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Reinvention of Confucianism As Secular Christianity by Gu Hongming

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Reinvention of Confucianism As Secular Christianity by Gu Hongming NURT SVD 1 (2020) s. 383-395 Reinvention of Confucianism as Secular Christianity by Gu Hongming Marek Tylkowski [email protected] SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw Obtained master degree in the field of history at Opole University in 2006. During 2008-2010 studied in China at Shandong University. In 2019 became a doctor in the field of culture and religion studies at University SWPS. Currently working as an assistant professor at University SWPS. He is interested in philosophy, religion, history and culture, especially in the context of China. Introduction uring the first half of the twentieth century few Asian people were Dwidely known in Europe, like Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) or Kazuko Okakura (1862-1913). Between them stood one Chinese – Gu Hongming (1856-1928). He was recognized as “Chinese sage” or “Chinese philosopher” by European readers of his books, which were written in English. Under his influence many of his readers agreed with him that Confucianism, which he advocated, was as valuable as Christianity. Question risen in this article is how it was possible or how Gu Hongming interpreted Confucian teachings in such a way that they seemed equal to Christian religion for Western readers? In order to answer this question few steps will be made. First, Gu Hongming’s biographical informa- tion will be introduced. Then his views will be analysed in the context of liberal theology of the nineteenth century and thought of Matthew Arnold, which were his points of reference when he spoke about Christi- anity. In the end, the logical foundation of his arguments will be exposed and the question made in the beginning will be answered. 384 Marek Tylkowski Life and thought of Gu Hongming1 Although he was mainly associated with China by his Euro- pean readers, in reality Gu Hongming’s origin lies in Malaya’s Penang island. There his family lived by few generations and he himself was born. Turning point in his life came when he was approximately twelve years old. At that time his European patron decided to bring him to Europe and give him European education. For the next dozen years he was attending schools and universities in different European coun- tries. His high level of humanistic education, which he obtained, can be known by his ability to use fluently several European languages and to quote many Western thinkers, poets, philosophers and writers, espe- cially Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Matthew Arnold, Thomas Carlyle, Ralph Waldo Emerson and so on. After coming back to Asia and serving for short time in Brit- ish colonial administration, he decided to become a real Chinaman and resigned from his post. Then after few years he was employed by Zhang Zhidong (1837-1909) – prominent official of Chinese Empire – as his private secretary. He stood by the side of his new patron until his death. During his stay at Zhang Zhidong’s side, Gu Hongming started his writing career. His works were mostly written in English and their target receivers were Western people. He wrote in the defence of ruling Dynasty during the Boxer rebellion (1899-1901), and argued that the Chinese system of government has a rational basis. He also tried to intro- duce to Europe his interpretation of Confucian teachings by being the first 1 For more detailed biographical information about Gu Hongming see: M. Tylkowski, Gu Hongming (1856-1928) prekursorem idei fuzji cywilizacji: koncepcja konfucjanizmu jako ratunku dla Zachodu i świata. Doctoral dissertation under the su- pervision of prof. Krzysztof Gawlikowski, University SWPS, Warsaw 2018. See also: Du Chunmei, Gu Hongming and the Reinvention of Chinese Civilization. A Disserta- tion Presented to The Faculty of Princeton University in Candidacy for The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Recommended for Acceptance by The Departament of East Asian Studies. Adviser: Benjamin Elman, Princeton 2009. Two dissertations mentioned above are according to author’s knowledge most advanced scientific works con- cerned with Gu Hongming in the English speaking world. There are many works about him in Chinese language, but most of them are popular works concerned with his lifestyle and personality. Biographies which are best documented are: H. Xingtao, Wenhua guaijie Gu Hongming 文化怪杰辜鸿铭 [Strange Gu Hong- ming], Beijing 1995; G. Lingyin, G. Xiuhua, Gu Hongming yv Zhongguo wenhua 辜鸿铭与中国文化 [Gu Hongming and Chinese Culture], Fuzhou 2008; K. Qin- gmao, Gu Hongming pingzhuan 辜鸿铭评传 [Gu Hongming’s biography], Beijing 2010; L. Zhongshu et al., Gu Hongming yu Zhongguo jindai sixiang wenhua 辜鸿 铭与近代思想文化 [Gu Hongming and modern Chinese thought], Beijing 2015. REINVENTION OF CONFUCIANISM... 385 Chinese who translated some of Chinese classics into English. Besides he predicted that the outcome of colonial powers coming to China will be the birth of the new universal civilization, which will synthesize achieve- ments of Chinese and Western people. He wrote about it that: „Under the new civilization freedom for the educated man will not mean liberty to do what he likes, but the liberty to do what is right. […] He does right because he loves to do right; and he does no wrong, nor from motive of abject or craven fear, but because he hates to do wrong […] Therefore, The Chinese call an educated person a 君子 Koen Tzu (君 Koen is the same word as German Koenig or King, a kinglet or little king of men)”2. After revolution in 1911 and establishment of the Republic of China Gu Hongming never came to agreement with the new political order. As a sign of remaining loyal to overthrown dynasty he main- tained queue, which was required under penalty of death by Manchu- rian rulers from their Han Chinese subjects. In the time of Republic it became a sign of Han Chinese humiliation for republican elites. But Gu Hongming was stubborn and argued that the only Manchurian dynasty has a moral right to govern China. He expressed his views in The Story of Chinese Oxford Movement, where he wrote: “The Manchus, being the descendants of the only military caste in China, have more than the Chinese heroism or nobility of charac- ter, because their fathers were soldiers. […] In short the power of industry of the people in China has to produce; the power of intelligence of the Chinese literati has to educate; and the nobility of the Manchu Aristocracy has to direct the power of industry of the people to a noble national life – to a noble civilization”3. Besides criticizing republican order, he also criticized the West. His most influential work on this field was The Spirit of the Chinese People. It was written during the First World War. In this circumstances his claims that Western civilization is in the crisis found much under- standing in European countries. However the most astonishing – was his statement that in order to get out of this crisis European people can learn from the Chinese. He wrote: “I really believe that the people of Europe will find the solution of the great problem of civilization after this war – here in China4”. 2 K. Hung-Ming, Papers from a viceroy’s yamen, Shanghai 1901, pp. 194-195. 3 K. Hung-Ming, The Story of a Chinese Oxford Movement, Delhi 2018, pp. 6-7. 4 K. Hung-Ming, The Spirit of the Chinese People, Peking 1915, Introduction, p. X. 386 Marek Tylkowski After publication of The Spirit of the Chinese People Gu Hong- ming’s popularity in Europe come to its pick. The book mentioned above was translated to several European languages5. He became a famous person. Philosophers and thinkers which made reference to his works included George Brandes, Herman Hesse, Leonard Nelson, Rudolf Pannwitz, Walter Benjamin6, Lew Tolstoy7 and Mahatma Ghan- di8. While he was living in Beijing it was fashionable for European travel- lers to the Chinese capital to search for opportunity to meet him. Some of them, like German philosopher Hermann Keyserling9 and William Somerset Maugham10 left relations of their meetings. From them it can be known that Gu Hongming was a proud person, who emphasized the arrogance of Western people towards China and praised magnifi- cence of the Chinese culture. At the same time Gu Hongming’s reputation among his fellow Chinese was bad. He was perceived as an extreme conservatist. He was called crazy Gu11. Much of this opinion originated from his insisting on having queue and wearing old fashioned clothes in order to manifest his loyalty to Qing dynasty and ideals of traditional China. Besides he defended old customs and institutions, which became intolerable in the 5 For example: K. Hung-Ming, Der Geist des chinesischen Volkes & der ausweg aus diem krieg, transl. O. Schmitz, Jena 1924; K. Hung-Ming, Det goda medborgarska- pets religion och andra essayer, transl. H. Svanberg, Stockholm 1916; K. Hung- Ming, L’esprit du peuple chinois, transl. P. Rival, Paris 1927; K. Hung-Ming, Duch narodu chińskiego, transl. J. Targowski, Kraków 1928. 6 See: Ch. Du, Gu Hongming as Cultural Amphibian. A Confucianist Universalist Critique of Modern Western Cyvilization, “Journal of World History”, vol. 22, nr 4, 2011, p. 739. 7 Letter of Tolstoy to Gu Hongming see: 12. Tuoersitai yv Gu Hongming shu 托尔 斯泰与辜鸿铭书 [Letter of Tolstoy to Gu Hongming], [in:] Gu Hongming wenji 辜鸿 铭文集 [Collected Works of Gu Hongming], vol. II, Haikou 1996, pp. 603-607. 8 M.K. Gandhi, A Parallel from China, “Young India”, 9 II 1928, [in:] S. Ganesan (ed.), Young India 1927-1928, Madras 1935, pp. 604. 9 H. Keyserling wrote about his impressions from meeting with Gu Hongming in his book about his voyage to the East: H. Keyserling, The Travel Diary of a Phi- losopher, vol. II, transl. H. Reece, New York 1925.
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