Scholars gathered in Beijing to initiate the project of An Intellectual History of China on Oct. 31. ( ZHU GAOLEI/CSSN)

 

On Oct. 31, scholars gathered in Beijing to officially undertake the compilation of An Intellectual History of China, a 16-volume survey of the evolution of ideas over the course of the nation’s 5,000 years of existence.

 

Following the guidelines of Marxism and dominant ideology, the project combines intellectual and social history, drawing upon sources from the gen­eral public as well as the ideas of well-known scholars to comprehensively capture the essence of the culture and values of the Chinese civilization.

 

The project is expected to take five years to complete and will involve the participation of more than 100 scholars acrossChina. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) has designated the project as its top priority.

 

“We will work with all the resourc­es at our disposal to present the world with a masterpiece that can represent the academic standard of basic disciplines at CASS while reflecting the academic level of Chi­nese philosophy and social sciences,” said CASS President Wang Weiguang at the launch meeting.

 

In addition to the volumes on intel­lectual history, the project will publish other supplemental materials, includ­ing outlines, essay collections and illus­trations as well as English and online editions.

 

Wang said the project should be based on the objective conditions of social reality and follow the historical stages of social history.

 

He added that scholars should adhere to mainstream ideology when compiling it. Also, the work should re­flect how advanced ideas from around the world have had an impact on China, with a focus on the intellectual history study of ethnic groups, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. 

 

Most of the existing works represent an intellectual history of elites. Docu­ments on the intellectual history of the people have never been systemically sorted and seriously reviewed, said Gao Xiang, secretary-general of CASS.

 

“The intellectual history of the peo­ple will be what sets this book apart,” Gao said.

 

Scholars in attendance predicted that a Chinese school of intellectual history study will take shape.

 

“In five years, upon the completion of the 16-volume An Intellectual His­tory of China, a generation of excel­lent talent will play an active role in Chinese academics, and the pros­pects are good that a new school of intellectual history guided by Marx­ism will come into being,” said Wang Zhenzhong, a member of the project editorial committee.

 

The Chinese version appeared in Chinese Social Sciences Today, No. 664, Nov.3, 2014      

The Chinese link is: http://www.cssn.cn/xspj/qwfb/201411/t20141118_1403934.shtml 

 

 

 

 

Translated by Yang Xue

Revised by Justin Ward