Zhang Zhidong wrote a lot in his life, and later generations compiled The Complete Works of Zhang Wenxiang, with a total of 229 volumes, including various speeches, official letters and anthologies. Among the works he wrote in his life, especially, Bibliographic Q&A and disciple Bao He's masterpiece "Persuade to Learn" had the greatest influence.
Zhang Zhidong wrote "Persuading Learning" in the 24th year of Guangxu (1898) and published it in the same year. At the beginning of the year, the Qing government carried out the "New Deal", taking "Chinese style and western use" as the guiding ideology of education reform, and required schools to "take the four books and five classics as the main teaching methods, supplemented by history lessons and Chinese and foreign political skills". 1903, Zhang Zhidong presided over the formulation of the Guimao Academic System, which clearly put forward the principle of "learning from the Chinese style and using the West", emphasizing that "loyalty and filial piety are the foundation of education, etiquette is the way to discipline customs, and acrobatics is the tool to cure students". 1906, the Ministry of Education officially announced the educational purpose of using Chinese culture and western culture, stipulating: "China is an inherent place where politics and religion are integrated, and it is urgent to invent it to exclude dissidents; "What China people lack most is' western learning' and' people eager to inspire'. In the same year, it was released in Shanghai and Chongqing, emphasizing that "schools are mainly middle schools, supplemented by western learning". The book "Encouraging Learning" was not only valued by the Qing court, but also appreciated by foreign missionaries. Samuel Wood Bridge, an American missionary, translated The Only Hope for China into English. Jesuit priests in China also translated this book into French and published it. Its influence has been broadcast at home and abroad, thus becoming a masterpiece of a generation.
There are 24 articles in the book, which are divided into two parts: inside and outside. Internally, it includes nine parts: concentricity, loyalty, outline, knowledge, classics, righteousness, order, keeping promises and detoxification; The peripheral part includes puzzle solving, study tour, school building, academic system, extensive translation, newspaper reading, political reform, imperial examination reform, agriculture, industry, military science, mining, railway, communication, prevention and prevention. "Internal strength is to correct people's thinking; Foreign affairs are connected to open up the atmosphere. " In the preface of this book, Zhang Zhidong stated: "Stealing is only the bright future of the ancient world, and the rise and fall of talents is manifested in politics, not in learning." It is believed that "service-oriented" and "service-oriented" make scientific research in foreign affairs and internal affairs aim at "learning from China and using the West", which can not only improve talents, but also protect the country, education and species for local talents. The so-called "Ben" here, that is, the so-called "Chinese style", refers to the feudal ethics related to the people's feelings and the world, and the so-called "Tong", that is, the so-called "Yong", refers to all things that industrial and commercial schools in rich countries train mining railways. In the preface, Zhang Zhidong explained the general idea of each article in this 40,000-word "Encouraging Learning", such as "Tongxin", whose essence lies in "protecting the country, protecting education and protecting species as one meaning. Hands and feet are good for eyes and ears, and qi and blood strengthen the heart. There are many talents, and the country is rich and strong. " "Ming Gang" and "San Gang" are the most sacred teachings handed down from generation to generation by China, and they are the source of courtesy and the great defense for people and birds to protect education. ","Zhou and Qin philosophers, not to cover up defects, but to take section. If you don't listen to the road, you will compromise in the holy land. " "Righteousness", "distinguish between the upper and lower levels, set the aspirations of the people, and reject the chaotic politics of civil rights." "Step by step", "First Mover first". If you talk about western learning, you must go to middle school first, and don't forget your ancestors. " "Travel" and "recognize the current situation, be ambitious, broaden your knowledge and increase your intelligence. Traveling abroad is not for merit. " "establish a school", "establish a school widely, save for a while, and attack those who learn posts" "academic system", "the strength of western countries is stronger than that of schools. Teachers have fixed schedules, younger brothers have appropriate obedience, and teachers can do whatever they want. I should choose goodness and follow it. " "Wide translation" and "the benefits of learning from western learning are limited, and the benefits of translating western languages are not good." In a word, the meaning of Article 24 includes "five understandings", that is, knowing shame, fear, change, inevitability and essence. The so-called "being brave after being ashamed" means worrying about the harsh international environment in which China is located and making up your mind to save yourself, so as to avoid China's national subjugation and extinction. The so-called change is to know that "habits cannot be changed; If you don't change the law, you can't change it. " The so-called knowledge is essential, that is, "middle school archaeology must be practical; Western learning is also different. Western art is necessary and Western politics is important. " The so-called knowledge base means "never forget your old country when you are abroad, never forget your loved ones when you see strange things, and never forget your holiness when you are smart." It is considered that "if you don't learn and have no skills, you will be foolish and soft if you are not ashamed to ask questions;" With knowledge, strength and shame, you will be clear and strong. "In the preface, Zhang Zhidong clarified the purpose of writing and the general idea of the article, and explained that his good intentions were to correct the extreme practices of the old and new factions, in an attempt to find a third way between the old and new factions with a compromise attitude and spirit, that is, to use China and use the West." It is pointed out that when the history changes sharply, "all people with lofty ideals are angry." Therefore, those who plan to learn talk about the new, while those who are sad talk about the old and are indifferent. The old one gave up eating because of choking, and the new one died because of too many differences; Old people don't know, new people don't know; I don't know the general rules, but I can't cope with the changes of the enemy. I don't know that I have a heart that is not worth teaching. Husband is like this, the old one is sick, the new one is sick, the new one is tired of the old one, embarrassed, but he returns to the stream from crisis to chaos, so he talks nonsense. Scholars shake, there is no master; Heresy and atrocities are rampant all over the world. "Objectively speaking, Zhang Zhidong's" Persuade to Learn "aims to launch a frontal attack on the" heresy "of reformists such as Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao, and at the juncture of the showdown between the old and new factions in the Reform Movement of 1898," it is absolutely healthy and grateful to the world. "
Zhang Zhidong is a representative of the Westernization School in the late modern history of China, and his thoughts are extremely complicated. On the one hand, in view of the political and educational corruption in the Qing dynasty at that time, he put forward the idea of rectifying learning politics and vigorously promoting new learning. Moreover, in practice, he is different from the old Westernization School, which only emphasized military and industry. Instead, we should reform the old educational content and form, transform the old academy into a new school, or change the teaching content and teaching purpose of the academy. For example, Jingxin Academy, Zunjing Academy and Lingde Academy built in Hubei, Sichuan and Shaanxi, Guangya Academy built in Guangzhou, and Huhu Academy in Hubei were all famous educational institutions at that time. The purpose of building these academies is to train people who are "knowledgeable, practical" and "ambitious" to help the poor. His specific requirements for all kinds of teaching contents are: "Confucian classics should be important and not trivial;" Historiography focuses on the connecting link between the preceding and the following, and does not take the empty theory; The study of human nature is mainly based on practice, rather than taking amendments; The study of the economy is based on knowledge and use, not a scourge. " He advocated that university education should cultivate talents with both ability and political integrity, and "make Confucianism a handsome man who understands the times." In the 24th year of Guangxu (1898), when the reformists proposed to transform the old academy into a new school, he wrote to the Qing court and proposed to change Jingxin Academy and Tribe Tiger Academy into one school. "According to the method of the school, Li Yan learned the rules, changed the schedule, and washed away the habits of the chapter, but only for making the truth, for the time being. "After the transformation, the two lakes academy is divided into four branches: Confucian classics, history, geography and mathematics. Jingxin College is divided into four courses: diplomacy, astronomy, geography and manufacturing, and mathematics is a public compulsory course. Soon, he proposed: "The establishment of the academy was originally based on practical learning rather than exegetics, and all the things in the world, such as astronomy, geography, art of war, mathematics, etc., were the responsibility of Confucian scholars. "So, practical subjects have increased and decreased. Classic and historical content. In the establishment and transformation of the academy, he adhered to the tenet of "Chinese style and western use". In the establishment of Hubei Qiangzi School, Guangdong Land and Water Normal School, Huangpu Torpedo School, Hubei Military Equipment School, Sanjiang Normal School, Wuchang Agricultural School, Technical School and other new schools, as well as the education he advocated for studying abroad, he also implemented the school-running purpose of "taking middle school as the body and using the west as the body". As the theme of the book "Persuading Learning with Chinese Style and Western Style", the thought reflects Zhang Zhidong's conservative position and viewpoint of reforming old education and advocating new education, and also reflects the characteristics of the times of educational innovation in the late Qing Dynasty and the inevitability of historical return.
Although Zhang Zhidong was the late leader of the Westernization School, he tried his best to maintain the rule of the Qing Dynasty and was politically conservative. However, because he faced the reality, changed the dynasty and was patriotic, he sometimes approached the reformists and even directly accepted some of their ideas and practices in politics and religion. For example, when he temporarily served as Governor of Liangjiang and returned to Governor of Huguang, he successively hosted Shanghai Strong Society, Strong Memories and Current Affairs Newspapers, with both the intention of being close to the reformists and the intention of controlling them. 1897, Hunan reformists set up a current affairs school, organized new land and water transportation, opened mines, set up a armament school, organized a security bureau, set up a southern college, and published the New Hunan Studies Magazine (later renamed Hunan Magazine). Zhang Zhidong also boasts that "Hunan Magazine teaches people to pay attention to the laws of economic affairs". However, Zhang Zhidong did not really support the political reform movement, but as Yan Fu pointed out: Zhang Zhidong regarded "talking about the new law as a very fashionable dress, echoing it with his voice, not out of sincerity." Nevertheless, his thoughts are bound to be influenced by reformists. Because Zhang Zhidong was in a complicated and contradictory special historical era, he had to innovate and maintain the feudal rule of the Qing Dynasty. Therefore, he had to wander between the reformists and the old school in ideological theory, and advocated "Chinese style and western use".
Generally, historians believe that Zhang Zhidong was not the first person to put forward the idea of "Chinese style and western use". For example, 186 1, the reformist Feng Guifen put forward in the article "Learning from the West" that "China's ethics should be original, supplemented by the skills of Qiang Bing, a rich country"; 1896, Sun Jianai made a compromise on the issue of running Shi Jing University Hall, and formally put forward that "middle school is the mainstay, supplemented by western learning; A complete concept of "taking middle school as the body and western learning as the application" Zhang Zhidong's "Persuade to Learn" systematically discusses "Chinese style and western use" in theory, making it a complete ideological system. The reason why it became an educational masterpiece is precisely because it made a profound and comprehensive theoretical summary of the educational trend of thought of "Chinese style and western style" initiated by China's modern reformists and westerners, and played a historical role in the development of China's educational thought from modern times to modern times.
The book "Encouraging Learning" takes "Chinese style and western use" as the consistent way of this book, and advocates cautiously accepting the "western art" and "western politics" of western capitalism under the principle of maintaining feudal norms and famous religion, so as to "make up" the "deficiency" of the feudal system and "start" the "disease" of the Qing court rule. The core issue of "encouraging learning" is to ask people to "protect the country, education and species". Zhang Zhidong believes that it is an undeniable reality that the West is strong and China is weak. However, the fundamental reason for this situation is not the disparity in external military technology and strength, but the great difference in culture and education between China and the West. In his view, China's traditional culture pays attention to ruling people's hearts in essence, and it plays an important role in maintaining feudal rule and social ethical order, which is irreplaceable by Western Christianity. Kang Youwei, the leader of the reformists, advocated replacing Confucianism with western religions and feudal autocracy with western "civil rights", which would only lead to chaos. Therefore, we must do a solid job in cultural education, so that the "noumenon" of China's traditional cultural education can firmly exist and will always be the political foundation of China. "Persuade to Learn" points out that both the new school and the old school are ignorant of current affairs, and if the old school is ignorant, it has no skill to defend against the enemy; Newcomers don't know this, they are supercilious and have the heart to teach. Therefore, China's culture and education have been shaken, and the disaster remains the same. "The disaster of China, I am afraid, is not outside the four seas, but within Kyushu!" In view of this, Persuade to Learn focuses on the fundamental measures of "protecting China" and "protecting species".
It is true that Zhang Zhidong, as an enlightened Westernization School, did not completely resist and deny western culture and education like the early Westernization School and the "national quintessence" old school at that time. On the contrary, he believes that if China wants to be rich and strong, and to protect the country, education and species, it must accept those outdated and backward elements in China's cultural education and boldly learn from Western cultural education. Starting from China's traditional understanding of "the unity of politics and religion", he thinks that education is a part of politics, but it should be more important than skills. Therefore, he proposed that there should be differences and choices in learning western culture. "Western art is essential and western politics is important." He said: "Generally speaking, the way to save the world is to seek the country, and politics is especially eager for art." Although the "western politics" here is not the democratic constitutionalism referred to by the bourgeois reformists, it is not the theory of civil rights, but the school, education and scholar selection system as the political basis. In fifteen articles, the book "Encouraging Learning" boldly puts forward some suggestions, such as reforming schools, changing imperial examinations, studying abroad, widely translating western learning, reforming laws, training the army, setting up agriculture, industry and commerce, repairing railways, developing mining, and establishing a new academic system. Although these thoughts were to maintain the conservative improvement of the Qing dynasty, they met the political needs at that time, were recognized and accepted by the Qing dynasty ruling group, and objectively promoted the reform of the old education.
China is a country with a long cultural tradition. Since ancient times, rapid revolution and political reform have been hindered by deep-rooted cultural traditions and eventually failed. On the one hand, Zhang Zhidong threw out "persuasion" when the Reform Movement of 1898 was about to die. On the other hand, after the failure of the Reform Movement of 1898, he made ideological and public opinion preparations for the reform. The book "Encouraging Learning" puts forward the systematic idea of "learning from China and using the West", infers the acceptable psychology of the rulers of the Qing Dynasty by adhering to the conservative attitude of Confucianism, and puts forward new development strategic ideas from the aspects of cultural and educational construction, trying to lead the improvement of society and education to the third way between reformists and conservatives. In a sense, the proposition of "Chinese style and western use" in "Persuading Learning" is the inevitable conclusion of the reformist policy of China's modern feudal ruling group. Although it only emphasizes the superficial, superficial and rigid combination of Chinese and Western culture and education, it does take the compatibility, commonality and particularity of Chinese and Western culture and education as the basis of China's political education construction, and systematically puts forward the construction of China's old culture as the main body for the first time. Taking the western new culture as the available material of this building, this paper attempts to build a new cultural system of "Chinese culture is used in the west" by means of education, and through the construction of this new cultural system, we can improve national politics, "enrich the country's soldiers", "protect education and protect species". Although this is extremely absurd in theory, in practice, it can surpass the diehards' prejudice of sticking to the "middle school" and the "old school", avoid the failure of the reformists' "total westernization" and transcend the fantasy of historical reality, and become an acceptable reform idea for the rulers in the late Qing Dynasty, affecting the revision of cultural policies, promoting the reform of the education system and the birth of the first new academic system in modern times, thus promoting the comprehensive reform of the old education content and the development of overseas education.
As one of China's most influential educational masterpieces in modern times, Persuading to Learn, in addition to the above-mentioned historical reasons and academic significance, the ideas and measures for reforming and developing education put forward in some chapters are also worth introducing.