New Studies in Confucianism-(Issue 5)

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: "New Guoxue" was proposed based on the original concept of "Guoxue." "Guoxue" was an academic term introduced to distinguish Chinese scholarship from Western scholarship ("Xixue") when Western culture entered China. Earlier, officials like Zhang Zhidong from the Self-Strengthening Movement proposed "Zhongxue," but their "Zhongxue" primarily referred to the ethical and moral doctrines of traditional Confucianism. On the other hand, "Guoxue," promoted by Zhang Taiyan, included various academic disciplines of ancient China, such as philosophy, literature, textual studies, and phonology. In philosophy, it encompassed diverse schools of thought, including Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and the Hundred Schools of Thought, serving as a general term for ancient Chinese scholarship.
After the May Fourth New Culture Movement, to distinguish "Guoxue" from "Guocui" (national essence), Hu Shi once defined "Guoxue" as "Guoguoxue." This expanded the scope of the academic term "Guoxue," including the study of popular culture and ancient Chinese inscriptions like gold script and oracle bone script. It also emphasized the reorganization and study of historical materials of ancient Chinese culture. However, Hu Shi's "Guoxue" still referred to the study of ancient Chinese history and culture, excluding the new history and culture that emerged and developed after the May Fourth Movement.
After 1949, the term was still used in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the overseas Chinese cultural circle, but it was largely abandoned by the academic community in mainland China. This led to a loss of a holistic sense among mainland scholars, exacerbating internal conflicts and differences to the point of mutual incompatibility. It was not until after the Cultural Revolution that the term reappeared in mainland Chinese academia and became widely used. However, even now, it retains its original meaning—referring to the study of ancient Chinese history and culture.
Since the birth of the term "Guoxue," Chinese history and culture have had another century of development. Despite external cultural influences, this century of Chinese history and culture remains largely the independent creation of the Chinese people, especially Chinese intellectuals, and warrants in-depth understanding and research. In other words, modern Chinese history and culture, just like ancient history and culture, are integral parts of Chinese history and culture and should logically be included within the broader academic concept of "Guoxue."
The term "New Guoxue" is presented in contrast to the original "Guoxue," but it is not in opposition to it. It includes the organization and study of historical materials of both ancient and modern Chinese history and culture, the study of the history and culture of one's own nation by Chinese scholars, as well as the translation, introduction, organization, and study of foreign history and culture by Chinese scholars. It also encompasses the reflection and research on practical and theoretical issues by Chinese scholars, aiming to make "Guoxue" truly a comprehensive term that covers all achievements of Chinese scholarship and reflects its independence and holism.
The establishment of New Guoxue Studies aims to reconstruct the holistic concept of Chinese scholarship and, on this new foundation, engage in more proactive, effective, and diverse academic research across different fields, disciplines, and specialties. "New Guoxue" does not exclude any valuable research findings, including those achieved under the original concept of "Guoxue." Instead, these findings should be interpreted, understood, and applied within the larger framework of "New Guoxue" to organically integrate them into the broader academic fabric of the nation.
"New Guoxue" also does not deny the necessity of academic debate and discussion. However, the purpose of such debate and discussion is not to determine temporary victories or defeats between opposing parties but to deepen mutual understanding and enrich the development of the nation's academic endeavors.
No article in New Guoxue Studies is published as a model of the "New Guoxue" academic concept. It merely provides a platform for various academic research findings, reflecting our specific understanding of "New Guoxue" through its inclusiveness and rigor.
New Guoxue Studies primarily publishes long-form academic papers ranging from 2,000 to 120,000 words. This is not a preference but a response to the current academic landscape, where most journals publish papers under 20,000 words, while academic books published by presses rarely have fewer than 120,000 words. This leaves long-form papers (2,000–120,000 words) with limited publication opportunities, contributing to the homogenization of academic writing styles. We aim to provide a platform for these underrepresented long-form papers and foster greater freedom and diversity in academic expression.
Due to limited resources, New Guoxue Studies currently accepts only invited contributions and does not accept submissions from external authors.