On Christmas Day 1920, the famous British philosopher Russell gave a lecture in Beijing.
However, an embarrassing scene emerged.
As a European, I don't rest at Christmas to give a speech to the Chinese, but there are only two people present.
Prior to this, he gave lectures at famous universities in France, Germany, Russia and other countries, and was also invited by experts and scholars from all over the world.
When he arrived in China, it was actually such a state, which made Russell begin to be disappointed in China, and at the end of the speech that day, he wrote to his friends to complain about what happened in China, and summarized the three major shortcomings of the Chinese!
The Chinese government is corrupt and incompetent, the Chinese people are indifferent and ruthless, and the Chinese intellectuals are lazy and loose, and they are simply hopeless!
What kind of person was Russell? Why such statements? What is his relationship with China?
As early as the beginning of the 20th century, Russell enjoyed a high reputation in mainland intellectual circles, and his remarks about the major shortcomings of the Chinese also attracted widespread attention.
This great thinker and philosopher spent his life showing us what true courage and perseverance are.
This leading figure in the field of Western philosophy, his ideas and insights have had a profound impact on the world.
In a poll at Peking University, Russell was named one of the greatest figures outside of China, along with Lenin and Wilson, which fully demonstrated his lofty position in the hearts of Chinese intellectuals and revealed his legendary life.
Russell was born in 1872, the son of a grandfather who was an earl and twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. His grandfather was a baron; His father was a viscount; The famous philosopher Mill was his godfather.
As a child of aristocracy, he received a different education and philosophy, because his father had always liked Chinese culture and had a strong interest in the traditional culture of the mainland.
This also made Russell have been exposed to Chinese culture since he was a child, and at the same time inspired his love for Chinese culture, which laid the foundation for his future research on mainland culture.
From 1883 onwards, he began to study Euclidean mathematics with his brother Frank, and studied it intensively under the careful guidance of his tutor.
During this time, he began to think deeply about philosophy, especially in religious matters.
He quietly put his idea into writing, but he didn't expect it to be published in a magazine.
In 1890, at the age of 18, Russell was admitted to 31 Colleges of Cambridge University with honors.
This period of study was not only a golden period of his personal academic growth, but also a key stage for his thinking to gradually mature and form his own unique philosophical views.
He majored in mathematics, but was not content to explore the field of mathematics, but used mathematics as a tool to understand and analyze broader philosophical and social problems.
Russell's attainment in mathematics earned him a 7th place in the Mathematics Honours Degree Examination, which is undoubtedly an affirmation of his talent and hard work.
However, he was not satisfied, but strengthened his determination to continue his in-depth research.
He began to explore the field of philosophy, trying to solve philosophical problems using mathematical and logical methods.
In 1903, Russell published his important work, Principia Mathematica. This book is not only the culmination of his mathematical and logical research, but also an important embodiment of his philosophical ideas.
In the book, he tried to use symbolic logic to illustrate mathematical and philosophical problems, and presented many innovative ideas and theories.
The publication of this book has made Russell stand out in the academic community and has won widespread praise and attention.
In the same year, Russell was awarded a fellowship at Trinity College for his dissertation "Foundations of Geometry", which was an important milestone in his academic career.
Subsequently, in 1910, he successfully obtained the position of lecturer at the University of Cambridge, which not only provided him with better research conditions and resources, but also gave him the opportunity to communicate with more scholars and broaden his academic horizons.
At the age of 40, Russell was already a prominent figure in the field of mathematical philosophy, and it was widely regarded that he would continue to delve into the mystical theorems of logic.
However, Russell, who has a special talent, is destined not to play cards according to common sense in his life, and he is destined to embark on an extraordinary and unknown path.
Long before the smoke of the First World War spread, Mr. Russell had a keen insight into the spectre of war.
He was determined to call for peace and avoid war, so he resolutely embarked on a journey from place to place, using his impassioned anti-war speeches as a weapon to arouse people's desire for and perseverance in peace.
However, his power was too small, and the course of history did not stop because of his cry, and the smoke of war still spread widely.
After the outbreak of World War I, he witnessed the suffering of the common people, and once again ignited the fire in his heart, and began to actively speak out for the anti-war cause.
However, his ideas were not well received and were even severely punished, and he was imprisoned for a time and lost his position at Cambridge University.
But in any case, Russell was unyielding, he firmly believed that the light always came after the darkness, and he still firmly worked for the peace of mankind in his own way.
Although Russell lost his position as a university lecturer, he still stuck to his original intention, and in order to seek a peaceful path, he decided to go to Russia, which was very different from the West, and wanted to witness the "red regime" with his own eyes.
However, his experience in Russia disappointed him and he turned his attention to China.
Affiliation with China
At the beginning of 1920, he set foot in Russia himself, hoping to find a new direction for the future world.
When he arrived, however, he found that life there was a climate of "cruelty, poverty, suspicion, and persecution," and that their every move seemed to be watched by the eyes of the shadows.
Even doctors can't help but talk about the argument that "only economic conditions affect people's personalities."
Later, he also met Lenin and Trotsky, but after a brief conversation with Lenin, Russell gave both of them extremely bad reviews!
In general, Russell was extremely dissatisfied with the impression of Russia, and he even felt that Russia had surpassed the West in its cruelty to human nature, and was more "Westernized" than the West.
Russell's discovery was so disappointed that his ideals seemed shattered in an instant.
Just when Russell felt that the road ahead was uncertain, a letter of invitation from China brought him new hope.
The letter warmly invited him to China to give lectures, and promised to pay him handsomely enough to live comfortably at that time.
Although Russell knew nothing about the person who wrote the letter, he decided to seize the opportunity to change the environment and perhaps find wisdom in China, an ancient civilization with a long history, to save the West.
The invitation was sent by Liang Qichao, a well-known thinker in mainland China, who was well aware of Russell's value and the importance of this lecture for cultural exchanges between China and the West.
In October 1920, Russell arrived in Shanghai by ship.
The mainland's meticulous reception surprised Russell and made him feel the Chinese etiquette culture.
His lectures have also received wide attention and praise, and he has also gained a lot from in-depth exchanges with Chinese intellectuals.
Russell's visit to China undoubtedly became explosive news, and even attracted the attention of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Although the two were unable to meet each other due to a trip conflict, the incident was enough to demonstrate Russell's enormous influence in China.
However, during the Christmas season, his speech suddenly encountered "Waterloo", and everyone at the scene went to celebrate the holiday, and he was a European who was only giving a speech on Christmas, and China was in dire straits at this time, and a large number of Chinese intellectuals and students were only thinking about the holiday.
This made Russell very disappointed, and he wrote to his friend that day to express his feelings.
In his letter, Russell bluntly expressed his disappointment with the Chinese government and intellectuals, as well as ordinary people.
He has harshly criticized Chinese politics, calling it "rotten" and that corruption within the government has led to a reluctance on the part of the wealthy to provide the government with the necessary assistance.
The central government tolerated the Japanese occupation of Shandong in order to accept Japanese loans, while the local governments went their separate ways, relying on the means of war to seize cities and control the commercial army.
And in the face of such chaos and corruption, the Chinese people can only wait and see with indifference.
At the same time, China's intellectuals, while paying lip service to various isms, in reality pretend to be progressive, enjoying hereditary wealth and doing nothing about it.
What worries him even more is that Russell is deeply dissatisfied with his Beijing students, who he thinks are hopelessly lazy and loose.
On the contrary, the forces of Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States are trying to plunder China from it.
Against this backdrop, Russell's China is a country full of political corruption and various crises that urgently needs to be saved.
However, this did not affect his optimistic predictions about China's future.
He believed that despite China's poverty and weakness at that time, with its vast land and large population, China would become a world power second only to the United States, a prophecy that demonstrated Russell's profound vision and insight across time and space.
Because the course of history is always full of turning points, with the gradual rise of the country and the awakening of the people, the Chinese people have begun to deeply realize that only by resisting aggression and oppression can they win true freedom and dignity.
The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the various struggles after the founding of New China are the best proof of this transformation of the Chinese people.
They showed unprecedented courage and determination, and did not hesitate to make great sacrifices for the sake of the country's independence and the happiness of the people.
This courage and determination stems from their deep desire for freedom and dignity.
Today, China, as Mr. Russell predicted, is at the center of the world stage. Behind the transformation from a country ravaged by aggression and oppression to one of the largest developing countries in the world is the indomitable spirit and continuous struggle of the Chinese people.
They are no longer silent, but courageously stand up for their rights and dignity. They are no longer cowardly, but brave to face challenges and pursue a better life.
This transformation has not only changed the face of Chinese society, but also profoundly affected the world's perception of China.
And all this is thanks to the Communist Party led by Chairman Mao. The reason why Russell was able to evaluate China like that at that time was also because he did not meet our great leader, Chairman Mao!
Russell's life is legendary, and we can see his unwavering faith and indomitable spirit in his experience.
It is worth mentioning that as early as more than 100 years ago, the famous philosopher Russell foresaw the rise of China with his keen insight and placed high hopes on China.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Russell spoke out for China on many international occasions and called on Western countries to give China more understanding and support.
He firmly believes that China's rise will inject new vitality into world peace and stability.
Although Russell was unable to set foot on Chinese soil again due to physical reasons in his later years, this did not affect his deep friendship with the Chinese people.
We are deeply honored to have such a wise and loving old friend. We would like to express our highest respect to Master Russell for his outstanding contribution to the promotion of harmony and progress in the world.
At the same time, we also look forward to more international friends coming to China in the future to witness China's prosperity and development.
Reference:
New Literary Historical Materials: Russell's Visit to China in Zhao Yuanren's Diary (1920-1921) 2021-11-22
Zhongshan Wind and Rain 2021-01-15 British philosopher Russell's trip to China