On Chen Hsuching's Philosophical Theory Of Culture

Chen Hsuching, a specially significant and influential thinker, is the initiator of the theory of total westernization in Chinese history of the thoughts. The attitudes of the academia about his thoughts are from simple negative ones into objectively treating at present, and it becomes one of hot topics of the currently academic circles. Academic circles have gained a certain achievements of the culture and ideology about his thoughts. However, it concentrates on research direction and lacks theory system excessively. The systematic research on it contributes to investigate the different attitudes of different Chinese and Western culture and also the causes since modern times, reflects defects of the traditional culture in Chinese and Western cultural collisions, and provides reference for China's new culture construction.We mainly began to deliberate its cultural background and theoretical origin, discussed his basic concepts, and then analysed his Chinese culture. It provides theoretical foil for the core theory and Chinese cultural outlet of the total westernization. Chen Hsuching's cultural theory is generalized, including the material and spiritual culture. The theory emerges in the background of radical ethos, the strong westernization atmosphere in the south and his specially personal experiences. The theoretical sources are from western cultural anthropology and western sociology. He insists culture indivisible theory, cultural evolutionism and cultural incompatibility, and deems culture is the single-lane evolution. Cultural elements are inseparable, and the results are consistent with the cultural contacts. Expounding on Chinese culture views and cultural center of gravity provides with theoretical foundation. He believes individualism, the path to the westernization theory for the entire goal, is the main strength of the modern Chinese and Western culture. The essence is to establish Chinese cultural modernity. Civil culture theory is the interpretation of his westernization theory geographically.The total westernization takes strong patriotic emotions. It involves with favorable factors to promote the developments of Chinese culture. His radical theory of total westernization has a positive role on improving the aware and self-reflection of Chinese culture. And it provides new research perspectives of the East and West. While he also exaggerates the superiority of western culture, and ignores the practical value of traditional culture. His agreements or denies for Eastern and Western culture are basically living in the theoretical level. But in generally speaking, this kind of radical cultural concept lacks of practice maneuverability.