Jiu Zhou Xue Lin (Autumn 2003 Issue)

Author: Zheng Peikai, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-07-01
Features: The predecessor of Jiu Zhou Xue Lin was Jiu Zhou Xue Kan overseas and Xue Shu Ji Lin in Shanghai. After more than a year of discussion and coordination, the leaders of these two academic journals decided to pool resources from both China and abroad to jointly establish a research journal on Chinese culture. We share a common cultural belief that serious academic discourse can renew and create splendid culture, that solid foundations in literature and history are the basis of humanistic thinking, and that empirical and creative academic approaches contribute to the inheritance and development of Chinese culture. We oppose clinging to outdated traditions, believing that traditional Chinese culture has an open space, a capacity to embrace diverse influences, and a willingness to absorb and integrate external factors, rather than being stagnant or relying solely on external forces. We oppose blind adherence to the sayings of Confucius and the poetry of the Book of Songs and the Classic of Poetry, rejecting the notion that all cultural thinking must trace its roots to the Yellow Emperor and Yao or Shun, and rejecting the tendency to always refer to Greece and Hebraism. We also oppose using Shakespeare and Beethoven as the sole standards for judging all literature and art throughout history. However, we also advocate that all Chinese humanities scholars must be well-versed in Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, and Zhuangzi, the Book of Songs, the Classic of Poetry, the Records of the Grand Historian, and the Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government, understand the Lament for the Ruined States, appreciate Tang and Song poetry and the Dream of the Red Chamber, and be familiar with Homer and Dante, as well as having encountered Plato and Aristotle. Only with a basic understanding of the accumulated cultural resources of humanity can we grasp our cultural position, avoid arrogance, and not delude ourselves into thinking we stand at the forefront of progress, looking down on the past or recklessly criticizing and trampling the achievements of previous generations. We also emphasize that respecting the contributions of the past does not mean blindly following in the footsteps of predecessors or burying oneself in old papers, but rather caring about the future of civilization. Through the interpretation, rejection, development, or renewal of past cultural resources, we can contribute to the future of culture. Song Confucian Zhang Zai once said, "To establish a heart for the world; to establish a destiny for the people; to inherit the lost learning of the sages of old; to open a peaceful era for all generations." While his words may be overly self-aggrandizing, exaggerating the capabilities of intellectuals, his unwavering sincerity and willingness to take responsibility are admirable and worth emulating. The journal's name "Jiu Zhou" naturally evokes the ancient nine provinces of Yu Gong, suggesting that this journal focuses on ancient China. Perhaps some will follow Zou Yan's theory of the "Heavenly Discourses," extending post-structuralist and post-colonial speculations to the "boundless," advocating the globalization of a cultural China and promoting the idea of a "Greater Jiu Zhou." Regarding such expectations, we have self-awareness and cannot bear the weight of them, so we can only express our gratitude. Instead, we should briefly explain the origin of "Jiu Zhou": the classics are familiar to everyone, and when it comes to Yu Gong's nine provinces, the immediate academic research scope is historical geography, which is also the purpose behind Gu Jiegang's editing of the Yu Gong journal. However, "Jiu Zhou" also has a modern allusion, which is the poem by Gong Zizhen during the late Qing Dynasty: "The vitality of the nine provinces depends on thunder and lightning; the silence of ten thousand horses is truly a tragedy. I advise the heavens to shake off their drowsiness and bestow talent without discrimination." We also hope that Jiu Zhou Xue Lin can gather the talents of this generation from both China and abroad, invigorating themselves to contribute to the interpretation and innovation of Chinese culture.