Journal of China in Global and Comparative Perspectives
Volume 8, 2022
Abstract: The ancient concept of spirit 精神 (jingshen) occupies a pivotal place within contemporary Chinese political discourse for which there is no equivalent in the West. Older Christian and subsequent Enlightenment usage of spirit, culminating in Hegel’s thought, was displaced by crude materialism, utilitarianism and scientific positivism. The Chinese spirit today is based in the thought of Mao, Deng and Xi, inspires patriotism and combines the socialist core values, path, power and discourse. All kinds of human action exhibit spirit. It is manifested in the Party, in the Long March, by Comrade Jiao Yulu, by Shanghai city, by space exploration. In public discourse, three main types may be distinguished, the exemplary individual, the paradigmatic deed and the collective inspiration. Spirit in China provides the connectedness of community and common purpose that the West struggles to rediscover. In responding to global challenges together, China and the West may share a spirit that transcends their differences.
Keywords: spirit (精神, jīng shén, jingshen), China, the West, materialism, socialism, values, party, discourse, connectedness