Why, for centuries, have the West and the world continuously
produced China knowledge that deviates from Chinese realities? Why,
since the mid-nineteenth century, have Chinese intellectuals
oscillated between commendation and condemnation of their own
culture, and between fetishization and demonization of all things
Western? And why have some of the world's wisest thinkers expressed
opinions on Chinese culture, which are simply wrong? In order to
answer these questions, this book explores the process of knowledge
production about China and the Chinese civilization and in turn,
provides a critique of the ways in which this knowledge is formed.
Ming Dong Gu argues that the misperceptions and misinterpretations
surrounding China and the Chinese civilisation do not simply come
from misinformation, biases, prejudices, or political interference,
but follow certain taken-for-granted principles that have evolved
into a cultural unconscious. Indeed, Gu argues that the conflicting
accounts in China-West studies are the inevitable outcome of this
cultural unconscious which constitutes the inner logic of a
comprehensive knowledge system which he terms 'Sinologism'. This
book explores Sinologism's origin, development, characteristics,
and inner logic, and critiques its manifestations in the writings
of Chinese, Western, and non-Western thinkers and scholars,
including Montesquieu, Herder, Hegel, Marx, Weber, Russell, Pound,
Wang Guowei, Guo Moruo, Gu Jiegang, Wen Yiduo, and many others in
diverse disciplines from arts and humanities to social sciences. In
doing so, Gu demonstrates why the existing critical models are
inadequate for Chinese materials and makes an attempt to construct
an alternative theory to Orientalism and postcolonialism for
China-West studies and cross-cultural studies. Sinologism crosses
over the subjects of history, thought, literature, language, art,
archaeology, religion, aesthetics and cultural theory, and will
appeal to students and scholars of East-West studies with a
particular focus on China, as well as those interested in cultural
theory more broadly.
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