Bridging The East And The West--A Research On The Scottish Sinologist James Legge (1815-1897)

James Legge (1815-1897) is a well-known Scottish sinologist and missionary of the London Missionary Society. This dissertation is a comprehensive research on James Legge's career in China and sinological achievement as well as his Christian ideas influenced byScottish philosophy and non-conformily. Based on the archives of the New Bodleian Library, the University of Oxford and relevant publications, the dissertation serves to visualize the Chinese culture in the eye of a westerner, to provide hints for the preservation and distribution of the Chinese culture, and, among other things, to make up for the absence of systematic studies on James Legge in the mainland China and create a cross-field academic link for the research concerned the world over.Through a combined approach of history, linguistics and religion, the dissertation makes an all-round analysis of James Legge's translation of ancient Chinese classics which is characterized by faithful context and scholarly style, throwing light on the impact of motivation and thinking mode on style and terminology.By analyzing James Legge's modernity in magazine-editing and college management, his secular reform of Hong Kong education system, and his Chinese Christian disciples' political and journalistic achievements under his influence, the dissertation concludes James Legge's contributions to the modernization progress of the Chinese society.With the materials rarely found before, the dissertation objectively proves James Legge's missionary career serves his religious faith instead of the UK government. This can be seen from his Chinese-directed doings such as his non-violent solution to a Christian case, and his protest against opium-trade and the British army's joining in the crack-down of the Taiping Rebellion. The dissertation also clarifies James Legge's Christianity-orientated comparative religious research, his criticism on some of Chinese classics in terms of reason and logic, and his inclination to merge Chinese religions and Christianity which is rarely found among missionaries of the 19th century.The dissertation consists of seven chapters. The first chapter is concerned with James Legge's experience before coming to China. The second describes the difficult situation Legge had to face in China and his consequent response. The third is an analysis of Legge's ^religious works and ideas. The fourth is a description of Legge's editing the monthly The Chinese serial. The fifth chapter is an illustration of Legge's way of running Anglo-Chinese College (later Anglo-Theological Seminary) and his efforts to secularize Hong Kong educational system, which apparently contradicts his identity as a missionary. The sixth is a comprehensive research of Legge's translation. The seventh is about Legge's experience after returning to the United Kingdom, focusing on his career in the University of Oxford as the first professor of sinology and his sinological research for the rest of his life.