Page 265 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol V

2042 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

Western and Chinese Civilization

This extract of text is from an essay from the eminent absence of libraries, but does not suffer from any lack
British philosopher in the Dial, an influential intel- of the finest human material. Although Chinese civi-
lectual and literary magazine of the early twentieth lization has hitherto been deficient in science, it never
century. It is an example of the point of view that West- contained anything hostile to science, and therefore
ern civilization is superior to others and the world the spread of scientific knowledge encounters no
would benefit from its spread. such obstacles as the Church put in its way in Europe.
I have no doubt that if the Chinese could get a stable
The traditional civilization of China had become
government and sufficient funds, they would, within
unprogressive, and had ceased to produce much of
the next thirty years, begin to produce remarkable
value in the way of art and literature. This was not
work in science. It is quite likely that they might out-
due, I think, to any decadence in the race, but merely
strip us, because they come with fresh zest and with
to lack of new material.The influx of Western knowl-
all the ardour of a renaissance. In fact the enthusiasm
edge provides just the stimulus that was needed. Chi-
for learning in Young China reminds one constantly
nese students are able and extraordinarily keen.
of the renaissance spirit in fifteenth century Italy.
Higher education suffers from lack of funds and
Source: Russell, B. (1922). Chinese civilization and the West. The Dial, 72, 361.

century ended, a reaction set in among Germans, some ing Germans became a theme of British propaganda. In
of whom preferred to believe that their language and cul- an incautious moment, Kaiser Wilhelm actually told his
ture embodied a unique spirit that was incompatible with troops to mimic the fury of the Huns; and by calling Ger-
French “civilized” ways of thinking and acting. man soldiers “Huns,” British propagandists were able to
Early in the eighteenth century, patriotic Germans per- confuse the obvious fact that Germans shared western
suaded themselves that German Kultur was intrinsically European civilization and made them out to be barbar-
superior to French civilization, and Russian Slavophils ians from the east. To be sure, concepts of west–east
soon argued for the superiority of the Slavic soul over polarity had antecedents going all the way back to
more westerly versions of Kultur and civilization. Mean- Herodotus who had contrasted free Greeks on the west-
while in France and England, easy and rapid imperial ern side of the Aegean Sea with enslaved Persians com-
expansion in Africa and Asia seemed evidence of their ing from the east. And British war propaganda
superiority to other peoples; and the term civilization was rejuvenated that motif by celebrating British and French
broadened to describe the achievements of British, French “liberty” as against Germany’s imperial, aristocratic-and
and European society as a whole. French and British wickedly aggressive-government.When the United States
empires were the most extensive and both countries entered the war in 1917, President Woodrow Wilson
were situated in western Europe; but no one made much chimed in by claiming his government’s purpose was to
of that geographical detail. Before World War I, by and make the world safe for democracy.
large, civilization was conceived as unitary, centered in After 1918, these wartime follies were soon aban-
Europe and destined to illuminate and eventually doned in Britain and France; not without some sense of
improve the lives of other peoples in colonial (and ex- shame. Throughout Europe, separate nationalistic
colonial lands like the United States) as they learned the histories, elaborated during the nineteenth century, con-
skills and style of civilized behavior from contacts with tinued to dominate classrooms in schools and universi-
civilized Europeans. ties. Accordingly, differences among the countries and
This intellectual landscape altered abruptly during peoples of Europe seemed more significant than western
World War I. In particular, the concept of Western civi- or any other sort of shared civilization. Instead, each
lization came to the fore in the English-speaking world nation treasured its own grievances against neighbors
when defense of “Western civilization” against the attack- and cherished its own claims to greatness. Conviction of