Cultural politics or beyond politics —A Review of "The Spirit of Chinese Culture" and a Discussion of Hsu Cho-yun's Thought

Abstract

Xu Zhuoyun's late-life publication, The Spirit of Chinese Culture, breaks through the paradigm of historical writing , characterized by its free-flowing and approachable style. It reveals his ambition to explore new perspectives and overturn old conventions. Based on the grassroots enjoyment and lifestyles of ordinary people, it constructs a broad, profound, and multifaceted spiritual landscape of Chinese culture through in-depth exploration and analysis of folklore, beliefs, legends, and literature. In this book and a series of his later works, Xu Zhuoyun replaces the political forms primarily focused on financial issues and war games with cultural politics, conducting discussions with a more universal concern. By leveraging the significant spiritual resources and value systems contained within culture and civilization, he transcends the current political environment to a certain extent, enabling him to engage in dialogue with classical China and establish a relationship of inheritance and anticipation. He strives to offer some guidance or direction for the development of modern and future China, grounded in the context of "globalization," and combining the spirit and wisdom of Chinese culture to contribute several thought proposals originating from the East to the world.