A Collection of Yu Yingshi. Volume 6: Democratic Institutions and Modern Civilization

Author: Yu Ying-shih
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-02-01
Features: This book is the sixth volume of the collected works of the renowned scholar Yu Ying-shih. It covers knowledge in fields such as political science and history, including topics such as the development of democratic systems, new trends in modern civilization, theories of democratic revolution, and the relationship between freedom and equality. The Collected Works of Yu Ying-shih volumes 1 to 4 were published in 2004, after which Dr. Shen Zhijia continued to gather other writings of mine, selecting those suitable for readers in mainland China, and compiling volumes 5 to 10. The Guangxi Normal University Press undertook the arduous task of continuing to publish these six new volumes within the permissible scope of conditions, and their dedication is truly moving. I would like to express my sincere gratitude once again to Dr. Shen and the publisher. My field of study is historical research, so the essays in these six volumes still reflect a historical perspective. However, in terms of the scope covered, these six volumes are much broader than the first four. Overall, one of the key focuses of my thinking and research has been how Chinese cultural traditions can re-establish their modern identity (modern identity) in the face of the challenges posed by Western modern culture. This has naturally been a shared concern for Chinese intellectuals since the late Qing Dynasty, especially since the May Fourth Movement, yet it has never been answered clearly. I am merely one among countless others seeking answers, and these six new volumes preserve some traces of my search. The last six volumes, like the first four, include writings from early to recent periods. The recent works include an unpublished manuscript (discussing Qian Qianyi's concept of "poetic history," included in volume 9), while the earlier works are my "early writings" from my time studying at the New Asia College in Hong Kong (included in volumes 6 and 7). Here, I will briefly mention these "early writings." Influenced by the May Fourth Movement, although I had decided to specialize in Chinese history, I maintained a strong interest in Western modern cultural and intellectual history. At that time, I could not accept any abstract historical formulas, nor did I recognize the Western stages of historical development as a typical model for Chinese historical research. However, I firmly believed that Western history and thought remained an important reference system, making it easier for me to explore the characteristics of Chinese culture and history from a comparative perspective. Simultaneously, I held a positive attitude toward some of the fundamental values in the mainstream Western modern culture of the May Fourth era, such as tolerance, reason, freedom, equality, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. These values were also widely regarded as universal at the time, as evidenced by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948. Based on this understanding, between 1950 and 1955, I made a concerted effort to read Western-language works on these topics. The "early writings" included in volumes 6 and 7 of the Collected Works were written during this period. These "early writings" were merely records of my early studies and had long been placed aside. However, in 1983, encouraged by friends in Taipei, I felt compelled to agree and had them reprinted by Han Xin Publishing House. When Dr. Shen Zhijia proposed including them in the Collected Works this time, I was initially hesitant. However, she believed that these "early writings" still represented a stage in my writing career, and from the perspective of Collected Works editing, they remained an indispensable part. Ultimately, I accepted her judgment. For this re-publication, I did not have the time to make any revisions myself. However, the publisher made some necessary adjustments in accordance with established editorial principles, largely preserving the original works while slightly reducing some sentences without additions. I am deeply grateful for the publisher's effort and goodwill. To this day, I still firmly believe in the reference function of Western history and the modern values originating from the West but now universal. This is the sole reason I have allowed these "early writings" to be re-published.