Lu Xun once reminded young people to read less Chinese books and more books all over the world; Read all kinds of books, not stick to literature books.
When I was in my twenties, I didn't quite understand Lu Xun's meaning, and even felt that he was a bit narrow-minded. Because in our normal cognition, Chinese culture is extensive and profound. How can we suggest not reading Chinese books?
Later, as my vision gradually broadened, I finally had the ability to view Chinese culture from the perspective of world culture, and then I really understood what Lu Xun meant.
First of all, Lu Xun's suggestion is mainly aimed at young people, that is, people whose world outlook and values are being shaped; Secondly, what Lu Xun said about reading less Chinese books is that most people only had the opportunity to read Chinese books at that time.
Most of the Chinese books in Lu Xun's era are so-called ancient classics. In fact, they are mainly used to promote values such as the three cardinal principles and five virtues, loyalty and filial piety. If you only read these books, your head will certainly be domesticated into a slave.
Today, I think it is still necessary to read diversified books, but as a part of reading Chinese books, it is certainly no problem. Therefore, this topic can be narrowed down a little. Why should we read less Chinese history books.
There was a time when I loved watching Chinese history. Because China has a long history, too many things have happened, and there are also many things worth learning from today.
Just like the uprising in the Sui and Tang dynasties, there are many enlightenments for young people about their personal destiny in the turbulent times, the rise of heroes, and the assessment of the situation in front of major choices.
The officialdom struggle, the game between monarchs and ministers, and the national reform in the history of the Ming Dynasty have brought more enlightenment.
But the more I look at Chinese history, the more I find myself changing - my values are gradually becoming "social Darwinism". One day I finally realized this and began to reflect.
I find that many of my actions have been increasingly shaped by the values in Chinese history books.
To sum up, it is: from a personal perspective, keen on competition between people, keen on concepts such as "strategy" and "Tao"; From the national perspective, it only focuses on the binary opposition and integration between individuals and countries.
I found that the biggest problem brought by reading only Chinese books is the simplification of values and perspectives. Because Chinese culture itself is extremely monotonous in terms of values and ways of thinking.
Chinese history is a projection of Chinese culture; Therefore, Chinese history is also extremely monotonous.
Some people may be unconvinced: how can Chinese history be said to be monotonous? There are so many dynasties, so many characters, so complicated conflicts
But the complicated history of China can be summed up in only eight words: the change of dynasties and the flattery of power.
The so-called wonderful history is just the renaming of the bloody dynasties again and again; The so-called strategy is nothing more than the scheming slaves who are trying their best to flatter the emperor's power.
There is basically no real institutional change or change and evolution of social structure.
From an individual point of view, in addition to learning about human competition, that is, social Darwinism, we cannot provide more modern values, such as justice, justice, power checks and balances, social games, and so on.
Therefore, from the Qin and Han Dynasties to the Qing Dynasty, Chinese history was just copying, pasting and self recycling.
Some people may say that is not the case with foreign history?
Of course not.
Just like Rome, which has shaped the western world today, the struggle around republicanism or monarchy is magnificent enough. Why do Westerners always talk about the struggle between Caesar and the Senate? Because this struggle has profoundly shaped the thinking of today's world, and it is also the foundation for mankind to walk out of the era of slavery.
But this kind of game is blank in Chinese history.
Of course, it cannot be said that China has no power game, such as the struggle between the prime minister's power and imperial power in the Han Dynasty, and the struggle between the imperial power and the cabinet in the Ming Dynasty. However, China's power game and the West are totally two concepts: China has always focused on the absolute power of the monarch, but has only made some minor adjustments within the absolute imperial power. The ministers are absolute vassals of the emperor in any era, and the binary structure of the monarch and ministers is unchanged.
The West has always been playing a multi-level game. Rome has had a thorough republican experiment. Although the imperial power was restored later, the binary structure of "monarch and minister" is still very fragile; Even in the dark Middle Ages, there were games of different power centers, such as royal power, divine power, chambers of commerce, guilds, and artisan alliances.
It is these games that make human beings step out of class slavery and absolute control of power, and move towards the framework of modern society such as equality of all people, social justice, and authority of the rule of law.
It is the essence of Chinese and Western history that is different. Reading Chinese and Western history books will become two completely different experiences.
Looking at western history books, the position of strategy has declined, and the focus is on the change of social structure based on the evolution of productivity. With the shift of power focus, the social structure is also undergoing radical changes.
Another aspect is the evolution of the global social structure brought about by the history of western colonialism. Here, colonization is not a derogatory term in the usual sense, but a reshaping of the political, economic and cultural structures under the trend of globalization.
However, Chinese history books are just the continuous retelling under the structure of "monarch and minister" and "family and country".
Just like the civil service groups after the Song Dynasty, the so-called game is just to redistribute some interests within the scope of power given by the emperor; To the outside world, there is a continuous cycle of "national humiliation narrative". The story of Yue Fei and Qin Hui is the ceiling of Chinese people's external imagination.
Such as these examples in European history: the Vikings "invaded" and merged and influenced the civilization of the European continent; Arab civilization strongly shaped the ancient European civilization; How the shadow of "Republic" reverberated from Greece and Rome to England during the Glorious Revolution; How did the rise of the middle class after the industrial revolution shape the modern world? These changes involving the deep structure of politics are not found in Chinese history.
As for the dynastic cycle, it is more like a humiliation that has lasted for thousands of years: after countless cycles, the imagination of the Chinese people is still limited to the option of "who will be the emperor".
I think that is why young people should read less about Chinese history - when you are unconsciously shaped into values by this single view of history, you will become an animal that only pursues power or submits to power.
The justice and righteousness of modern civilization can no longer enter your mind.
