Knowledge Transformation And Cultural Identity Change

Zhou Zuoren and his contemporaries are the last generation intellectual who systematically accept Chinese traditional culture education.Chinese traditional culture is the starting point of their spiritual growth,but also shapes their soul and personality.However,they are in the transitional period of Chinese society and culture,and the new education they received has changed the existing knowledge structure.This is a generation in which the old and new cultures merge and conflict,which makes the two different cultural identities of scholar-officials and modern intellectuals exist in this generation at the same time.This paper takes Zhou Zuoren as the discussion center and elaborates on the transformation of old and new knowledge and the change of identity about him.The first chapter discusses traditional culture education and the cultivation of the old literati.Zhou Zuoren,who was born into a big family,grew up with the traditional education.The traditional knowledge and culture he received shaped the personality of a traditional literati,which mainly reflected in his poems and essays in this period.In addition,the old literati sentiment of “grieving over spring and mourning for autumn”,seclusion and traditional nihilism became part of the spiritual world of Zhou Zuoren.The second chapter discusses Zhou Zuoren under the influence of western learning.Zhou began to expose to new-style education and fresh thoughts when hewas studying in Nanjing.These new emerging thoughts even though impacted Zhou Zuoren to some extent,far from dramatic,since they were introduced by several scholars like Yan Fu,Lin Shu and Liang Qichao.It was in Japan Zhou learned western culture systematically and integrally that is different from the essence of Chinese traditional culture,then his knowledge structure experienced fundamental changes.During this period,Zhou Zuoren's thoughts were also in a state of chaos and complexity.Old and new knowledge were constantly fighting with each other,and the old knowledge sometimes gained the upper hand,but overall it was new.The third chapter discusses the change of Zhou Zuoren's identity from traditional literati to modern intellectual.In 1911,Zhou began to be engaged in education after he back to Shaoxing.The found of the Republic of China did not create a state of freedom and equality,therefore,Zhou felt his responsibility and concerning for the county as a intellectual.The western ideas accepted during the period of study abroad have come into play,Zhou Zuoren began to change the national thoughts and develop the literary concept accepted in Japan,and further implemented it from theory to actual change in their social status.Meanwhile,he was very concerned about children,sexuality and other new knowledge.The social and educational work he involved was necessary for him to a modern intellectual.Old knowledge or new knowledge,all need social soil.The Revolution of 1911 was a political failure,but it brought great changes to Chinese society.This change also provided the soil for the emergence of Chinese modern intellectuals and prepared for the establishment of the new cultural identity of Zhou Zuoren's generation.The conclusion summarizes Zhou Zuoren's new and old knowledge transformation and identity change,as well as his incomplete identity transformation.