晚清寓华新教传教士的儒学观——以林乐知在上海所办《万国公报》为中心

The View on Confucianism of the Protestant Missionaries SojournedIn China during the Late Qing Dynasty:Around The Globe Magazine Run by Young John Allen in Shanghai

晚清来华以林乐知等人为代表的自由派新教传教士对中国儒家学说的看法和态度存在着“合儒”、“补儒”、“批儒”、“代儒”等环环相扣的四个层次,其中,“合儒”是一种文化策略,“代儒”———基督教征服中国———才是他们的最终目的,而“补儒”、“批儒”则是从“合儒”到“代儒”之间的必要手段和桥梁。西教士对儒学中的缺陷、不足和劣根性等批语是完全站在西方人立场和基督教的角度进行的,但也应该承认这对动摇儒家思想在中国文化教育和思想中的核心地位不无助益,因而在近代中国具有开风气之先的思想启蒙作用。

The view on, and attitude towards, Confucianism of Young John Allen and other representatives of the liberal protestant missionaries sojourning in China during the Late Qing dynasty, consist of four cross-linked dimensions, viz. “combination with, supplement to, criticism on, and substitution of, Confucianism”. Among them, the “combination with Confucianism” is a sort of cultural strategy, whereas the “substitution of Confucianism”, that is, China’s conquest by Christianity, just their ultimate aim and goal. As to the “supplement to Confucianism” and “criticism on Confucianism”, they are only the necessary means and bridge employed realize their ultimate aim and goal. Their criticism on the defects, shortcomings and inborn inferiority is naturally done from the standpoint of the Occidentals and of Christianity, it, however, should still be admitted that it is of assistance in shaking the key position of Confucian thoughts in Chinese cultural education and thoughts, thus playing an initiatory path-breaking role in modern China.