On Thoughts of Chinese National Character from Montesquieu
Abstract
Montesquieu the basis of social phenomenon in itself, starting from the climate determinism, summarized the different climate, different regimes Chinese people's "general character", summed up the national country with the structure of the organization, groups of Chinese nationals based, values-based ethics orientation, and cowardly obedience, benevolent gentle, industrious and frugal and other personality characteristics. And in-depth analysis of the root causes of the Chinese national character produced. The idea to open criticism of Western thinkers, marked the beginning of China's national evil, and laid a discussion of modern Western discourse of Chinese national character of the basic framework. Depending on social phenomenon and determinism of climate, Montesquieu induces common feature of nations who are under different climate and system of government, summing up Chinese organized style which is the same structure of family and country, Chinese valuable trends such as group standard and moral one , tyrannical feature of sovereigns, only obedience without civil consciousness, industrious unadorned, and the like. At the same time, he deeply analyzes the origins that caused these characters. Historically, it was these thoughts that begin western thinkers to criticize Chinese national character, establishing a basic frame for westerners in modem time and contemporary one concerning the thesis