Li Zehou's three books on the history of Chinese thought

Since the reform and opening up, the figure who has had a pervasive influence on Chinese thought and culture, a figure who can be called a "spiritual mentor," is none other than Mr. Li Zehou. From his "philosophy of subjectivity" to his "ontology of emotion," from his "theory of accumulation" and "Western form with Chinese application" to his "farewell to revolution" and "practical rationality," Mr. Li Zehou was not only a major thinker during the "New Enlightenment" of the 1980s and the soul of the "cultural fever" and "aesthetics fever," but his reflections and statements in his later years remain profound, wise, and vibrant, making him an indispensable chapter in the history of contemporary Chinese thought.
Since the late 1980s, Sanlian Bookstore has published a series of works by Mr. Li Zehou, including "Going My Own Way" (1986), "Marxism in China" (1988), and "Four Lectures on Aesthetics" (1989). In 2003, at Mr. Li's suggestion, Sanlian Bookstore combined his "Historical Ontology" and "Five Essays on the Year of Jimao" into a single volume, which he had previously titled "Cross-Century Book." Subsequently, Sanlian Bookstore released "A Modern Reading of the Analects" (2004) and "Practical Reason and Aesthetic Culture" (2005), with the former selling over 100,000 copies. In 2008, Sanlian published ten volumes of the "Li Zehou Collection," including "Critique of Critical Philosophy: Commentary on Kant (Revised Sixth Edition)," "The Process of Beauty," "Chinese Aesthetics: Four Lectures on Aesthetics (Revised Edition)," "A History of Ancient Chinese Thought," "A History of Modern Chinese Thought," "A History of Contemporary Chinese Thought," "A Contemporary Reading of the Analects," "The Ontology of History: Five Essays on the Year of Jimao (Revised Edition)," "Practical Reason and Aesthetic Culture," and "Miscellaneous Writings." These volumes presented Li Zehou's philosophical system to readers in mainland China in a relatively comprehensive and integrated manner for the first time. This year, Sanlian reassembled his three volumes of "A History of Chinese Thought," which explore the evolution of Chinese thought. The best way to honor a thinker is to continually reread his works, reflect on the propositions he raised, and, through dialogue and debate, allow his ideas to remain alive in the present and inspire the future.
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Li Zehou's three most famous books on the history of Chinese thought provided a paradigm shift in the study of Chinese thought and culture under the new enlightenment trend in the 1980s, and had a profound impact on China's ideological emancipation since the reform and opening up.
These three books chart the evolution of Chinese thought over a vast chronological span. Beginning with Confucius's philosophy of benevolence, they explore various currents of thought, schools, and figures from the pre-Qin period to the Ming and Qing dynasties, constructing the cultural and psychological structure of the Chinese nation. Moving from ancient times to the present, from the perspectives of revolution and reform, they meticulously analyze the currents of thought and figures from the Taiping Rebellion to the Xinhai Revolution. They also recount how Chinese intellectuals since the May Fourth Movement have sought a path forward amidst the dual dynamics of "national salvation and enlightenment."
Li Zehou embodies the "problem of China's modernization" in his discussion of the grand history of thought. He engages history with thought, grounded in historical consciousness, and explores the spiritual aspirations of the Chinese people, "the unity of past and present." He has proposed a series of widely influential propositions, such as "the shamanistic tradition of history," "practical rationality," "musical culture," "national salvation trumps enlightenment," and "Western forms and Chinese applications."
The history of Chinese thought I discuss focuses on major currents, not on searching for unusual and unusual ideas; it prioritizes figures who truly represent the times, not an all-encompassing approach. Without emphasizing currents of thought, it's impossible to understand the status and significance of individual thinkers; and without deeply analyzing major representative figures, it's difficult to grasp the specific depths of the intellectual trends of the era. Sometimes, even the depth of an entire era's intellectual trends is less than that of a single thinker. This is the contingency of intellectual history. The significance and value of thinkers and philosophers lies precisely in this: they uniquely and profoundly reflect and grasp the pulse of the times. Therefore, intellectual trends and representative figures should be discussed together and in a unified way.
——Li Zehou

2023-08-01

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