Chinese Traditional Civilization Course: Experimental Textbook for Traditional Moral Education

Author: Sang Jingmin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-09-01
Features: Spirit is the lifeblood of a nation, culture is the embodiment of spirit, and morality is the soul of culture. Spirit, culture, and morality are the fundamental elements of civilization. The transmission of civilization is an intrinsic factor for the survival and development of any nation. Any strong nation must possess a strong spiritual civilization. Therefore, in the historical process of the Chinese nation moving towards glory, a strong spiritual civilization must serve as the driving force. By the end of the 20th century, traditional Chinese culture was imbued with new vitality. Jiang Zemin explicitly stated in the 16th National Congress report: "The spirit of a nation is the spiritual support for its survival and development. A nation without an uplifting spirit and noble character cannot stand independently among the world's nations. Over more than 5,000 years of development, the Chinese nation has formed a great national spirit centered on patriotism, characterized by unity, love of peace, diligence, courage, and an unwavering drive for self-improvement. Our Party and people have, through long-term practice, combined this national spirit with the requirements of the times and social development, enriching it. In the face of the interaction of various ideologies and cultures worldwide, it is essential to promote and cultivate the national spirit as a crucial task of cultural construction, integrating it into the entire process of national education and the construction of spiritual civilization, so that the entire people maintain an uplifting and forward-looking spirit." Sang Jingmin's A Course on Chinese Traditional Civilization was completed under this historical backdrop. It is the crystallization of her years of diligent teaching and relentless research, and her selfless dedication to contemporary students. It must be said that writing this course was a great challenge, with numerous theoretical difficulties that were still hard to clarify at times. In fact, it is indeed not an easy task to make contemporary college students identify with, understand, and accept traditional civilization.