Reflection and Exploration: The Philosophical Works of Zhang Tianfei

Author: Zhang Tianfei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: This collection brings together previously published philosophical essays. The reason it was compiled and published was due to the enthusiasm of my former students. During this year's Spring Festival, as in previous years, many students from over a decade or two ago came to visit me, bringing great joy and comfort. Some of them are professors, some are leaders of, and others have achieved considerable fame in their fields, all becoming outstanding talents in their respective domains. Seeing students surpass their teachers yet still remember their former mentors is naturally very pleasant and deeply moving. What surprised me was that, unlike in previous years, they "backed" me and decided to publish a collection of my essays upon my reaching the age of seventy, and they had already made thorough arrangements. It was truly touching, yet also somewhat awkward for me. The touching part was their sincerity—things I hadn’t thought of myself, they had. The awkward part was that I didn’t have any ready-made manuscripts. Since stepping onto the university lecture hall in 1957 to teach and research philosophy, it has been nearly 47 years. As a teacher, what remains with me are piles of unorganized lecture notes, some of which may still hold some value, but I no longer have the energy to sort them out for publication today.
Moreover, thanks to the decades-long attachment to Marxist philosophy, even after retirement, theoretical reflection has not ceased. Philosophical issues related to reality often linger in my mind, and I wanted to use my relatively free time after retirement to write some essays I wanted to, could, but hadn’t yet written. I’ve drafted several outlines and written many fragments, recording my thoughts and reflections, but none of them have taken shape yet. I shared my difficulties with them. They said, "You can postpone writing what you want to write and take your time—it would be great if you could compile the essays you’ve already published in various places over the years. We’ll help you with any difficulties." With their kindness, I could no longer refuse.
Having experienced the changes in philosophical theory since the founding of the country is a fact. Whether the essays I’ve published can serve as historical witnesses is debatable—I suppose they can only offer fragments and glimpses. This is how this book came to be.