Source of this article: Time Weekly Author: Li Huaiyu
According to Taiwan's Academia Sinica, Yu Yingshi (1930-2021) died in his american apartment on the morning of August 1, 2021, at the age of 91.
Yu Yingshi, a native of Qianshan, Anhui, was born in Tianjin in 1930. From 1950 to 1955, he studied at New Asia College and New Asia Research Institute in Hong Kong under Mr. Chan Mu. From 1956 to 1961, he studied at Harvard University under the tutelage of Mr. Yang Lianshen and received his doctorate. He was a professor at the University of Michigan, Harvard University, Yale University, dean of New Asia College and vice president of Chinese University in Hong Kong, and chair professor at Princeton University. He is the author of "History and Thought", "Historiography and Tradition", "Modern Interpretation of Chinese Ideological Tradition", "Cultural Criticism and Chinese Feelings", "Chinese Culture and Modern Change", "Historical Figures and Cultural Crisis", "Scholars and Chinese Culture", "Fang Yizhi Evening Festival Examination", "On Dai Zhen and Zhang Xuecheng", "Zhu Xi's Historical World", "Retracing Hu Shi's History", etc.
In 2006, Mr. Yu Yingshi was awarded the Kruger Prize by the Library of Congress, which is known as the "Nobel Prize in Humanities", and was praised as "the most outstanding Chinese scholar after Hu Shi". After retiring from Princeton University, Mr. Yu Yingshi lived in seclusion in the "Little Bookstore" and wrote a book with deep Chinese feelings and his ideas influencing the Chinese world. In 2008, when The Time Weekly was founded, Mr. Yu Yingshi gave an exclusive interview to this newspaper.
"Everyone is a master, so who is the little master?"
Times Weekly: The current "Guoxue fever" seems to burn higher and higher, why does this phenomenon occur?
Yu Yingshi: I don't think there is a real "Guoxue fever" to speak of. True learning cannot be hot, it cannot be hot, it is only five minutes. Learning is to be done coldly and coldly for a long time, if you want to bring a "hot", you can not consider it. It is equivalent to popular songs, everyone is enthusiastic, and how long pop songs can be popular, I don't know. I think that the "Guoxue fever" itself has nothing to do with Guoxue, but some people's thinking has been hollowed out, and they want to find something to replace: the things of the old ancestors are very good, we don't have to ask for anything from abroad, and the things of the ancestors are no longer used. It is nothing more than such an idea that will create the "guoxue fever".
Times Weekly: Some people think that modern society "people's hearts are not ancient, materialistic desires are rampant", so we must advocate "Guoxue", how do you think of this view?
Yu Yingshi: I think that the saying that "people's hearts are not ancient, and materialistic desires are rampant" can be heard in every era. In ancient times, the Han Dynasty could say this, the Tang Dynasty could say this, the Ming Dynasty could say this, and now it is still said, what is the retrospective of people's hearts? In the past, those who advocated scripture study thought that scripture could solve everything, and Chinese studying the scriptures for thousands of years, to turn over the qing Dynasty's "Four Libraries of Complete Books" summary, how many books are there in classics? Each generation has developed, or is it not continuing to "people's hearts are not ancient, and materialistic desires are rampant"? I think there are problems in every era, and there is no one panacea that can cure all diseases, only the right medicine.
Times Weekly: In the history of modern scholarship, what is the background for the development of the term "Guoxue"?
Yu Yingshi: "Guoxue" is basically a Japanese term, which existed before the Meiji Restoration in Japan. The original idea was to restore Japan's national essence, first against Chinese sinology, and later against Western things. This "Sinology" later spread to China. At the beginning, there were also many evolutions, and there was also the saying of "national essence", which was also transmitted from Japan. Later, China had the Journal of National Essence and the like. Zhang Taiyan proposed that these things were exaggerated, so he changed to "National Reason", and he had a book called "On the Balance of National Reason". Hu Shi proposed to "sort out the history of the country" and sort out all kinds of history related to China. In this way, "Guoxue" becomes a neutral term.
When Tsinghua University ran the Institute of Chinese Studies, it used this term. Including my teacher, Mr. Qian Mu, who wrote "Introduction to Sinology", he said that the term "Sinology" is probably not sustainable. I think it is not very easy to turn "Guoxue" into a certain sacred and wonderful meaning, and to make it play a spiritual guide role. This is the same as the archaeologist Mr. Li Jizhi's opposition to the use of the term "sinology" and does not want to turn Chinese archaeology into a branch of "sinology".
Time Weekly: In academic research, how to deal with the relationship between general and specialized?
Yu Yingshi: Academically, the general and specialized are based on the individual. Someone is willing to be an expert, he does not want to "pass", he does not have that kind of awareness of "pass". Some people deliberately learn "pass", that kind of is a very virtual pass, a lot of abstract nonsense, sounds grandiose. Especially now using the terms of various Western theories, people do not know what medicine is sold in the gourd. I think the real way to seek access is to seek access in the specialty, and to seek the specialty in the general, and the two are inseparable. Without specific research, what is the general idea? As soon as it comes to specific research, it enters the specialized field. We must look at the front, look at the back, look at the left and right, and link all the relevant ones, that is, there is a specialty in the specialty, and there is a specialization in the general, and we cannot talk about the specialization and the communication.
Times Weekly: Why are scholars on the mainland now called "master Guoxue" at every turn, and "generalists" at every turn?
Yu Yingshi: Or spiritual emptiness. This is the biggest problem, the spirit of academics is also empty, there must always be something to fill, become a master, of course, get a great sense of satisfaction. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, there were too many official seals, "all the governors are like dogs, and the officials are walking all over the streets", and now there are too many masters, that is, inflation, depreciation, everything is a master, there is no meaning. Everyone is a master, so who is the little master?
TIME: Why are the top and smart scholars keen to be masters?
Yu Yingshi: Some people are well-educated, intelligent and intelligent, not necessarily wise, wisdom is another thing. The wisdom of life is not to look at the wisdom of people, the ancient Chinese said, this person is "intelligent and reachable, stupid." "Foolishness" is not a curse word, it is a praise word. In the Western classic "Praise and Foolishness", it is said that the more stupid people are, the wiser they are, and the dumb people are not verbally dialectical, but have some deep experience of life. The smarter the person, the worse it is, and smart is a tool, just like technology, it can be used for good, and it can be used to make a murderous weapon. This is what the ancients said, "You must not be careless in your techniques", and you must be cautious in which line you do. This has nothing to do with wisdom, and we must not be superstitious about scholars and masters.
"The most feared thing is uneasiness, how do you always want to do?"
Time Weekly: Why do some culturally and academically accomplished figures develop "immortal anxiety" in their later years?
Yu Yingshi: When people are old, they are afraid of death. You have to remember a quote from Confucius: "And its old age, the precepts are in it." "When you are young, you are brave and fierce, you have to fight and fight with others, and the more you are afraid of losing this world in old age, the more you want to grasp the "get". This "gain" is not only wealth, but mainly reputation: people admit it and do not recognize it. Afraid of loneliness, this is a sentence that Huang Zongxi said in his early years: "The scholar is impatient with loneliness, why not go." "As long as you are impatient with loneliness, you will do anything." The old man is afraid that the world will throw him away, he has no place to go, there is nothing to grasp, so as soon as he grabs something, he will possess it, and it does not matter whether he is in order. The older you get, the more terrible it becomes, when you are young you don't realize death, and after middle age, the threat of death is there.
When Confucians talk about death, they face it and regard it as ordinary, which is the true Confucian spirit. Hu Shi went to England to see the Archbishop of Cambridge, and said: I am not afraid of death at all, I will die when I die, and I will do what I should do before I die. This is what Zhang Zai said, "Save, I am in good hands." Live one day, and I will fulfill my responsibilities for one day. There are many responsibilities, responsibilities for children, responsibilities for wives, responsibilities for parents, responsibilities for brothers, sisters and friends, how much can be done, not everyone can rely on you. Do my best to do what I'm supposed to do. My profession is the study of history, and I hope to study my history well, not to distort history, not to make a doctrine for a certain kind of interest, nor to write a book that everyone buys for the sake of making money. Whether it is historical research or philosophical research, to obtain a certain degree of truth, to push forward the existing truth, then my responsibility will be fulfilled. As for what people's evaluation is, whether you appreciate it or not, whether you are recognized before you die, it does not matter. Then you will be at ease, and there will not be so much trepidation. The most feared thing is uneasiness, how to always want, this is the most difficult problem to overcome psychologically.
The origin of "immortal anxiety" is very early, ancient Chinese thinkers such as children, do not believe in the immortality of the soul, believe that the soul, the spirit will eventually be lost, which leads to the "Left Biography" mentioned in the three immortals: morality, meritorious service, and speech. Lide is to lead by example, everyone respects you, feels that you are a model, and can use you as a standard. Meritorious service is a contribution to society, natural immortality, people will always remember you. A statement is the truth you say or intellectually, and scientists, historians, and philosophers can create very new ideas that have a great impact on an era, and that can also be immortal. This is the so-called three immortals, and Chinese put their deaths on these three immortals. These three immortals are very good, not everyone can do this, you have to pay a great price, sacrifice all kinds of efforts to establish morality, meritorious service, and make a statement.
If you don't want to spend so much effort and want to be immortal, what can you do? Just do bad things. This is the famous saying of Huan Wen of the Eastern Jin Dynasty: Although I can't live for a hundred lifetimes, I can also leave a stink for thousands of years. Ten thousand years of stink is also immortal, so I think there are many more people who leave a stink for ten thousand years than those who seek three immortals.
TIME: Why do you now use the term "intellectual" to "intellectual"?
Yu Yingshi: The term "intellectual man" is what I am advocating now, the first time was the second edition of the Shanghai People's Publishing House "Scholars and Chinese Culture" in 2002, and I raised this issue in the preface. From now on, I will try to use "intellectuals" instead of "intellectuals." It turns out that I also use "intellectual", which is to follow the customs, because the language should follow the customs. But now I think this is a problem, in the past "molecules" were used too terriblely, the molecules are rightists, bad elements, everything is in it. "Intellectual" has been used for decades, once a neutral word, and then it has deteriorated. So I don't want to use it again. I remember probably reading the late linguist Chen Yuan's article on "molecules" and being influenced by him. The West uses "intellectual" as intellectual, and the Japanese also use "intellectual." I wrote an article for Japanese scholars, using the term "intellectual man." Talking about knowledge is equivalent to Chinese talking about reading people, and people who talk about politics, economy, and culture can all be, so why can't we use knowledge people? I mean that the status of man should be respected, and I want to restore human dignity, because language is something that has a great influence, and language must limit your thoughts, and to use violent language is to encourage violence.
"I don't have heroism and I'm not ashamed of myself"
Times Weekly: Is there a traceable flow of the concept that the status of human beings should be respected in Chinese history?
Yu Yingshi: China has the same respect for human rights, and in Wang Mang's time there was an edict that people could not be bought and sold as slaves, which was more advanced than in the West, and slaves were taken for granted throughout ancient times and even in early Christianity. Everyone has rights and interests, and everyone has dignity, which has existed in China for a long time. Chinese ideas can be combined with Western values.
In the past, China still had a class of scholars to control, the political power was also open, open to a certain extent is the examination, to be an official must first take the exam, this exam is relatively fair. Starting from Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the central government set up Taixue, and the local government also recommended talents to send them up. This is a good thing that China has had for a long time, don't think it is a small thing, it is not easy. In the Middle Ages, in the West, one was a samurai class, one was a wealthy merchant who could have privileges, and then a hereditary nobility. These were eliminated in China very early, and the hereditary system was basically no longer implemented after the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The only hereditary one was the emperor, and no one touched it. The opening up of The Chinese regime to the "scholars" (i.e., intellectuals) of the "head of the Four Peoples" was an important cultural achievement, but this opening up did not form "democracy". After the Xinhai Revolution, Chinese intellectuals consciously worked hard and wanted to make further opening up. To pursue democracy is to recognize that every human being has "human dignity." Confucianism has long had the concept that "everyone can be a Yao Shun", and this line of thinking has converged in modern times with the general trend of pursuing democracy, freedom and human rights.
TIME WEEKLY: In today's era, how to be a dignified intellectual?
Yu Yingshi: I think you young people should work your own, treat yourself as a person, and don't blindly obey the authority of the above. I think everyone should fight for their basic human rights and not be taken away. If people give you "gifts" and give you something good, you are grateful, which is not good. People should measure their suitability, how much ability they have, and in what environment, try to do what they should do. But people can't just think about themselves, we study Chinese books, influenced by Chinese culture, can't just take care of my family, the rest of the matter. Because I was affected when I was a child, I had a sense of social responsibility, but my sense of responsibility could not expand infinitely, swelled to the point that I didn't even care about my family. At the very least, the responsibility is to bear the family, and only then will there be spare energy to do things for the public, which is a very simple principle of life, as long as this can be done, China can slowly embark on the modern society, and can only seek to change little by little.
I have never treated any individual as a god. I admire and respect many people in the ancients and today, but I don't think I want to worship a certain person and want to become a certain person. How could I have become Einstein? Einstein is an individual life, I am also an individual life, why should I be him? Even if a person is a physical genius, it may not be possible. Everyone has to achieve themselves and complete themselves. I did not worship a single saint, I did not worship Confucius, Mencius, zhu Xi, but I just felt that in the history of Chinese spirit, these people enriched the spiritual life of Chinese, admired them from the heart, respected them.
Now what comes to mind is what I can do in this day and age, and that is to be myself. I don't have heroism, and I don't feel ashamed of myself, because I was born with only so much capital, only so much talent. It's not something I can decide, it's genetically determined, and it's related to my environment. If I hadn't been in the countryside for eight or nine years when I was a child, I wouldn't have had a close understanding of traditional society and culture. But if I didn't have the opportunity to go to modern elementary or secondary school, I was doomed to become a mathematician or a physicist. I only have a little foundation in Chinese literature and history, so I can only be myself. I am not arrogant or conceited, people can only know how much money they have, how much business they do. Don't look at other people as monopolies, I also want to do big business, then draw a tiger not an anti-dog. In short, trying to complete oneself while also knowing to respect others is the so-called "erudition", that is, the best way to be a dignified intellectual person.