This paper reexamines the metamorphosis of China＇s moral and cultural traditions in the course of modernization over the last hundred years and the complex relationship between Chinese modernity and the moral and cul...This paper reexamines the metamorphosis of China＇s moral and cultural traditions in the course of modernization over the last hundred years and the complex relationship between Chinese modernity and the moral and cultural traditions latent in this metamorphosis, in the context of contemporary China. We deduce and demonstrate the following basic conclusion： modem China＇s attempt at resolving the dichotomy of liberalism and conservatism of moral cultural traditions shows that the country＇s post-tradition ethical culture faces the dilemma of whether to hold on to tradition or abandon it. However, the final result may be that modem China is still ＂within tradition＂ rather than ＂outside tradition.＂ The only difference is that new socialist morality has risen dramatically to prominence out of intellectual debates in the last century and has become the mainstream moral culture of modem China. However, this does not represent something that is purely alien or ＂outside tradition,＂ but rather a new stage in the development of Chinese moral tradition and Chinese modernity; it is still part of the chain of transmitted variants in China＇s long, profound and continuous moral cultural tradition.展开更多
文摘This paper reexamines the metamorphosis of China＇s moral and cultural traditions in the course of modernization over the last hundred years and the complex relationship between Chinese modernity and the moral and cultural traditions latent in this metamorphosis, in the context of contemporary China. We deduce and demonstrate the following basic conclusion： modem China＇s attempt at resolving the dichotomy of liberalism and conservatism of moral cultural traditions shows that the country＇s post-tradition ethical culture faces the dilemma of whether to hold on to tradition or abandon it. However, the final result may be that modem China is still ＂within tradition＂ rather than ＂outside tradition.＂ The only difference is that new socialist morality has risen dramatically to prominence out of intellectual debates in the last century and has become the mainstream moral culture of modem China. However, this does not represent something that is purely alien or ＂outside tradition,＂ but rather a new stage in the development of Chinese moral tradition and Chinese modernity; it is still part of the chain of transmitted variants in China＇s long, profound and continuous moral cultural tradition.
