THE SPIRIT OF CHINESE PEOPLE BOOK REVIEW

Abstract

•  Context: Ku Hung‑Ming (1857‑1928) was a Chinese intellectual, traditionalist, and polyglot who lived in a period of great turmoil for China (late Qing, the fall of imperial China, pressure from Western powers).
• It’s an essay collection (written in English) in which Ku tries to describe what he considers the qualities of “Chinese spirit” — moral, cultural, philosophical traits and contrasts them with Western civilization. He discusses Confucianism, language, home life, literature, family, social virtues, duty, loyalty etc. He wants to defend Chinese civilization and urge his compatriots to rediscover or hold onto their heritage, especially given the upheaval and external pressures.