The Changing Images of China in German Historical Writings, 1780-1850 by Thomas Fuchs
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Course: Self awareness and images of the "other" in Asian and European cultures Norbert Weber Dozent: Dr. Carsten Storm 13.01.2005 The Changing Images of China in German Historical Writings, 1780-1850 by Thomas Fuchs Until 1780 • Jesuits’ reports were main source for knowledge on China in Europe → proofs for superiority of Chinese culture and religion • Voltaire: China = political utopia, an ideal state of enlightened absolutism • Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz: world between 2 poles of civilisation – Europe and China → synthesis of European revelation of religion and Chinese ethics • Chinese were a white race for Europeans 1780 – 1850: changes in perception of China • period of the Later Enlightenment and the period of historicism → China was degraded to a contemptible community • English travellers became main source of information → after 1773 reports changed explicitly and in this time were only little information about China available • Kant adopted opinions about Chinese from Sonnerat (traveller through China): o despotism = dominant characteristic of Chinese culture o religion, philosophy and ethics also low → created German perception that Chinese were morally inferior • cornerstones of Chinese stereotype: alleged dishonesty of the Chinese, assumed lack of culture and predicted “yellow peril” of the East which would invade the West • China is a tyrannical state became commonly accepted in the later Enlightenment • reason for devaluation of China: development of liberal ideas in Europe • ways of argumentation: o racial theories became universal acceptance during the Enlightenment: colour of skin → biological degeneracy → cultural backwardness “Chinese became yellow” China: perception of despotism, cultural rigidity, lack of morality o Herder: natural environment as an explanation for backwardness of China → mild climate leads to historical development of musing in culture → hindered further development of Chinese peoples → Chinese culture is frozen mummy-like and would collapse in the winds of change (Hegel and Marx) o Chinese language was called a poor tool for thought o Chinese drama should be rigid and formulaic o Hegel: China no constitution but only an administrative empire; patriarchal hierarchies → subordinates seen as children; peoples were equal but no historical progress toward absolute freedom o Ranke: only strong state can produce lawfulness and cultural development therefore the nation that triumph is also the more moral nation → because superiority of European people the colonial expansion was legitimate o in Chinese religion existed only empty rituals o connection between moral inferiority and heathenism → negative character of Chinese o Ranke: paralysis of China because of no rivalry in opposing ideas → China remained in primitive state of human development o State Lexicon (Staatslexikon) of 1848: China has no history → in the 19th century the educated class including the German thinkers meant that China is a land of barbarism which need an overhaul and remodelling after Western civilization which was used as justification for aggression against China in late 19th century (for example the “Hun Speech” of Wilhelm II) “China was reduced from a cultural power worthy of emulation to a refuge of barbarism where aggressions and abuses were legitimized.” Thomas Fuchs .