Modern Chinese Cultural Nationalism

Cultural Nationalism is a prominent phenomenon in the cultural and intellectual history of modern China. It's also a main characteristic that features the Nationalism of modern China from western nationalism. Sufficient emphases, however are not appreciated by the students of history, which can be seen form the fact that there are only two papers on this problem so far as we know. This dissertation, whose main structure and points goes as follows, tries to make a comprehensive and systematic study on the problem of modern Cultural Nationalism.Introduction. The author traces in this part the conceptual source, meaning and kind of Nationalism. Nationalism is a state of psychology and behavior preference of the membership of the national community on the fellow historical culture which represents the demands of political independence and culture unity. It has two kinds the traditional nationalism and the modern nationalism in terms of nation state, while the modern one can be subdivided into political, economic and cultural nationalism form point view of logical structure. Cultural nationalism is an emotion and thought in the field of culture which emphasizes the identification of the common culture of the nation and maintains the independence of national culture.Chapter I . The idea of traditional nationalism and its transmutation form 1840s to 1890s. Much attention is paid to the formation, character of the traditional idea of yi and xia, and its transmutation form opium war to the eve of Jiawu war as well. The author puts forward that, as the expression of traditional nationalism, the idea of yi and xia whose core is the centemism of hua and xia on the conscious advantages of geography, culture and political order, had a positive effect on the formation and unification of ancient Chinese nation and that of the development of ancient culture of hua and xia. With the invasion of western capitalistic for as and the assaulting of western learning, this idea changed gradually ever since it has been in the modern times. Some advanced intellectuals began to abandon the old centemism of the hua and xia to form new ideas of geography, state, world and culture.Chapter II. 'Maintaining the state, race and religion': the rise of modem cultural nationalism. This chapter concerns mainly about the causes, contents and significance of 'maintaining the religion' advocated by some modernized capitalistic intellectuals such as Kang You Wei and Liang Qichao at the end of lath leathery. The author holds that, after the Jiawu war, with the unprecedented deepening of national and cultural crises, modern nationalism rose and developed in terms of political and cultural side by side. The main purpose of these advocations such as 'maintaining the religion' and contending against western Christianity by Confucianism of Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao, lies in keeping the identification and unification of Chinese toward traditional culture. It coincided in general with the situation of preventing from extinction to survival of that time, and promoted the enlightenment of the Chinese.Chapter III. 'loving the nation and maintaining Chinese learning': the development of mod-ern cultural nationalism. The author examines in this chapter the development of modern nationalism. The author examines in this chapter the essence and significance of the theory of 'loving the nation and maintaining Chinese learning advocated by members of the quintessence of Chinese Culture school such as Dengshi and Huangjie in the late Qing Dynasty and the new intellectuals such as Liang Qichao. The author puts forward that the seriousness of national crisis and the general advancement of the consciousness of Chinese national Culture promoted the further development of cultural nationalism at the dawn of the 20th century. Many people abandoned 'maintaining the religion' to 'maintaining the Chinese learning', advocating 'maintaining the quintessence of Chinese culture', 'studying the Chinese learning', building the Chinese spirit' , 'reviving the ancient learning'. There were also many controversies such as the problem of Chinese race, Chinese linguistics and character .Chinese medicine etc. All these reflected a feeling of the Chinese to fight against the invasion of foreign culture and the trend of ' longing for Europenization' in domestic intellectual circles, and to maintain inflexibly the independence of national culture.Chapter W. 'The revival of Chinese Culture': the upsurge of the modern cultural nationalism. This chapter deals menially with the upsurge and manifestation of cultural nationalistic sentiments represented by school of oriental culture before and after May Fourth movement. The author holds that, under the influence of the disadvantages of western capitalistic civilization which Cortaid it self day after day through world way I and that of world wide intense 'popular interest in oriental culture' after the war, the cultural nationalism of Chinese people tended to run high. It's main expression lies in the rise and the cultural thought of oriental Culture school whose lep-iesentives were Du Yaquan and Liang Shuming. Taking advantage of world war I, they began to reorient western and Chinese cultures, demanding the revival of Chinese culture in order to promote the revival of the whole nation and benefit the world. This led to the obvious enhancement of national cultural self — confidence. But the irrational sentiments of cultural advantage began to demonstrate itself dramatically at the same time.Chapter V. Controversy on modern Sino — western cultures and cultural nationalism. The author discusses the manifestation of cultural nationalism during the course of controversies on modern Sino - western cultures such as the one between the quintessence of Chinese cultures and ' Europeanization' at the beginning of 20th century, and the one between Du Yaquan and Chen Duxiu during the period of New Cultural movement. The author holds that what the both controversies expresses in the antithesis of two different cultural thoughts------nationalism and westernization among the new intellectuals of that time.Chapter YI. Modern social movement and cultural nationalism. This chapter examines in general the deep — wide influence of cultural nationalism on modern social movement. Starting form the 'anti - manchurian' movement at the end of the Qing Dynasty and that of the Confucian religious movement at the beginning of the Republic of China, the author puts forward that, the traditional cosmopolitan idea had a positive effect on the general direction and destination of theanti~ Manchurian movement at the of the end of the Qing Dynasty. It found its speakers by virtue of the theory of 'big and minor nationalism' of Liang Qichao, the controversy between the revolutionist and Liang Qichao form 1905 to 1907, and the giving up of the revolutionists the slogan of 'anti — Manchurian' to the ' republic of five nations' after the insurrection of Wuchang. In( terms of the Confucian religious movement at the beginning of Republic of China, it was inevitably made we of by Yuan Shikai because of the complexities of history and circumstance of the that time. It impressed us with prominent characteristics of antiquity and conservation which hindered the social development of that time.Chapter W. Epilogue. It concerns mainly about the direction of cultural nationalism after the may Fourth Movement and the historical position of modern cultural nationalism thought . The author holds that , cultural nationalism is a progressive social thought in modern china ■which has an indispensable positive effect on fighting against cultural invasions of imperialistic countiies and the abuse of the thought of westernization in domestic intellectual circles, and that of promoting both the consciousness of national culture and self — confidence of Chinese people and the modernization of traditional learning. We should remember nowhere, because of the deep self— love sentiments of national Culture. It demonstrated its negative and conservative side under certain historical conditions.