The-Spirit-of-the-Chinese-people

中国人的精神辜鸿铭INTRODUCTIONTheReligionofGood-citizenshipTHEgreatwaratthepresentmomentisabsorbingalltheattentionoftheworldexclusiveofeverythingelse.ButthenIthinkthiswaritselfmustmakeseriousthinkingpeopleturntheirattentiontothegreatproblemofcivilisation.AllcivilisationbeginsbytheconquestofNature,i.e.bysubduingandcontrollingtheterrificphysicalforcesinNaturesothattheycandonoharmtomen.ThemoderncivilisationofEuropetodayhassucceededintheconquestofNaturewithasuccess,itmustbeadmitted,hithertonotattainedbyanyothercivilisation.ButthereisinthisworldaforcemoreterribleeventhantheterrificphysicalforcesinNatureandthatisthepassionsintheheartofman.TheharmwhichthephysicalforcesofNaturecandotomankind,isnothingcomparedwiththeharmwhichhumanpassionscando.Untilthereforethisterribleforce,_thehumanpassions_isproperlyregulatedandcontrolled,therecanbe,itisevident,notonlynocivilisation,butevennolifepossibleforhumanbeings.Inthefirstearlyandrudestageofsociety,mankindhadtouse_Aren'twejustdoingtherightthing?themobwemustbefoolthem;See,now,howshiftless!andlooknowhowwild!{orsuchisthemob-ShiftlessandwildallsonsofAdamarewhenyoubefoolthem;Bebuthonestandtrue,andthusmakehuman,themall.physicalforcetosubdueandsubjugatehumanpassions.Thushordesofsavageshadtobesubjugatedbysheerphysicalforce.Butascivilisationadvances,mankinddiscoversaforcemorepotentandmoreeffectiveforsubduingandcontrollinghumanpassionsthanphysicalforceandthisforceiscalledmoralforce.ThemoralforcewhichinthepasthasbeeneffectiveinsubduingandcontrollingthehumanpassionsinthepopulationofEurope,isChristianity.Butnowthiswarwiththearmamentprecedingit,seemstoshowthat批注[赵盛兵1]:高级的，排他的。此处做排他的解。批注[赵盛兵2]:Maybemeandefeat.批注[赵盛兵3]:Sofar批注[赵盛兵4]:Get批注[赵盛兵5]:ManageorcontrolChristianityhasbecomeineffectiveasamoralforce.Withoutaneffectivemoralforcetocontrolandrestrainhumanpassions,thepeopleofEuropehavehadagaintoemployphysicalforcetokeepcivilorder.AsCar-lyletrulysays,EuropeisAnarchyplusaconstable.Theuseofphysicalforcetomaintaincivilorderleadstomilitarism.InfactmilitarismisnecessaryinEuropeto-daybecauseofthewantofaneffectivemoralforce.Butmilitarismleadstowarandwarmeansdestructionandwaste.ThusthepeopleofEuropeareonthehornsofadilemma.Iftheydoawaywithmilitarism,anarchywilldestroytheircivilisation,butiftheykeepupmilitarism,theircivilisationwillcollapsethroughthewasteanddestructionofwar.ButEnglishmensaythattheyaredeterminedtoputdownPrussianmilitarismandLordKitchnerbelievesthathewillbeabletostampoutPrussianmilitarismwiththreemilliondrilledandarmedEnglishmen.ButthenitseemstomewhenPrussianmilitarismisthusstampedout,therewillthenariseanothermilitarism,_theBritishmilitarismwhichagainwillhavetobestampedout.Thusthereseemstobenowayofescapeoutofthisviciouscircle.Butistherereallynowayofescape?Yes,Ibelievethereis.TheAmericanEmersonlongagosaid,Icaneasilyseethebankruptcyofthevulgarmusketworship,_thoughgreatmenbemusketworshippers;and'tiscertain,asGodliveth,thegunthatdoesneedanothergun,thelawofloveandjusticealonecaneffectacleanrevolution.NowifthepeopleofEuropereallywanttoputdownmilitarism,thereisonlyonewayofdoingitandthatis,tousewhatE-mersoncallsthegunthatdoesnotneedanothergun,thelawofloveandjustice,_infact,moralforce,Withaneffectivemoralforce,militarismwillbecomeunnecesaryanddisappearofitself.Butnow,thatChristianityhasbecomeineffectiveasamoralforcetheproblemiswherearethepeopleofEuropetofindthisneweffectivemoralforcewhichwillmakemilitarismunnecessary?IbelievethepeopleofEuropewillfindthisnewmoralforceinChina,_intheChinesecivilisation.ThemoralforceintheChinesecivilisationwhichcanmakemilitarismunnecessaryistheReligionofgoodcitizenship.Butpeoplewillsaytome,Therehavealsobeenwarsin批注[赵盛兵6]:Asituationthatisverydifficulttodecidewhetherweshouldmoveforwardormoveback.批注[赵盛兵7]:Digaholeorsomethingthatisusedtodigahole.Itisusedtodescribeexperiencedworkersorsolderstoo.China.ItistruetherehavebeenwarsinChina;but,sincethetimeofConfucius,yearsago,weChinesehavehadnomilitarismsuchasthatweseeinEuropeto-day.InChinawarisanaccident,whereasinEuropewarhasbecomeanecessity.WeChineseareliabletohavewars,butwedonotliveinconstantexpectationofwar.InfacttheonethingintolerableinthestateofEurope,itseemstome,isnotsomuchwarasthefactthateverybodyisconstantlyafraidthathisneighbourassoonashegetsstrongenoughtobeabletodoit,willcometorobandmurderhimandhehasthereforetoarmhimselforpayforanarmedpolicemantoprotecthim.ThuswhatweighsuponthepeopleofEuropeisnotsomuchtheaccidentofWar,buttheconstantnecessitytoarmthemselves,theabsoluteneccessitytousephysicalforcetoprotectthemselves.NowinChinabecauseweChinesehavetheReligionofgoodcitizenshipamandoesnotfeeltheneedofusingphysicalforcetoprotecthimself;hehasseldomtheneedeventocallinandusethephysicalforceofthepoliceman,oftheStatetoprotecthim.AmaninChinaisprotectedbythesenseofjusticeofhisneighbour;heisprotectedbythereadinessofhisfellowmentoobeythesenseofmoralobligation.Infact,amaninChinadoesnotfeeltheneedofusingphysicalforcetoprotecthimselfbecauseheissurethatrightandjusticeisrecognisedbyeverybodyasaforcehigherthanphysicalforceandmoralobligationisrec