The Reading Review of the Chapter5

香山亭

Reader:
谢嗣婷

Reading Time:
第六周

Reading Task:
Chapter5

Summary of the Content:
In this chapter, Ku Hung-Ming critiques Western sinology by examining the limitations of a so-called "great sinologist" (a veiled reference to Western scholars of China). He denounces their fragmented interpretation of Chinese culture, pointing out that while many Western sinologists master the language and texts, their scholarship remains superficial-focusing merely on philology or historical analysis while failing to grasp the spiritual essence of Chinese civilization (such as the Confucian values of "benevolence" and "propriety". Ku argues that only by penetrating the core of Confucian thought can one truly comprehend China's civilizational essence.
Furthermore, Ku elaborates that the "true genius of Chinese civilization" lies in its moral and spiritual core, not external phenomena. Unlike the West, which relies on laws and institutions to maintain social order, Chinese civilization is rooted in moral cultivation (exemplified by Confucianism), achieving harmony through the "Way of the Gentleman"—the persuasive power of noble character-rather than coercion.

Evaluation:
Ku Hung-Ming's writing style exhibits a distinctive blend of satire and cultural preservationism. In terms of argumentative technique, he masterfully employs ironic rhetoric—using the ostensibly laudatory title "A Great Sinologue" as a sustained critique throughout the text, while likening Western sinological studies to the "mechanical dissection of a corpse," thereby acerbically exposing their limitations in prioritizing textual research over cultural vitality. His logical framework is built upon profound East-West civilizational comparisons: through the binary opposition of Western "legal constraints" versus Chinese "moral self-discipline," he leverages the theories of Western thinkers like Goethe and Carlyle to inversely demonstrate the universal value of Chinese moral civilization. The prose brims with fervor for safeguarding cultural traditions, employing impassioned language to call upon the West to abandon cultural superiority complexes, respect the uniqueness of Chinese civilization, and avoid forcibly deconstructing Eastern wisdom through Western frameworks. This discursive approach, combining critical incisiveness with cultural self-awareness, not only showcases his profound mastery of Western learning but also highlights his steadfast defense of the spiritual core of Chinese civilization.  
However, Ku Hung-ming 's intellectual framework exhibits two distinct limitations. On one hand, he presents an overly idealized interpretation of Confucian society, deliberately overlooking structural contradictions such as class oppression in traditional China—particularly maintaining a selective silence regarding social inequalities like women's status. On the other hand, his critique of Western sinology falls into a rigid either-or paradigm, failing to dialectically acknowledge Western scholars' objective academic contributions in foundational research areas such as textual preservation and philological analysis. This romanticized glorification of indigenous culture coupled with an obstinate rejection of foreign perspectives creates an irreconcilable tension within his cultural conservatism, ultimately undermining the persuasiveness of his civilizational dialogue proposition.

Reflection：
Ku Hung-ming 's critique carries profound implications that resonate across time. His analysis anticipated Edward Said's later critique of Orientalism by exposing how Western academia often "otherizes" non-Western civilizations while denying their subjectivity—a warning that remains crucial for contemporary sinology to guard against "academic colonialism" (the dissection of Chinese experience through Western theoretical frameworks).
More fundamentally, he redefined cultural confidence by arguing that China's civilizational value lies not in material achievements (like the Four Great Inventions) but in moral philosophy, offering today's cultural revival movement a vital lesson: authentic renaissance must transcend superficial forms (e.g., hanfu costumes or rituals) to reclaim spiritual essence. Most enduringly, his concept of "heart-to-heart understanding" proposes a paradigm for global civilizational dialogue—one that demands moving beyond prejudice to discover common ground through equality. Together, these insights form a triangulated vision: decolonial epistemology guarding against Western-centric distortions, spiritually-grounded cultural identity construction, and prejudice-transcending dialogue as the basis for meaningful exchange in our pluralistic world.