The Chinese Road in the Light of Historical Continuity

The Chinese road has deep historical roots. Its most striking feature is that it is marked by historical continuity rather than rupture, and the main force behind this continuity is its intrinsic dynamism and vitality. Unlike the paradigm of Eurocentrism or ＂Discovering History in China,＂ the comparative analytical paradigm discovers China through long-term comparisons with corresponding countries in the same time and space in an effort to find positive elements in the history of the Chinese road and to refute the long prevalent theory of Chinese stagnation. Seen over the course of world history, the impetus for the creation of the world＇s most brilliant agrarian civilization was endogenous. This impetus was not a momentary ＂explosive force＂ but a sustainable institutional drive whose main constituents were the independent farming household, endogenous government capacity and adaptive national governance. In addition to the main theme of ＂permanent change,＂ Chinese development had a secondary theme of ＂cyclical change＂ which cannot be ignored. The roots of Chinese development are buried deep in the genes of this agrarian nation in the form of sticky institutions, bureaucratic inertia, arbitrary power, etc. Historical continuity provided a foundation for China＇s creative revolution and development in modern times, ultimately laying down a socialist development road with Chinese characteristics, although this remains an unfinished relay process.

Inventory of aspen trees in spruce dominated stands in conserva-tion area

Background： The occurrence of aspen trees increases the conservation value of mature conifer dominated forests. Aspens typically occur as scattered individuals among major tree species, and therefore the inventory of aspens is challenging. Methods： We characterized aspen populations in a boreal nature reserve using diameter distribution, spatial pattern, and forest attributes： volume, number of aspens, number of large aspen stems and basal area median diameter. The data were collected from three separate forest stands in Koli National Park, eastern Finland. At each site, we measured breast height diameter and coordinates of each aspen. The comparison of inventory methods of aspens within the three stands was based on simulations with mapped field data. We mimicked stand level inventory by locating varying numbers of fixed area circular plots both systematically and randomly within the stands. Additionally, we also tested if the use of airborne laser scanning （ALS） data as auxiliary information would improve the accuracy of the stand level inventory by applying the probability proportional to size sampling to assist the selection of field plot locations. Results： The results showed that aspens were always clustered, and the diameter distributions indicated different stand structures in the three investigated forest stands. The reliability of the volume and number of large aspen trees varied from relative root mean square error figures above 50% with fewer sample plots （5-10） to values of 25%-50% with ]0 or more sample plots. Stand level inventory estimates were also able to detect spatial pattern and the shape of the diameter distribution. In addition, ALS-based auxiliary information could be useful in guiding the inventories, but caution should be used when applying the ALS-supported inventory technique. Conclusions： This study characterized European aspen populations for the purposes of monitoring and management of boreal conservation areas. Our results suggest that if the number of sample plots is adequate, i.e. 10 or more stand level inventory will provide accurate enough forest attributes estimates in conservation areas （minimum accuracy requirement of RMSE% is 20%-50%）. Even for the more ecologically valuable attributes, such as diameter distribution, spatial pattern and large aspens, the estimates are acceptable for conservation purposes

Models of Presence and Loss of Transcendence in History

The article seeks to elucidate the status of transcendence in the historiography of secularization through the perspective of collective memory. It discusses two typological models dealing with the basic metaphysical problem concerned with the presence and meaning of transcendence in real human existence. According to the first, the historical reality of secularization causes a break from the collective memory whose roots are in religion. In contrast, the second model considers that despite the deep transformations in the status of religion in a reality of secularization, an experience of historical continuity may also occur there. These models denote the two poles in the argument about the meaning and value of history for modem people. The article suggests a phenomenological analysis of the two models and criticizes their deficiencies. Finally, the ＂tension model＂ is outlined as a third alternative that aims at overcoming the binary situation created by the first two in favor of a perspective that necessitates and contains both immanence and transcendence.

Who is the ＂Rightful＂ Inheritor of Ancient Culture？ Ancient Greece, Modern Greece, and Richard Wagner

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the reception of Wagner＇s approaches to Greek antiquity by Greek musicologists and composers which took place at the first half of the 20th century. Wagner＇s such readings were parts of wider narrations of archeology and how Greeks perceived their past.This research is largely based on primary sources of that time; its arguments construct two levels of critique： （1） Admiration （the ＇proper＇ aesthetic examples are German models, as exemplified in Wagner＇s work）; and （2） ＂Hellenism＂ as a means to distancing from Wagner （The past of ancient Greece is still believed to be better understood by the Greeks）. The principal conclusions are： （1） Wagner＇s views were admired because Wagner＇s example （ancient culture） should also be an example for Greek composers; and （2） Wagner＇s views were judged on the grounds of： Ideology： the expression of the ＂soul＂; the theory of ＂historic continuity＂; the balance between music, poetry, and dance; Wagner gave superiority to music, modem Greeks （should） give a predominant role to language as a means of expression in an ancient drama, or achieve a balance among the three arts of music, poetry, and dance.

The Modernization of Small Town and the Continuation of Historical Context

In the process of criticizing complete westernization,the traditional culture and national culture have gained theirdeserved positions.However.it is still under discussion whether or not all the traditional culture should be encouragedand whether the enhancement of national culture means the advocation of traditional culture or not.It is generally heldthat feudalism dominates the former while the latter is dominated by socialism.In the course of strengthening spiritualcivilization the encouragement of the national culture will not be simply achieved by restoring fragments of ancientways,let alone the issues of rejecting the dross and assimilating the weeding through the old to bring forth the new inthe field of carrying forward the traditional culture.The author points out,through profound study in planning,modernization is not westernization,historical context is not simply the reappearance of the past and continuation isnot carrying on as before.