The Spirit of the Chinese People.docx

The Spirit of the Chinese People.docx

《The Spirit of the Chinese People.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《The Spirit of the Chinese People.docx（27页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

TheSpiritoftheChinesePeople

TheSpiritoftheChinesePeoplebyGuHongming

TheSpiritoftheChinesePeople.

（APaperthatwastohavebeenreadbeforetheOrientalSocietyofPeking.）

LETmefirstofallexplaintoyouwhatIpropose,with you permission,thisafternoontodiscuss.ThesubjectofourpaperIhavecalled"TheSpiritoftheChinesepeople."IdonotmeanheremerelytospeakofthecharacterorcharacteristicsoftheChinesepeople.Chinesecharacteristicshaveoftenbeendescribedbefore,butIthinkyouwillagreewithmethatsuchdescriptionorenumerationofthecharacteristicsoftheChinesepeoplehithertohavegivenusnopictureatalloftheinnerbeingoftheChinaman.Besides,whenwespeakofthecharacterorcharacteristicsoftheChinese,itisnotpossibletogeneralize.ThecharacteroftheNorthernChinese,asyouknow,isasdifferentfromthatoftheSouthernChineseasthecharacteroftheGermansisdifferentfromthatoftheItalians.

ButwhatImeanbythespiritoftheChinesepeople,isthespiritbywhichtheChinesepeoplelive,somethingconstitutionallydistinctiveinthemind,temperandsentimentoftheChinesepeoplewhichdistinguishesthemfromallotherpeople,especiallyfromthoseofmodernEuropeandAmerica.PerhapsIcanbestexpresswhatImeanbycallingthesubjectofourdiscussiontheChinesetypeofhumanity,or,toputitinplainerandshorterwords,therealChinaman.

Now,whatistherealChinaman?

That,Iamsure,youwillallagreewithme,isaveryinterestingsubject,especiallyatthepresentmoment,whenfromwhatweseegoingonaroundusinChinatoday,itwouldseemthattheChinesetypeofhumanity — therealChinaman — isgoingtodisappearand,inhisplace,wearegoingtohaveanewtypeofhumanity — theprogressiveormodernChinaman.InfactIproposethatbeforetherealChinaman,theoldChinesetypeofhumanity,disappearsaltogetherfromtheworldweshouldtakeagoodlastlookathimandseeifwecanfindanythingorganicallydistinctiveinhimwhichmakeshimsodifferentfromallotherpeopleandfromthenewtypeofhumanitywhichweseerisingupinChinatoday.

Nowthefirstthing,Ithink,whichwillstrikeyouintheoldChinesetypeofhumanityisthatthereisnothingwild,savageorferociousinhim.Usingatermwhichisappliedtoanimals,wemaysayoftherealChinamanthatheisadomesticatedcreature.TakeamanofthelowestclassofthepopulationinChinaand,Ithink,youwillagreewithmethatthereislessofanimalityinhim,lessofthewildanimal,ofwhattheGermanscallRohheit,thanyouwillfindinamanofthesameclassinaEuropeansociety.Infact,theoneword,itseemstome,whichwillsumuptheimpressionwhichtheChinesetypeofhumanitymakesuponyouistheEnglishword"gentle."BygentlenessIdonotmeansoftnessofnatureorweaksubmissiveness."ThedocilityoftheChinese,"saysthelateDr. D.J.Macgowan,"isnotthedocilityofabroken-hearted,emasculatedpeople."Butbytheword"gentle"Imeanabsenceofhardness,harshness,roughness,orviolence,infactofanythingwhichjarsuponyou.ThereisinthetrueChinesetypeofhumanityanair,sotospeak,ofaquiet,sober,chastenedmellowness,suchasyoufindinapieceofwell-temperedmetal.IndeedtheveryphysicalandmoralimperfectionsofarealChinamanare,ifnotredeemed,atleastsoftenedbythisqualityofgentlenessinhim.TherealChinamanmaybecoarse,butthereisnogrossnessinhiscoarseness.TherealChinamanmaybeugly,butthereisnohideousnessinhisugliness.TherealChinamanmaybevulgar,butthereisnoaggressiveness,noblatancyinhisvulgarity.TherealChinamanmaybestupid,butthereisnoabsurdityinhisstupidity.TherealChinamanmaybecunning,butthereisnodeepmalignityinhiscunning.InfactwhatIwanttosayis,thateveninthefaultsandblemishesofbody,mindandcharacteroftherealChinaman,thereisnothingwhichrevoltsyou.ItisseldomthatyouwillfindarealChinamanoftheoldschool,evenofthelowesttype,whoispositivelyrepulsive.

IsaythatthetotalimpressionwhichtheChinesetypeofhumanitymakesuponyouisthatheisgentle,thatheisinexpressiblygentle.WhenyouanalysethisqualityofinexpressiblegentlenessintherealChinaman,youwillfindthatitisthetheproductofacombinationoftwothings,namely,sympathyand intelligence.IhavecomparedtheChinesetypeofhumanitytoadomesticatedanimal.Nowwhatisthatwhichmakesadomesticatedanimalsodifferentfromawildanimal?

Itissomethinginthedomesticatedanimalwhichwerecogniseasdistinctivelyhuman.Butwhatisdistinctivelyhumanasdistinguishedfromwhatisanimal?

Itisintelligence.Buttheintelligenceofadomesticatedanimalisnotathinkingintelligence.Itisnotanintelligencewhichcomestohimfromreasoning.Neitherdoesitcometohimfrominstinct,suchastheintelligenceofthefox,—thevulpineintelligencewhichknowswhereeatablechickensaretobefound.Thisintelligencewhichcomesfrominstinct,ofthefox,all,—evenwild,animalshave.Butthis,whatmaybecalled human intelligenceofadomesticatedanimalissomethingquitedifferentfromthevulpineoranimalintelligence.Thisintelligenceofadomesticatedanimalisanintelligencewhichcomesnotfromreasoningnorfrominstinct,butfromsympathy,fromafeelingofloveandattachment.Athorough-bredArabhorseunderstandshisEnglishmasternotbecausehehasstudiedEnglishgrammarnorbecausehehasaninstinctfortheEnglishlanguage,butbecausehelovesandisattachedtohismaster.ThisiswhatIcallhumanintelligence,asdistinguishedfrommerevulpineoranimalintelligence.Itisthepossessionofthishumanqualitywhichdistinguishesdomesticatedfromwildanimals.Inthesameway,Isay,itisthepossessionofthissympatheticandtruehumanintelligence,whichgivestotheChinesetypeofhumanity,totherealChinaman,hisinexpressiblegentleness. Ioncereadsomewhereastatementmadebyaforeignerwhohadlivedinbothcountries,thatthelongeraforeignerlivesinJapanthemorehedislikestheJapanese,whereasthelongeraforeignerlivesinChinathemorehelikestheChinese.IdonotknowifwhatissaidoftheJapanesehere,istrue.But,Ithink,allofyouwhohavelivedinChinawillagreewithmethatwhatisheresaidoftheChineseistrue.Itiswell-knownfactthattheliking—youmaycallitthetastefortheChinese—growsupontheforeignerthelongerhelivesinthiscountry.ThereisanindescribablesomethingintheChinesepeoplewhich,inspiteoftheirwantofhabitsofcleanlinessandrefinement,inspiteoftheirmanydefectsofmindandcharacter,makesforeignerslikethemasforeignerslikenootherpeople.ThisindescribablesomethingwhichIhavedefinedasgentleness,softensandmitigates,ifitdoesnotredeem,thephysicalandmoraldefectsoftheChineseintheheartsofforeigners.Thisgentlenessagainis,asIhavetriedtoshowyou,theproductofwhatIcallsympatheticortruehumanintelligence—anintelligencewhichcomesnotfromreasoningnorfrominstinct,butfromsympathy—fromthepowerofsympathy.NowwhatisthesecretofthepowerofsympathyoftheChinesepeople?

Iwillhereventuretogiveyouanexplanation—ahypothesis,ifyouliketocallitso—ofthesecretofthispowerofsympathyintheChinesepeopleandmyexplanationisthis.TheChinesepeoplehavethispower,thisstrongpowerofsympathy,becausetheylivewholly, oralmostwholly,alifeoftheheart.ThewholelifeofChinamanisalifeoffeeling—notfeelinginthesenseofsensationwhichcomesfromthebodilyorgans,norfeelinginthesenseofpassionswhichflow,asyouwouldsay,fromthenervoussystem,butfeelinginthesenseofemotionor humanaffection whichcomesfromthedeepestpartofournature—theheartorsoul.IndeedImaysayherethattherealChinamanlivessomuchalifeofemotionorhumanaffection,alifeofthesoul,thathemaybesaidsometimestoneglectmorethanheoughttodo,eventhenecessaryrequirementsofthelifeofthesensesofamanlivinginthisworldcomposedofbodyandsoul.ThatisthetrueexplanationoftheinsensibilityoftheChinesetothephysicaldiscomfortsofuncleansurroundingsandwantofrefinement.Butthatisneitherherenorthere.

TheChinesepeople,Isay,havethepowerofsympathybecausetheylivewhollyalifeoftheheart—alifeofemotionorhumanaffection.Letmehere,firstofall,giveyoutwoillustrationsofwhatImeanbylivingalifeoftheheart.Myfirstillustrationisthis.SomeofyoumayhavepersonallyknownanoldfriendandcolleagueofmineinWuchang—knownhimwhenhewasMinisteroftheForeignOfficeherein Pekin—Mr.LiangTun-yen,Mr.Liangtoldme,whenhefirstreceivedtheappointmentoftheCustomsTaotaiofHankow,thatwhatmadehimwishandstrivetobecomeagreatmandarin,toweartheredbutton,andwhatgavehimpleasuretheninreceivingthisappointment,wasnotbecausehecaredfortheredbutton,notbecausehe wouldhenceforthberichandindependent,—andwewereallofusverypoortheninWinchang,—butbecausehewantedtorejoice,becausethispromotionandadvancementofhiswouldgladdentheheartofhisoldmotherinCanton.ThatiswhatImeanwhenIsaythattheChinesepeoplelivealifeoftheheart—alifeofemotionorhumanaffection.

Myother illlustation isthis.AScotchfriendofmineintheCustomstoldmeheoncehadaChineseservantwhowasaperfectscamp,wholied,who"squeezed,"andwhowasalwaysgambling,butwhenmyfriendfellillwithtyphoidfeverinanout-of-the-wayportwherehehadnoforeignfriendtoattendtohim,thisa