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  • China und Europa. Sprache und Kultur, Werte und Recht ed. by Walter Pape et al.
  • Weijia Li
China und Europa. Sprache und Kultur, Werte und Recht. Edited by Walter Pape, Susanne Preuschoff, Wei Yuqing, and Zhao Jin. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2014. Pp. vii + 337. Paper €99.95. ISBN 978-3110313246.

Published as the second volume in the book series “Chinese-Western Discourse,” this volume takes on the ambitious task of examining the Chinese-European cultural encounters from various linguistic, cultural, economic, and juristic perspectives. Nevertheless, readers seeking discussions on transnational, transcultural dialogues between China and various European nations could be disappointed as the vast majority of the volume’s eighteen essays (including two written in English) focus on the cultural differences and interactions between Germany and China alone. The twenty-one contributors to the volume are from various academic disciplines in Germany and China, eleven of whom currently work or have studied at the University of Cologne in Germany.

The first two chapters focus on comparative discussions from the perspectives of cultural studies and literary studies. Chapter 1, “Verschiedene Sprachen, verschiedene Kulturen, verschiedene Wissenschaften?,” contains four essays. Qu Weiguo’s discussion illustrates the complexity of the definition of difference due to language ambiguity, which explains the question mark in the chapter title. Heinrich Geiger examines the Chinese adaptation of the Western notion of identity in a cultural-political context. Focusing on the concept of language skepsis, Wei Yuqing’s essay compares the Chinese Taoist classic Zhuangzi with “Chandos-Brief” by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Zhao Jin attempts to deliver a comparative observation on the “language style” revealed in textual materials used for the purpose of promotion and advertisement by German and Chinese companies. “China und Deutschland im Kulturvergleich” contains Claudia Bickmann’s essay arguing for the possibility of approaching Kant from a neo-Confucianist perspective, as well as Shi Fuqi’s analysis of the Chinese reception of Ernst Cassirer in the 1980s. Thomas Zimmer’s essay, the only one that extends the discussion beyond the Germany-China concentration of this volume, provides a unique and fascinating perspective that examines writings [End Page 165] by Zhang Yinhuan, a Chinese diplomat to the US, Spain, and Peru in the nineteenth century. Furthermore, this chapter contains Meng Hong’s attempt to illustrate the concept of values both in Germany and China as reflected in the luxury-goods market, followed by an article by Rafflenbeul, Hartmann, and Kraas analyzing the migration process and politics in China and Germany.

Only two essays in the lengthy third chapter, “Rechtskonzepte im Kulturvergleich,” provide actual transnational perspectives in the discussion of legal concepts: Wilfried Hinsch’s transnational, intercultural examination of the concept of human rights and Katja Levy’s recounting of German-Chinese collaboration and conversation in legal system. All other essays (with one exception dealing explicitly with post-Soviet states) focus merely on the Chinese legal system. Thus, chapter 3 as a whole falls short in presenting itself as a platform for transnational dialogue, despite the fact that some of its contributors are German natives. Perhaps it was the editors’ intention to encourage the reader to develop their own interpretation of the German writings on Chinese legal concepts.

Some of the essays fall short due to a predominant reliance on personal, empirical observations or a lack of analytical, critical points of view. A significant limitation lies in the final chapter, “Erfahrung.” The first essay is a five-page personal account of the contributor’s encounter with Western philosophy when he was a Chinese college student. The reflection of personal experiences is followed by a report by the International Office of the University of Cologne on the success of the university’s collaboration with its Chinese partners. The final piece in the chapter is a three-page, speech-like essay on the internationalization of education by a senior official at a Chinese university. Since the internationalization of higher education is one of the most contemporary topics in the field of higher education policy studies, study and discussion of scholarship in this field could have immensely informed and enriched the volume. Yet, the lack of inquiry-driven discussions in chapter 4 brings the concept of the whole volume...

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