Traditional Character and Political Fate of Modern Chinese Intellectuals

Abstract

This paper aims to establish that the archetypes of modern Chinese intellectuals are also fundamentally similar to the archetypes of modern Chinese culture. Despite the fact that there has, ever since the latter half of the 20th century, been so few scholars of the traditional type who were schooled both in Chinese as well as Western studies, and so few authentic intellectuals who have preoccupied with the ‘social conscience’, justice and uprightness are still deeply rooted in the hearts of most modern intellectuals. Their cultural character is too complicated to be settled, and their political fate difficult and torturous. However, during the past century, the Chinese intellectuals have emerged out of the era of ‘SHI’, formed their unique cultural character in the collision and collaboration of Chinese and Western cultures, and merge into a new orbit of the international academic field.