The Face of the Chinese People - A Third Eye View of China

Author: Smith
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: This book is a classic work by Arthur H. Smith, a renowned American scholar. It pioneered the study of Chinese national character and is a sociologically-oriented work that explores this topic, exerting a profound influence on later scholars. At the same time, it represents the Chinese perspective of foreigners during its era. As a result, it was long regarded as a must-read for missionaries coming to China to understand the country. The book summarizes twenty-seven characteristics of the Chinese people, supported by rich references and vivid writing. Whether praising or criticizing, every point is well-substantiated. Even today, reading it can still bring awakening and deep insight. The Chinese people summarized in this book are from the late Qing period, and as such, the book inevitably leans more toward praise than criticism, with a somewhat somber tone and occasional biased remarks. Additionally, as the author was a Western missionary, his perspective and viewpoints were inevitably limited by this identity. His observations and conclusions could not escape Western values. To transform the Chinese people from disunity to unity, from passivity to positivity, it is essential to change their attitude of self-preservation. However, changing this attitude cannot be achieved through empty words alone; it requires transforming the social environment that forces people into self-preservation. This means providing the Chinese people with fair legal safeguards, allowing everyone to speak freely, act freely, develop their talents, and pursue their ambitions within the bounds of the law. Not only should snow be cleared but frost must also be managed. In other words, to prevent the Chinese from being like scattered sand, the fundamental solution lies in granting them constitutional and human rights protections. However, today, there are truly few who recognize this principle and truly understand the relationship between human rights protections and their attitudes toward life.