Spiritual Journey: Autobiographies of 36 Contemporary Chinese Scholars

Author: Cao Baoyin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: A spiritual archive of a generation of intellectuals including He Huahong, Xu Youyu, Li Yinye, Ge Jianxiong, Liang Xiaomin, Ding Dong, Yang Dongping, Ji Weidong, Cui Weiping, and Chen Jiaqi. Those who have experienced the recent "century" and "decade" of great changes in China may have had fortunate or unfortunate encounters, but from the perspective of understanding, they can all be considered lucky: when has Chinese history ever witnessed such profound changes in such a short time? — Preface by He Huahong
Memory, language, and writing are humanity's greatest treasures. Those who possess nothing else can be spiritually rich because of them. Of course, this treasure also needs to be carefully guarded to prevent it from being lost or stolen. — Xu Youyu
This is not a "private little book" similar to a "collection of life," but rather a "historical great book" that reflects the spiritual journeys of the scholars over the past 30 years. From their spiritual journeys, readers can see the side profile of Chinese society struggling forward amid difficulties yet still full of twists and turns. — Afterword by Cao Baoyin
Every era has its own voice. These 36 vivid personal intellectual monologues authentically record some indelible intellectual pulses or soul stories of our time. These Chinese thinkers have never led the development of historical trends; often, they could only passively accept the ebb and flow of the times like most people. However, they personally experienced historical scenes and faithfully recorded this era in their hearts. These thinkers may not be at the forefront of the era's wave, but their souls have always reflected it. Even in the most difficult circumstances, they never stopped observing and reflecting on the nation's fate and people's livelihood. What we can confirm is: their souls have not wandered far; their thoughts are still on the way. Perhaps, after generations of changes and the trials of the tides, people can still approach and recreate history through these oral personal intellectual records.
Xu Youyu is a researcher at the Institute of Philosophy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. His works include: "The Copernican Revolution," "Russell," "Language and Philosophy" (co-authored), "The Genesis of the Spirit," "Farewell to the 20th Century," "Various Kinds of Rebellion," "1966: The Memories of Our Generation" (edited), "Turning Back at a Glance," and "Facing History."
When faced with sudden, irresistible changes, individuals are like isolated boats in the waves of the sea or withered twigs in the whirlpools of rivers. Their fortune and misfortune are entirely beyond their control. This is the epitome of the fate of the Chinese people over the past century. On the other hand, humans are living and soulful beings, not dust and ashes without perception or value, drifting with the wind, nor just bricks and mortar for building historical edifices. In the tides of history or its reverse currents, humans can judge and make choices. When disasters and crimes occur, if one cannot resist or even speak out, at the very least, one can record. Memory, language, and writing are humanity's greatest treasures. Those who possess nothing else can be spiritually rich. Of course, this treasure also needs to be carefully guarded to prevent it from being lost or stolen.
On January 9, 1976, the Chengdu winter was biting cold, with thick clouds hanging low. That morning, I heard from the radio that Premier Zhou Enlai had passed away. People's grief was spontaneous and immense. Many units held mourning ceremonies, and some even sent telegrams to the Central Committee on behalf of the masses or the Party Committee, requesting that Zhou's body not be cremated but preserved for the people to pay their respects. There were orders prohibiting memorial activities, and the newspapers showed arrangements for mourning that were unusually low-key and perfunctory, filled instead with critiques of Deng Xiaoping's "rightist restoration." They even openly accused Deng, this "unrepentant rightist who leads the capitalist road," of being protected by the "biggest rightist in the Party," directing the blame squarely at Zhou. The "Cultural Revolution" had been going on for a decade, and people had gradually become sobered and to its initial blind enthusiasm. After the two prominent figures were overthrown, Zhou had also become a target, which had long been an open secret among officials. A directive from Mao Zedong circulated among officials: "Critique Deng but not Zhou; if you critique Zhou, chaos will ensue."
From the television reports, we saw that Jiang Qing did not remove her hat when paying respects to Zhou Enlai's body, which immediately sparked various discussions and criticisms. In fact, I noticed that Zhu De, then Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, also did not remove his hat, but no one said anything about Zhu De—he was simply too old, and everyone knew he was a close comrade-in-arms of Zhou, with no disrespectful intentions. As the Qingming Festival approached, spontaneous mourning activities for Zhou Enlai in the gradually intensified. From People's South Road Square, the center of Chengdu, to People's Park, the streets and alleys were covered with articles, poems, and paintings praising and remembering Zhou, some of which were of very high quality. People crowded together to view, read, and copy them. The content praising Zhou often went hand in hand with critiques and implications of Jiang Qing and others. Later, large-character posters openly naming and criticizing Zhang Chunqiao appeared. The author was Bai Zhiqing, a technician from a factory. Before the posters appeared, there had been disputes, and in the end,