TEXTS AND TRADITIONS IN CHINESE AND COMPARATIVE PHILOSOPHY

This article considers Quentin Skinner's critique and methodology in his seminal essay “Meaning and Understanding in the History of Ideas” vis-à-vis the current methodological debates in Chinese and comparative philosophy. It surveys the different ways in which philosophers who work with ancient Chinese texts in those related fields deal with the tension between textual contexts and autonomy and how some of the errors criticized by Skinner under the mythology of coherence, mythology of doctrines, mythology of parochialism, and mythology of prolepsis might apply to those fields. It argues that Skinner's insistence that understanding a text requires recovering its author's intended meaning by studying its linguistic context has limited application to Chinese and comparative philosophy because those fields’ most important texts are not best understood as means of communication by specific historical authors with intended messages to convey to readers. These texts are instead the means by which Chinese traditions perpetuate their respective beliefs and practices. Instead of being circumscribed by authorial intent, the meanings of traditional texts are dynamic and co-created in the process of producing, reproducing, and consuming texts as well as in the evolution of practices that also constitute each tradition. The meanings received by the audience are never exactly what authors or transmitters intended but have been transformed by each audience's own concerns and interests, even if the audience attempts to grasp what the former intended. Using the Five Classics and the Analects as examples, this article illustrates how such texts’ purposes to teach and perpetuate the practices that constitute a way of life determine their meanings. Understanding is not merely cognitive but practical as well. The meanings of such texts are not static but dynamic as traditions evolve. The debates about methods of reading and interpreting ancient Chinese texts are also debates about the nature of Chinese traditions and struggles over their futures.     

Artwork securitisation: a Chinese style of artwork investment

A new artwork trading model emerged in China at the beginning of 2010s: the value of a piece of artwork was divided into equal shares, and investors could buy and sell these shares in the cultural artwork exchanges, in exactly the same way as investors trading stocks in the stock market. In China, this trading model, once available, was hotly pursued by investors. This rapid market growth quickly descended into trading market confusion and speculation, forcing the government to deal with this model and eventually putting a stop to it. In this paper, we take a closer look at the reasons for the artwork shares’ price booming and slumping, the disorder and speculation in the artwork share trading market, and the reasons why the Chinese government halted this kind of trade. Taking the Tianjin Cultural Artwork Exchange of China as an example, we found that artwork can be an alternative investment vehicle, but the share trading model, similar in function to the stocks and bonds market, is not fit for artwork. The lack of legal basis and supervision by governmental bodies, together with the changeable trading rules has also contributed to the failure of this artwork trading model in China.     

评近年来关于知识分子研究的几本史著

学术界近年来关于知识分子问题的研究呈现三大特点：一,“体验中的理解”,利用研究主客体在血脉、情感上的亲密关系,勉力进入先辈生存的精神家园,以理解他们的所思所言所行;二,“建构中的阐释”,力求在某种独特、精致的理论建构中提出假设,表达观点完成叙述;三,“批判中的反思”,通过广义上的学术批判,对古往今来的士之论士、儒之论儒、知识分子之论知识分子的成果进行反思。此外知识分子研究的方法论问题,也值得引起关注。     

论《儒藏》"史部"的分类问题

《儒藏》是儒学文献的大型丛书。由于儒学自古无“藏”,因此儒学文献也还没有自己的著录体系。四川大学所承担的国家“211工程”、“985工程”以及中国孔子基金会重大项目“《儒藏》编纂”,采用“三藏二十四目”的《儒藏》分类体系,对儒学史文献进行全面的省察和系统归类,对《儒藏》“史部”文献则用“孔孟类”、“学案类”、“碑传类”、“史传类”、“年谱类”、“别传类”、“杂史类”来进行分类编纂。     

China's Emergence and Impact on Technology in East Asia: The Case of Machinebuilding

Two Taiwan-based economists estimate the technology content of exports by the machinebuilding industry of the East Asia region during 2004-2008, using comparative analysis to clarify changes in the relative competitiveness of four East Asian nations (China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan) accompanying the formation of a regional trading bloc and production networks. In particular, they examine the technology content of these countries' machinebuilding sub-industries' exports within the Southeast Asian market (documenting the rise of the machinebuilding industry in China) as well as the penetration of Japanese, South Korean, and Taiwanese sub-industries into China's market. The results point to areas of emerging competition among China, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan for East Asian markets, which can only be expected to intensify in the future. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: F14, F15, F36, O14, P23. 7 tables, 36 references.     

李鸿章与中法战争“乘胜即收”

镇南关大捷以后,李鸿章力主“乘胜即收”,这是在正确分析中外形势的基础上作出的决断。他的“议和”,是要为中国的“自强”争取时间,创造条件,而不是投降卖国。     

30年来日本对华经贸政策的调整与演变

日本是中国最重要的贸易伙伴,是我国最大的援助国家,最大的投资国家之一,从1972年9月恢复邦交正常化以来,中日经贸关系总体来说发展顺利,但在不同时期日本采取的对华经贸政策是不同的,是不断根据国家的经济发展现状结合国际形势的变化进行调整。70年代日本对华经贸政策是以发展本国经济为前提推动中日经贸关系向前发展。80年代继承了70年代的对华政策,但政治色彩加浓;90年代采取不断发展中日经贸关系的政策;展望21世纪发展友好的中日经贸关系仍为日本对华的主导政策,但摩擦会不断增加。     

试论中国海外移民的共同性与特殊性问题

论文从比较研究的角度 ,在注重学术积累的基础上 ,从分析李长傅《中国殖民史》中的相关论点入手 ,认真考察了中国海外移民过程与国际移民过程之间共同性与特殊性的若干问题 ,认为移民作为整个人类的一种生存本能 ,其共同性自然会远远地多于特殊性 ,而儒家文化在中国海外移民过程中所起的特殊作用 ,也被部分专家学者明显地夸大了。     

说欧阳修的正统论思想

欧阳修以“居正”和“一统”作为判定“正统”标准的思想,是在批判“五德终始”说的基础上,以《春秋公羊传》为理论依据,带上宋学的特征。其“绝统”概念的提出,则是受到了韩愈道统“绝统”说的启发。     

“家族国家观”的悖论

日本儒教中的家族孝主义是家族国家观的重要基础。但是作为幕藩体制下封建武士之间的道德,它无法直接为明治近代化的目标服务甚至形成阻碍。因此家族国家观虽然植根于传统的儒教家族主义,但又是对其不适应时代课题的部分进行修正后,重新建构起来的一种意识形态。因此带有两面性,不是简单的“复古”,也不是儒教家族主义道德的简单复活。虽然家族国家观在统合民众方面发挥了巨大作用,但由于其原理与近代国家原理之间存在抵触,致使家族国家观自身蕴含着重大的悖论。