Original title: Re understanding a scholar (theme)
——Reading the "Records of Wang Jindi" (subtitle)
On the eve of the Spring Festival this year, I went to Beijing to pay a visit to Mr. Wang Meng, and before I left, I received a copy of Wang Jindi's Anthology, which was just published. To be honest, I have been looking forward to this book for a long time. When I returned to the hotel, I couldn't wait to read the preface "After the Crime and Punishment of Father and Mother" written by Mr. Wang Meng. When I returned to Qingdao the next day, I received a WeChat message from Mr. Wang Meng, "My next generation criticized me for over belittling my father. The tragedy is that he didn't mention or admit that he had done meaningful writing. This is worth thinking about."
For Wang Jindi, there are still many places worthy of "deep reflection and aftertaste". Objectively speaking, not many people are familiar with this name. However, quite a number of people have read Wang Meng's novel Activity Becomes Human, in which the "prototype" of the hero Ni Wucheng is Wang Meng's father, Wang Jindi. If you stand on Wang Meng's position as a son, you can fully understand Wang Meng's feelings.
Wang Jindi really came into people's view, which was derived from Wang Meng's autobiography "Half a Life with Many Things", in which he was mentioned in many places. Although I used the words "neurotic", I read a certain understanding and sympathy, of course, more pity and sigh than the novel "Activity Becomes Human". In "After the Crime and Punishment of Father and Mother", Wang Meng still believes that Wang Jindi is "a character who has completely lost his sense of reality". However, Wang Meng did not forget Wang Jindi's "sincere and kind smile" when he was a chub mackerel.
In the first ten days of June 2008, I organized an academic seminar on Wang Meng's Autobiography at Qingdao Ocean University of China. In his speech, Mr. Yan Jiayan of Peking University recalled one thing that Mr. Ren Jiyu said about Wang Jindi: "People are very smart. They have stayed in school and been to the liberated areas. They like to talk quietly, but sometimes it makes people feel too big and irrelevant. It seems that he has a lot of plans, but he has never seen any results... "This is the first time I heard someone talking about Wang Jindi in public.
On November 9 of the same year, I had the honor to accompany Mr. Wang Meng and Mr. Cui Ruifang to visit Qingdao Normal School (then Qingdao Special Municipal Normal School) where Wang Jindi was the former principal. The relevant departments also copied the "commission" of Wang Jindi as the principal to us. There is a picture of Wang Jindi in the "Commission": a national face, a wide mouth, round glasses, a suit and tie, thick hair, and a sense of complacency between the eyebrows. The special note of "Preparation for Examination" in the "Commission": Wang Jindi, nicknamed "Shaofeng", was born on February 26, the third year of Xuantong, originally from Longtang Village, Nanpi County, Hebei Province, and now lives in Beijing Shibanfang 22; Current address: No. 2, Taiping Road, Qingdao, with a monthly salary of 360 yuan. This is probably the most detailed personal record of Wang Jindi in the world.
The first time I learned about the relationship between Wang Jindi and the Sino German Society was also from Wang Meng's "Half a lifetime of many things", "My father translated German philosophy works overnight, published his translations in the Sino German Journal, and earned a little money to support his family." What really changed my impression of Wang Jindi was, It was a few years ago that I read Mr. Ye Jun's long article Wang Jindi as a promoter of German knowledge and his translation of Sino German Academic Records. Nearly 40 years after his death, Wang Jindi finally stepped out of the fog of history and came into people's view in another way.
So, who is Wang Jindi? "Not a donkey or a horse"? "Extra people"? Modern "Kong Yiji"? An idealist full of tragedy? Of course, both are right, but they are too simple. So, is Wang Jindi a historical "joke" or a historical "intermediate" with a heavy sense of tragedy? This is still a problem that needs to be seriously considered and faced. It is not only a cultural conscience but also a cultural responsibility to face up to the cost and sacrifice of history.
The Record of Wang Jindi shows the image of Wang Jindi as a scholar and scholar for the first time, and comprehensively presents his academic and literary activities. Objectively speaking, Wang Jindi is a highly talented and very keen scholar, which is not difficult to see from the book. At the same time, he is also a person with a wide range of academic interests, who has dabbled in philosophy, education, culture, politics, literature, etc., and has extraordinary views. Of course, his main contribution is the translation and introduction of modern German philosophy. His translation and introduction of Sprunger, Husserl, Heidegger, Jaspers, Hegel and Herbart show his broad academic vision and superior academic vision. More importantly, he is good at carrying out research from the perspective of academic history and from a comparative perspective, rather than talking about things alone. Wang Jindi studied philosophy at Peking University and Imperial University in Tokyo, Japan. Especially when he studied in Japan, he specialized in Kant and Hegel, and had good philosophical literacy. I think his introduction to Husserl, Heidegger, and Jaspers is innovative, not just "pushing". As Ye Jun said, Wang Jindi's contribution to the history of Sino German cultural exchanges should be "reevaluated". In addition, his introduction to Japanese culture, politics, literature, etc., also has significance that cannot be ignored.
However, what puzzles me is that from the perspective of academic research, Wang Jindi is more like a gentle and rational scholar than his classmate at Peking University and famous critic Li Changzhi who said that he has "a character like 'young Victor'". This may be one of the multifaceted nature of literati.
In essence, Wang Jindi is an enlightener, which determines that his translation and research is not a study type, not academic for academic purposes, nor just for "living", but meaningful, with its own conscious realistic consideration and value orientation. His studies of philosophy, culturology, pedagogy and politics all point to the real society and the reconstruction of modern Chinese culture. However, it is regrettable that many of his views did not attract attention, and even were gradually obliterated by history.
At the same time, Wang Jindi is an idealist full of tragedy. His restlessness and tearing, anxiety and desire, and his "inability to reach up and down, and embarrassment to both sides" are basically the result of discord and conflict between individuals and the times. Wang Jindi worships Europe and the United States, speaks eloquently, does not understand practice, "does not care about his family", likes to speak English and go to restaurants. In short, he is a person who lives outside the reality - his "original sin" is "divorced from reality", which is something we need to learn from. However, I have more or less understanding and sympathy for him. After all, in such a social environment, who has really treated him seriously with understanding sympathy or even compassionate respect?
As a "specimen" of Chinese intellectuals in the early 20th century, Wang Jindi has unique historical and cultural values. In this sense, the publication of Wang Jindi's Records provides a new opportunity and possibility to review the modernization process of Chinese society in the 20th century.
(Author's unit: Wang Meng Literature Institute of Ocean University of China)
