Jing Qicheng: the Leading Figure of Contemporary Chinese Psychology
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International Journal of Psychology and Counselling Vol. 2(8), pp. 17-24, August 2010 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/JPC ISSN 2141-2499 ©2010 Academic Journals Review Jing Qicheng: The leading figure of contemporary Chinese psychology Zhang Yun, Yang Wendeng and Ye Haosheng* Department of Educational Science, Nanjing Normal University, NingHai Road, No.122, Nanjing 210097, China. Accepted 30 June, 2010 Jing Qicheng was the most distinguished psychologist of contemporary China and also the spokesman of Chinese psychology around the international arena after the opening and reform of China. With a broad view, he was both an experimental psychologist of high attainments and a theoretical psychologist with profound knowledge. This paper does not deal with his contributions in cognitive and developmental psychology, but analyzes his international psychological thoughts and practices from a theoretical perspective. It is observed that Jing Qicheng not only endeavored in his writings to bridge the gap between Chinese and western psychologies (both introducing foreign psychologies to China and advocating Chinese psychology abroad), but also, he actively participated in the organization and practice of international psychology. As a leader of the international union of psychological science, he organized and hosted the 28th International Congress of Psychology in 2004. Through his life, he had contributed significantly in highlighting the international aspect of psychology, promoting the exchange of international psychology and pushing Chinese psychology into the world stage. Key words: Jing Qicheng, international psychology, Chinese Psychological Society, International Union of Psychological Science, practice. INTRODUCTION Jin Qicheng (1926 - 2008), also translated as Jing, Q.C. the interview from Michel Oksenberg, a famous American or Ching, C.C., was “a famous Chinese psychologist, who expert on Chinese issues. is the leading figure towards the opening and reform of Chinese psychology to the whole world in the 1980s” (Fu, “I have not finished much research work; after all, 2006). His whole life was attached to psychology with you have to sacrifice something. I think what I prominent achievements in the following psychological have arranged is much more important than only aspects such as the basic theoretical studies, cognitive publishing some essays for myself” (Ching, 1981, studies (especially on color perception) and studies of p.542). mental development of children (especially on an only- child in China). This paper does not involve Jing’s studies In Jing’s view, those “much more important” things, which and conclusions on cognitive and developmental even outweigh his own research, are to highlight the psychology, but focuses on his contributions on the com- international aspect of psychology and promote the munication between Chinese and western psychologies. psychological exchange between China and the rest of In fact, early in 1979, Jing visited the University of the world, which finally realize his ideals of international Michigan and studied there for a year as the first Chinese psychology. psychologist from the mainland visiting the USA for academic exchange after new China was founded. Approaching his departure from the USA, Jing accepted INTRODUCING CHINESE PSYCHOLOGY TO THE FIELD OF INTERNATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY After 1949, for certain well-known political reasons, *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: Chinese psychology started a complete inclination for the 0086 025 83598979. Soviet psychology and divinized Pavlovian conditioning 18 Int. J. Psychol. Couns. as the only sacred paradigm. Meanwhile, lacks of intro- determination to introduce Chinese psychology to the duction to the western psychology with too much criticism outside world. of it resulted in the separation of Chinese psychology In 1984, Jing authored a paper Psychology and Four from the western world. Particularly, during the period Modernization in China (Jing, 1984a) and reflected on the from 1966 to 1976, Chinese psychology suffered from a devastating blow that Chinese psychology had suffered great loss, while all schools got depressed from isolations during ten years of the ‘cultural revolution’. He believed of the outside world for a period of ten years. Chinese psy that Chinese psychology should be closely linked with the chology did not get the latest development of ‘four modernization’ to actively go abroad. At that time, he international psychology, while the latter knew little about was acutely aware of the enculturation of Chinese Chinese psychology. In this situation, Jing Qicheng psychology and advocated a critical borrowing from authored twelve articles in some international journals foreign psychologies. Jing noted that, in China, only a like American Psychologist, International Journal of part of psychology (such as most ‘hard’ psychology and Psychology (ever since 1980), all introductions to psycho physiological methods) was compatible with their Chinese psychology (including one Japanese article, that culture, while soft psychology, which is the social parts of is, Recent Development of Psychology in China (1989)), psychology, was difficult to transplant. For the latter, he and wrote the entry of “Chinese Psychology” for three said that there should be a development of a cultural different English editions of Encyclopedia of Psychology psychology suitable for their country. In the articles about (Jing, 1984, 1987, 2001). Hence, to the international introductions to Chinese psychology that he published in world of psychology, he elaborated on the present international journals after 1984, while stressing learning situation, influencing factors and tough challenges for from abroad, Jing embarked on the spread of Chinese Chinese psychology in an objective and fair way. psychological achievements to the field of international psychology. He traced the ancient roots of psychology to Greek philosophy, Chinese Confucian Ideology and History and present: The importance of international Indian Buddhism (Jing, 2000). Psychological thinking in exchange China, as explained by Jing, “originated 2,000 years ago when Chinese philosophers debated about the goodness As early as 1980, Jing published psychology in the and evilly nature of humans”. He gave detailed account of People’s Republic of China (Ching, 1980) in American Confucius thoughts on human nature, personality and Psychologist, objectively describing the development of human development. To give a vivid description to the psychology in China through five periods: the beginnings foreigners, some famous quotes by Confucius were cited of Chinese psychology (1910 - 1948), psychology in the in original words: early days of the People’s Republic of China (1949 - 1957), the period of growth and development (1958 - 1965), the attack on psychology by the ‘gang of four’ “By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they (1966 - 1975) and the revival of psychology since 1976. get to be wide apart.” “At fifteen, I had my mind At the end of this article, he speculated about the detours bent on learning, while at thirty, I stood firm. At that Chinese psychology had passed and brought up the forty, I had no doubts, whereas at fifty, I know the importance of Chinese psychology’s learning from decrees of Heaven. At sixty, my ear was an abroad. “For this enterprise we need to work arduously obedient organ for the perception of truth and at and depend on our own effort, but it is equally crucial that seventy, I could follow what my mind desired we learn from the advanced experience of our colleagues without transgressing what was right” (Jing and overseas” (Ching, 1980). Jing stated “psychology is Fu, 2001). international” and “the blindly anti-foreign attitude can only result in a loss for us” (Ching, 1980). Besides, from the latest results of research on history of In April 1981, Jing attended the annual meeting of Chinese psychology, Jing concluded that the exchange British Psychological Society and then visited Paris on an between Chinese and foreign psychology was not invitation, when he was always asked questions about something new, but had a long history since ancient Chinese psychology by foreign colleagues in curiosity. times. Marco Polo in the 13th century and some Jesuit What did Chinese psychology absorb from the long missionaries of later times, such as Giulio Aleni and history of Chinese culture and the philosophical thoughts Franciscus Sambiasi, served as the envoy “responsible of outstanding philosophers in ancient and modern for transmitting the basic ideas of Western scholastic China? After thirty years of psychology development, psychology into China”. It was noted that psychology in what are the distinctive characteristics of Chinese China had many original and valuable ideas of its own, psychology that made a difference from foreign which Jing exemplified that five years before Matteo Ricci psychologies (Jing, 1981)? Facing these questions, Jing mentioned the relationship between brain and memory in did not give satisfactory answers, but then, he deeply felt 1595, the famous Chinese medicine expert Li Shizhen the hope of foreign colleagues to know the present had written in detail of the related theories (Jing and Fu, condition of Chinese psychology, thus, strengthening his 2001). Yun et al. 19 Factors influencing Chinese psychology developmental psychology, Jing Qicheng wrote in Chi- In 1994, Jing Qicheng and Fu Xiaolan cooperated on the nese, 21