China’s politicians and intellectuals are embracing the Greek and Roman classics just as the study of these subjects declines in the West. Beijing sees the ancient civilizations as a parallel to what China hopes to achieve: “When China looks at the world, they want to be like Greece,” a Princeton Sinologist told The New Yorker. Government support for the subject has bubbled up since 2021, when education officials from China and Greece began setting up research centers that separated the ancient West from the modern West. But that also brings tension: One young Chinese scholar who studied in the US said that some in China accused him of being “brainwashed” by American theorizing for his work that connected Roman history to Chinese sources.
WAGRAMWAGRAM on
I see China has reached its “I’ve read Sun Tzu to better sell cars in China” moment.
SenranHaruka on
You’ve met me at a very western time in my life
sinuhe_t on
Slightly off-topic, but it’s always a relief to see non-Westerners struggle to grasp some aspects of Western culture, to know that, no actually Westerners are not uniquely ignorant about other cultures, others too can fumble. I mean, I am referring to that cliche of “ignorant Westerner, and the non-Westerner who posseses esoteric knowledge”, which by itself is also Orientalistic.
Right_Lecture3147 on
wished they reached for quine and carnap
WenJie_2 on
incoming overcapacity in Ancient Greek I guess
HeardItBowlthWays on
Chinese Greekaboos reciting Thucydides to confused peasants during the 2121 Greek War of Independence
7 Comments
China’s politicians and intellectuals are embracing the Greek and Roman classics just as the study of these subjects declines in the West. Beijing sees the ancient civilizations as a parallel to what China hopes to achieve: “When China looks at the world, they want to be like Greece,” a Princeton Sinologist told The New Yorker. Government support for the subject has bubbled up since 2021, when education officials from China and Greece began setting up research centers that separated the ancient West from the modern West. But that also brings tension: One young Chinese scholar who studied in the US said that some in China accused him of being “brainwashed” by American theorizing for his work that connected Roman history to Chinese sources.
I see China has reached its “I’ve read Sun Tzu to better sell cars in China” moment.
You’ve met me at a very western time in my life
Slightly off-topic, but it’s always a relief to see non-Westerners struggle to grasp some aspects of Western culture, to know that, no actually Westerners are not uniquely ignorant about other cultures, others too can fumble. I mean, I am referring to that cliche of “ignorant Westerner, and the non-Westerner who posseses esoteric knowledge”, which by itself is also Orientalistic.
wished they reached for quine and carnap
incoming overcapacity in Ancient Greek I guess
Chinese Greekaboos reciting Thucydides to confused peasants during the 2121 Greek War of Independence