from the Department of History and the Department of Chinese at Peking University compiled a series of "Know a Little" books and invited me to write the preface. I was curious about the name of the series. Upon inquiry, I understood their intention and decided to write. It turned out that the title of each book in the series begins with "Know a Little," such as Know a Little Chinese History, Know a Little Chinese Culture, and Know a Little World Culture. The scope of the series appears grand, yet the focus is humble, reflecting the wit of the young scholars. The cultures of the world are like a vast mountain range. We should not shy away from their towering heights or think we have mastered them after a brief glance. What we can do is to respectfully gaze from the foot of the mountain and eagerly inquire at the trailhead. Simply put, it is to "Know a Little."
First, not knowing is regrettable. A mere five-foot body, without the cultural peaks as its backdrop, is merely a lifeless, ignorant, and mediocre existence. People communicate with the outside world at different levels through culture and prove who they are through it. Even those with limited education feel a sense of honor or shame about it. I remember last year, when China Central Television held a national live broadcast competition for young artistic talents, one of the events was a test of historical and literary knowledge. The results were unexpected—the billions of viewers paid far more attention to this part than to the main competition. The audiences from all provinces across the country were not concerned about their representatives' failures in artistic skills but were unable to tolerate their inability to answer the historical and literary questions. This shows that even today, many Chinese people still seek their dignity and group dignity through culture, which is very good.
However, the immediate question that follows is to guard against people's obsession with historical and literary knowledge. Obsession may seem profound, but in reality, it is a disaster created in the name of culture. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, there have been celebrities in China who made a living by luring others into obsession, which is highly unethical. Therefore, it is necessary to mark some clear paths among the cultural peaks and lay some buoys and cables in the vast sea of history. This way, people can appreciate the beauty of mountains and rivers without being lost in obsession. This practice, expressed in a colloquial manner, is to "Know a Little." To "Know a Little" is not to lower standards but to raise them. Just as the path setter must know the mountain better than a casual hiker and the cable layman must be more familiar with the sea than a casual swimmer, they must also be more knowledgeable, more familiar, and more compassionate, with a stronger sense of cultural responsibility. In this sense, I believe that the young scholars at Peking University who compiled this "Know a Little" series have undertaken a valuable endeavor.
Citizens in the new century cannot entirely abandon the cultural and historical background created by humanity in the past, yet they must not let the past creations hinder today's creations. Therefore, there should be more path setters and cable laymen. Only in this way can the magnificent historical culture truly become the heritage of the new century.