The concept of Sinology was actually introduced into China from Japan.

During the Edo period, a nationalist school appeared in Japan, followed by a quintessential school. To prove the unique greatness of Yamato culture and its distinctive nationalism, it is necessary to distinguish Japanese studies from China studies and Western studies.

/kloc-At the end of 0/9, Liu, Zhang Taiyan and Liang Qichao accepted the Japanese concept of "Sinology" and introduced it to China, which was advocated by Hu Shi and others in the early 20th century.

Generally speaking, "Sinology" was understood as "the inherent knowledge of China people" at that time, and its equivalent concepts included "national quintessence" and "national quintessence". At that time, this concept was introduced to distinguish it from western learning, so it was "forced out".

The word "Chinese studies" is defined on the edge.

Confusion and ambiguity

As we all know, the ancients never called their knowledge Chinese studies, but called it Confucianism, Taoism, Neo-Confucianism, Psychology, Buddhism, Metaphysics, Confucius and so on. They are applicable to the whole world, how can they be limited to one country?

As the inherent knowledge of a country, "Sinology" actually contains different contents and cannot be unified. Generally speaking, it can be divided into three types:

1. Typical understanding: Confucian-centered learning.

For example, Mr. Ma Yifu understands Chinese studies as the study of six arts and its extension; Mr. Zhang Taiyan summarized Chinese studies from five aspects: primary school, Confucian classics, children's studies, history and literature. Modern scholars, such as Fang Keli, understand Chinese studies as four studies and related studies, which is more comprehensive.

Second, sinology should be understood as a knowledge with Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism as the main body and a hundred schools of thought contending.

More broadly, it refers to the main schools of China's ancient academic thoughts from the pre-Qin Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, including Confucian Classics, Metaphysics, Buddhism, Neo-Confucianism and Sinology, with Qian Mu as a typical example.

Mr. Zhang Dainian understood it as "China traditional scholarship" including philosophy, Confucian classics, history, political science, military science, natural science and religion, which is a modern understanding of disciplines.

Third, the people's widest understanding is that Chinese studies are synonymous with "China traditional culture".

Such as poetry and calligraphy, Qigong Taiji, tea ceremony, Chinese medicine and so on. All the ancient cultures in China are called Sinology, which has become an all-encompassing basket.

In a word, when people use the concept of "Chinese studies", they adopt the attitude of taking what they need.

China Studies in the Context of Popular Culture

Spiritual Massage and Consumer Culture

Sinology has become a popular culture at present because it meets people's different needs. Generally speaking, these requirements are as follows:

One is lifestyle.

With the material living conditions greatly improved, people hope to improve their quality of life. Traditional lifestyles such as tea ceremony, cooking and health preservation have become popular in recent years, just because they can make many people feel that these can make them live healthier and live longer. All these can be carried out under the banner of "Chinese studies".

The second is Machiavellian magic.

Many entrepreneurs and managers basically know nothing about Chinese studies, but they are keen on the so-called Chinese studies tactics. They heard that Guiguzi, Sun Tzu, Li Shimin and others in history created amazing effects and tried to imitate them.

In fact, there is indeed profound management wisdom in Chinese studies, but it is a pity that many people have no patience to learn and always want to "catch it at once."

The third is to eliminate disasters and avoid disasters.

After having money, people are most afraid of natural and man-made disasters; After encountering difficulties, the most hope is of course good luck. Therefore, many people look for magic weapons in Chinese studies, hoping to get protection and good luck, so Feng Shui gossip is all the rage, and Shinto and Ghost Road are popular.

The fourth is arty.

Some people don't really love Chinese studies, and they don't know anything about Chinese studies. They just feel that they have a few classics of Chinese studies at home, dressed in Hanfu and Tang suit, with a few long black beards on their faces and a few words of "What's the matter" in their mouths, even if they have culture and taste.

In an era of advocating consumption, Chinese studies are also the object of people's consumption; In an impetuous era, Chinese studies have also been used rashly.

The fifth is to be a man.

Many people think that the ancients accumulated profound wisdom in dealing with people's lives. In Zhouyi, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Tanjing and other works, as well as Caigen Tan, Groans, Letters from Zeng Guofan, we can really read the crystallization of ancient wisdom.

Many parents also hope that their children can be more filial, respectful, sensible and rational by studying Chinese studies.

Sixth, national identity.

With the strengthening of national strength, China people's self-confidence has been greatly enhanced, and national self-esteem has also begun to ferment in another way. That is to seek the difference from westerners and seek satisfaction from China's sense of cultural superiority. Think about it. To prove that China is no worse than the West, Chinese studies is certainly the most useful tool.

In this case, the study of Chinese studies is also easily kidnapped by nationalism.

Seventh, cultural literacy.

From ancient times to the present, knowledge of literature and history, poetry and songs, piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, qigong, Tai Chi, dietotherapy and traditional Chinese medicine has always been a part of China people's cultural literacy, even during the Cultural Revolution. It is understandable to regard Chinese studies as a part of improving one's own cultural literacy, and it also has a strong realistic foundation.

Eight is spiritual belief.

This was originally the most essential part of Chinese studies, but unfortunately few people can really establish their beliefs from Chinese studies.

Chinese studies, especially Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, have been precipitating our souls. But the conditions for settling people's souls are also very strict, requiring strict practice, virtue and its guidance, and great personality perseverance.

At present, the tradition of Chinese studies in this field is very weak, and it is easy to be used by charlatans, fake monks and fake Taoist priests.

From the above, we can see whether a person loves Chinese studies, not what he is shouting, but what kind of Chinese studies he is doing, so as to judge whether it is true or not.

Comparison between the Republic of China and the present

On the Lack of Belief in the Consumption Age

Compared with today, the upsurge of Chinese studies in the Republic of China was not a "upsurge".

At that time, the society was relatively independent, and it was impossible for the whole people to learn Chinese studies with the wind; Moreover, at that time, it was a small government and a big society, and the government did not support Chinese studies as it does now. The upsurge of Chinese studies, if any, is mainly limited to a handful, and its influence is very limited, basically beyond the intellectual circle.

As for the society, at that time, the traditional culture of China was still very strong, and the daily life style of ordinary people was already very "Chinese studies", which had little to do with the Chinese studies advocated by intellectuals.

More importantly, the upsurge of Chinese studies at that time (if any) was initiated by a group of real Chinese masters. These people have deep family background and firm personal beliefs. Facing the beautiful European style, on the one hand, they defend the value and belief of Chinese studies with pen and ink, on the other hand, they show the eternal value of Chinese studies with their own personality.

In contrast, today, when the tradition of Chinese studies is almost interrupted and the masters of Chinese studies are almost extinct, we advocate Chinese studies.

On the one hand, it is difficult to find such excellent masters to lead the atmosphere and guide learning, and naturally it is easy to be deceived by fake Chinese studies and fake Chinese studies;

On the other hand, after decades of traditional interruption, people's understanding of Chinese studies is also superficial.

All these objectively make today's upsurge of Chinese studies prone to unhealthy phenomena and difficult to guide.

In an impetuous and utilitarian era, if sinology can establish its own healthy tradition, it can certainly play an important role in calming people's hearts.

But as far as a nation is concerned, the impetuousness of people's hearts and the cross-flow of material desires have profound social realistic factors, among which the most profound problems include a series of profound social realistic reasons, such as the failure to establish the industry value, the failure to form the social self-organization system, the ever-changing ideology, the uncertainty of the country's future, and the quick success of reform measures.

It is unrealistic to expect that these problems can be solved by learning more books on Chinese studies, restoring more ancient musical instruments and engaging in more Chinese studies education.

Cultural Dilemma Reflected by the Phenomenon of "Sinology Fever"

At present, there are many Chinese learning societies and classes run by charlatans. In more and more primary and secondary schools, there have been a series of behaviors related to Chinese studies, such as reading clubs, "reading disciples' rules", holding a ceremony of entering Pan when entering the school, and worshiping Confucius.

I think we should look at these phenomena from two aspects.

On the one hand, we must affirm its value.

For example, there is nothing wrong with letting children read classics such as hundreds of surnames, thousands of poems and Analects of Confucius. I also let my children read. I think it is valuable for middle school students and college students to read more Chinese classics. After all, those classics are immortal, because they have eternal value.

All the great nations in the world have their own classics, which are often the most precious resources for a nation to tide over difficulties in cultural difficulties. At the same time, it is also valuable to restore some traditional etiquette behaviors and let people know how the ancients reflected mutual respect among people in etiquette and how to do it well.

But on the other hand, we should also see blind spots.

One of the biggest problems is that without the spirit and realm of the ancients, it is impossible to really cultivate talents studying abroad by blindly pursuing form and advocating elegance. As a result, scripture reading became a monk chanting and training became a money-making machine.

Blindly pursuing external effects and catering to the interests of the public can only vulgarize the education of Chinese studies. This is not to revive Chinese studies, but to hurt Chinese studies.

From Folk Carnival to Official Ideology

Where is the future of "Chinese studies"?

It is certainly a good thing for Chinese studies to return to the classroom, including the establishment of Chinese studies majors. I personally have a positive attitude. For China, it should be the most important step to rebuild China's cultural subjectivity.

As long as you study the Jewish nation, you will know how much this nation has attached importance to its history and culture for thousands of years. It is with its indomitable belief in its history and culture that Jewish talents have come back to life again and again and rebuilt their glory.

Just as we did in the past, completely denying the history and culture of our own nation and trying to get rid of it quickly is a childless body.

However, while advocating Chinese studies, we should never go to the other extreme, and think absurdly that all thoughts of Chinese studies can't be abandoned and all China cultures can't be criticized.

Some people even think that Chinese studies are a panacea and invincible; Or think that China's ancient regime is the best in the world, China's ancient culture is the best in the world, and China's ancient wisdom is the best in the world.

If we continue like this, we will establish a self-contained, arrogant and blindly exclusive mentality, and the consequences will be unimaginable.

Therefore, in my opinion, when advocating Chinese studies, we must have a global perspective and adopt a highly open and comprehensive attitude towards foreign cultures, and we must never repeat the mistakes of literati in the late Qing Dynasty.

I often think that it is best for researchers and advocates of Chinese studies to look at Chinese studies from the perspective of Chinese studies and China from the perspective of China, so as to truly get rid of the dilemma of "not knowing the true face of Lushan Mountain". If you can't see the essence of other cultures and appreciate the value of western civilization, you will be narcissistic and self-righteous.

On the other hand, to distinguish the contents of Chinese studies, we should not unilaterally advocate and blindly accept them, but treat Chinese studies with a rational and pragmatic attitude. If you set up a major in Chinese studies, you'd better not rush to do it. What is scarce now is good and high-quality talents in Chinese studies, and the cultivation of talents in Chinese studies can never be achieved overnight.

Strictly speaking, the development of Chinese studies education is by no means an overnight achievement, but a career of decades and generations.

Author: Fang, a professor at Tsinghua University Institute of Humanities and a researcher at China Studies.

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