Alfred Westharp-Frensdorf And Reflections On Modernism In Republic Of China(1913-1938)

As a marginal figure in modern Chinese history,German Alfred Westharp not only deeply participated in the discussion of Chinese ideological circles,but also wandered on the edge.Based on the clue of time,this thesis gives a relatively complete description of Westharp’s activities and interpersonal network in China for the first time.From the perspective of Westharp,this thesis re-examines the potential trend of introspection modernity in the process of modern nation-state construction in modern China.Alfred Westharp’s introspection of Western modernity is mainly manifested in the emphasis on the independence of various cultures and the transformation of "alienated"human nature.In 1913,Alfred Westharp,a young German,came from the west to the East with the purpose of finding a solution to the drawbacks of Western modernity.In 1914,because of Yan Fu’s translation of "China’s education",Westharp won the attention of the educational circles.His educational idea was that the people of the time attached themselves to the popular educational ideas,which made Westharp’s reputation even greater.However,attacks were not aimed at his educational thoughts,but at his involvement in the "Confucian movement" and his praise for Chinese traditional culture.Most of the people who attack Westharp are those who advocate modernization,while those who support Westharp,such as Du Yaquan,are those who reflect on modernization.Westharp’s experience reflects the struggle between the pursuit of modernity and the reflection of modernity in the early Republic of China.After the European war,the disillusionment of Western civilization appeared in Chinese ideological circles.Liang Qichao and Liang Shuming of the oriental culture school began to emphasize the value of Chinese culture to the world,showing a tendency of cultural nationalism.Westharp’s reflection on modernity and emphasis on the value of Chinese culture were not mixed with nationalism.Since the 1920s,Westharp mainly devoted himself to the research of "Evolutionary psychology" and his educational experiment in Shanxi foreign classical Chinese schools.He was far away from the mainstream ideological circles in Beijing and Shanghai,but more closely connected with Liang Shuming.From the perspective of "Evolutionary psychology",Westharp put forward a unique view on introspection modernity,which provided new ideological resources for Liang Shuming.Since the 1930s,Westharp has devoted himself to publicizing the true connotation of Chinese culture to foreigners in China,and emphasized the significance of the revival of Chinese culture in solving the drawbacks of Western modernity.Through the overall analysis of Westharp’s words and deeds in China,we can find that Westharp’s words and deeds during his stay in China,including his several failed educational experiments,are all based on the reflection on modernity.Although he was not the core figure in the ideological trend of introspection on Modernity in the Republic of China,he had a lot of contact with the core figures,and because Westharp lacked the nationalist mood prevalent among Chinese intellectuals,his introspection on on Western modernity was reflected in the problem of rebirth of Chinese culture,which avoided dealing with the hidden contradiction between nationalism and culturalism,So as to avoid the dilemma between preserving tradition and modernization.It is also because of his lack of nationalism that he is out of touch with the mainstream ideological circles in China.Westharp’s personal ups and downs show that nationalism plays an extremely important role in the struggle between the pursuit of modernization and the reflection of modernity in modern China.