Tension And Affinity:Confucianism And Chinese Modernization

Hu Shih and Zhang junmai are the typical intellectuals in the modern Chinese history. In the big background of social transformation and thought change, their thought angle of view has always focused on how to realize the Chinese modernization; this is a great historical event. Breaking through the old thought pattern "Chinese-style westernization", they divided on how to realize the modernization of China and whether Confucianism and modernization is separation or compatible, and this kind of differences before the mature of their thought, have on their respective thoughts inherit and thoughts origin on the brand.To seek for Chinese modernization from the west, in the period of social transformation and the idea of change, is a common psychological tendency of modern intellectuals of China. Hu Shih and Zhang junmai’s learning interest and life practice, make they have intimate feelings of the result of the western modern modernity, but they are different agree with each other on understanding of western modernity and its crisis:Hu Shih’s thought tendency is the science of western enlightenment monism, he believed that science can solve all problems, this is the ideology of scientism, Hu shih one-sided turn around Dewey’s pragmatism to "scientific method", he thinks that the core of modernity is the "scientific method". The mechanical concept of "reductionism", he believes that the "scientific method" of the experimentalism, could solve the problem of Chinese modernization as a whole, Zhang junmai believes that the core of modernity is " rational autonomy", he fundamentally reject Hu Shih’s scientific monism, in recognition of the importance of "matter" and "knowledge", more emphasis on the meaning and value of "heart" and "moral" in the process of modernization. We can say that Hu Shih linear evolutionary of history, and progressive of social beliefs, make him inclined to the radicalization of the modernity scheme, always criticize Zhang Junmai’s Hu Shih, tend to have a moderate color of the traditional modern program.In the "impact of the West-China response", under the background of the times, based on the importance of culture in the process of modernization, Hu Shih and Zhang Junmai have thought and tried on the modern transformation of Chinese traditional culture. Zhang Junmai regarded Confucian culture as a set of ethics or philosophy system, the traditional social and political system were attacked by the people, although they are connected to each other, but they are not exactly the same. In his later years, committed to the revival of Confucianism movement, he always holds the position of his early years. Hu Shih ignored the ethics of Confucian culture and philosophy, apart from the political system, the family system and social customs, the Confucian culture was fiercely criticized, in the thoughts of the non-Confucian school, he found that the suitable soil can be used to transplant the western philosophy and the scientific method, and further he thinks that the Confucian moral ethics depart from the scientific rationality as the characteristic of the modern spirit.Confucianism and Chinese modernization is the core issue of Zhang Junmai’s life and political science, from the early years of the nation state construction plan to the later years of the Confucian revival movement, Zhang Junmai’s focus of thought has been around these two issues. Until his old age, he was exploring the possibility of a classical modernity based on Confucian thought. Zhang Junmai thinks that the modern and traditional is a continuation of the rather than broken, the revival of Confucianism does not run counter to Chinese modernization, but to make Chinese modernization in a more solid and more solid foundation on the basis of rooting and the establishment of the method. Hu Shih believes that the transformation of culture, thought and idea is the fundamental way to realize modernization in China, the scientific rationality of the experiment made him believe that the "scientific method" as the core of modernity can solve the political, cultural and social problems in China. He made himself a controversial "Wholesale westernization", modification of the "Wholehearted modernization" of Chinese modernization, his essence intention is the road of modernization in China, should be in the direction of his understanding of Dewey’s philosophy, transplant his own "American experience" to China. This kind of modernity plan is the Western Enlightenment plan with the scientific rationality as its core, the initiation plan is too radical for traditional criticism, the internal relation between tradition and modernity has been separated, It is difficult to eliminate the inherent tension between the Confucian thought and the Chinese modernization in the mind, emotion and reason of Hu Shih. Zhang Junmai tends to have a moderate color of the traditional modern program, this modernity scheme takes a historical attitude to the classical Confucian thought, and it is a kind of warmth and respect. He believed that Confucianism could be a helpful force for Chinese modernization; this is the Confucian thought of Zhang Junmai and the Chinese modernization of the affinity of the road.