Russell, a famous British philosopher, was once invited to give lectures at Chinese universities for a year, and the young *** also served as a recorder of his lectures!
Russell was opposed to war and advocated peace, had a very strong interest in socialism, and as a figure with great influence in the world, he also had a very big reputation in China! But Russell, who is highly respected by the Chinese, mentioned in his work that the Chinese have three major shortcomings.
1. Apathy. Why did Russell, who was warmly welcomed in China, say that the Chinese were indifferent? He gave the answer in his book, saying that many people in China would die of poverty and hunger at that time, but the rich people at that time were indifferent to this! And even if someone donates, a lot of donations will also be used by those in power, so that when the powerful take the money, they will not think that they are not taking money, but a piece of human life!
All we can say about this is that Russell observed it very carefully, and even today, we cannot completely prevent similar situations from happening. In poor China at that time, in fact, not only the rich and those in power were indifferent, but also the people at the bottom were indifferent! In those days, people would do anything to survive! Russell, as an outsider, observed this in detail and told the truth!
2. Timidity. Russell believed that the Chinese had been ruled by the Mongols and Manchus, but that the Han Chinese, who made up the majority of the population, did not resist this foreign rule in the first place! This shows that the Han people are more timid.
Of course, we can't fully agree with this, because we will eventually find that all ethnic groups have been assimilated by the Han culture in the end, and our failure to resist only shows that we are very tolerant and receptive! This also shows that we are very wise! Chinese are accustomed to valuing peace, but they are full of resilience in the face of difficulties! Although we have gone through so many hardships, we have always come back to life!
3. Too traditional.
Russell believed that the Chinese were too traditional because the Chinese paid special attention to rules and etiquette, which in Russell's view was an important reason to prevent China's progress!
But we know that it is precisely the Chinese who attach importance to tradition that makes the Chinese indomitable and always able to stand out from the predicament! And some customs and customs of foreigners are also not treated well by Chinese!
Just like Russell, although he lived a very wonderful life with the concept of openness and freedom, he never thought about how the lives of his abandoned wives and children would be spent! And the traditions of our Chinese guarantee the stability of the country and society!
In addition, the tradition of the Chinese is also multi-dimensional, we not only respect the elders, but also full of humility! More industrious and thrifty, which makes us cherish resources more and pay attention to practical results! Chinese also attach great importance to tradition, and understand that unity and cooperation can unite strength and deal with difficulties together!
Conclusion: Russell was born in the most advanced Britain at that time, and he was an aristocracy, so when he came to China, he would find many shortcomings and problems in China from his own perspective, but he also believed that Chinese could overcome these shortcomings of his own! And he concludes by saying that "if there is a nation in the world that is 'so proud that it refuses to fight,' then that nation is China." It can be seen that his evaluation of China is still very high!