Chinese Intellectuals’ Perception of ‘National Character’ in The Early 20th Century - Comparaing 『Chinese Characteristics』with 『The Spirit of the Chinese People』-

The 19th-century Norwegian playwright, Henrik Ibsen had an unparalleled,posthumous impact on the development of modern Chinese drama. How isit possible that he could influence the literature of a country so remote inspace and so different in its literary traditions? History is a key factor in thisstory. Early 20th century China was at the threshold of taking radical measures in reforming its society, and she was badly in need of a supporting ideology. Ibsen was a thinker and dramatist who, by means of presenting acutesocial problems in his plays, deeply influenced the society of his age. Hedid so in a realistic way and with the help of a clear language, both of whichfactors extremely appealed to modern Chinese intellectuals. It can be stated that it was to a great extent through Ibsen’s plays, mostimportantly through Nora, that modern Chinese intellectuals discovered thelong-range possibilities lying in the adoption of Western dramatic form,namely, transforming minds. Nora stirred the pond water of Chinese society,and came to symbolize the rebellion of the ‘Free Individual’: something that had no precedent whatsoever in China but what has long been in theair. Modern Chinese playwrights began to imitate Ibsen with great fervour,resulting in the flourishing of the social problem play, featuring brave andmodern ‘Chinese Noras’. Although advanced thinkers soon had to realize thatthe ideas of Ibsen cannot simply be adopted but must first be modified to beable to credibly represent contemporary Chinese social, cultural and moralreality, the ‘Nora-phenomenon’ and Ibsenism played a vital role in setting offthe literary and cultural reform in early 20th-century China.

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Folklorism and the Chronotope in the Works of Komitas

Музыкальная академия ◽

10.34690/03 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 166-175

Author(s):

А.И. Демченко

Keyword(s):

20Th Century ◽

National Character ◽

Early 20Th Century ◽

Deep Insight ◽

Time And Space ◽

Artistic Value ◽

Perception Of Time ◽

The Times ◽

Insight Into

Будучи одним из самых самобытных музыкантов начала ХХ века, Комитас претворил в своем искусстве ряд характерных для этого времени художественных идей, наиболее примечательные из которых связаны с музыкальным фольклоризмом и с понятием хронотопа. Блистательное композиторское мастерство Комитаса выводило его очень далеко за пределы привычных представлений о жанре фольклорной обработки. Глубокое проникновение в дух и законы родной музыкальной речи позволяло ему широко применять методы полифонической обработки народных мелодий, активно развивать фактуру сопровождения, которая в ряде случае приобретала самостоятельную художественную ценность. Самобытность песен и хоров Комитаса в ряде случаев определяется связью с восточным миросозерцанием, для которого в сравнении с европейским менталитетом характерно особое восприятие времени и пространства. При этом наибольший интерес представляют те образцы, где раскрывается сопричастность к категориям всеобщей материи и вечности. Особенно широко представлено в творчестве Комитаса погружение в природную сферу с растворением в ней человеческого начала. Восхождение к надвременным категориям композитор чаще всего совершает, когда делает основой сочинений фольклорные мелодии, пришедшие из толщи времен и запечатлевшие в себе устойчивые, коренные черты народного характера. Особым достижением Комитаса является то, что он не ограничивается претворением пантеистического и надвременного как отдельных сущностей. В ряде сочинений композитор дает их в соединении, чему опять-таки способствовали особенности восточного понимания хронотопа. Being one of the most original musicians of the early 20th century, Komitas has put into his art a number of typical for this time of artistic ideas, the most notable of which are associated with the musical folklorism and with the concept of the chronotope. His brilliant compositional skills took him far beyond the usual ideas about the genre of folklore processing. A deep insight into the spirit and laws of his native musical speech allowed him to widely apply the methods of polyphonic processing of folk melodies, actively develop the texture of accompaniment, which in some cases acquired an independent artistic value. The identity of Komitass songs and choirs is in some cases determined by the connection with the Eastern worldview, which is characterized by a special perception of time and space in comparison with the European mentality. At the same time, the most interesting are the samples, which reveal participation in the categories of universal matter and eternity. Especially widely represented in the works of Komitas deep immersion in the natural sphere with the dissolution of the human principle in it. The ascent to supra-temporal categories the composer often does, when making the basis of the works of folk tunes, came from strata of the times and depicting in a sustainable, indigenous features of the national character. A special achievement of Komitas is that it is not limited to the implementation of the pantheistic and supra-temporal as separate entities. In a number of works the composer gives them in conjunction, which again contributed to the features of the Eastern understanding of the chronotope.

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The Struggle of NZV in Spreading the Gospel in Garut, West Java, Indonesia, in the Early 20th Century

Transformation An International Journal of Holistic Mission Studies ◽

10.1177/02653788211047156 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 026537882110471

Author(s):

Kunto Sofianto ◽

Amos Sukamto ◽

Agus Manon Yuniadi ◽

Agus Nero Sofyan

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

20Th Century ◽

Early 20Th Century ◽

Colonial Administration ◽

Chinese People ◽

Christian Missions ◽

Protestant Christianity ◽

Negative Perceptions ◽

Main Barrier ◽

Dutch Colonial

Based on a widely accepted view, the spread of Christianity in Indonesia was backed up by Dutch intervention. This article argues that the assumption is not entirely right. In some regions, the Dutch colonial and European settlers paid little attention to Christian missions. Garut, for example, was a city in the Priangan Residence that served as an economic center for the Dutch. Islamic influence was very strong in Garut. Therefore, when the NZV reached Garut in 1899, it received no support from the Dutch colonial administration. The effort to spread Protestant Christianity was initiated by the Chinese people. The strong Islamic influence in Garut became the main barrier preventing people's conversion to Christianity. Even though at the beginning of the 20th century there was no direct resistance, but secretly the Islamic leaders fought back by building negative perceptions of both the Netherlands and Christianity by labeling them as kafir and unclean.

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How should we use the Chinese past? Contemporary Confucianism, the ‘reorganization of the national heritage’ and non-Western histories of thought in a global age

European Journal of Political Theory ◽

10.1177/1474885117703768 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 450-469 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Leigh Jenco

Keyword(s):

20Th Century ◽

Early 20Th Century ◽

The Past ◽

Modern Age ◽

National Heritage ◽

Global Age ◽

Alternative Means ◽

Chinese Intellectuals

In this essay I argue that recent philosophical attempts to ‘modernise’ Confucianism rehearse problematic relationships to the past that – far from broadening Confucianism’s appeal beyond its typical borders – end up narrowing its scope as a source of scholarly knowledge. This is because the very attempt to modernise assumes a rupture with a past in which Confucianism was once alive and relevant, fixing its identity to a static historical place disconnected from the present. I go on to explore alternative means of situating past thought to present inquiry, by examining a debate among early 20th-century Chinese intellectuals over the value of their past heritage in a modern age. Their diverse responses undermine the certainty of a singular or persistent Chinese past, enabling a creative presentism that encourages deliberate filiation with alternative ‘tracks’ of past practice and thought.

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