Title

“A Rediscovered National Soul”: Xu Zhimo’s Homecoming Speech “Art and Life” Revisited

Author

Ouyang Kaibin

Genre

Article

Pages

591-628

DOI

10.6503/THJCS.202209_52(3).0005

Download

PDF

Language

Chinese

Key words

Xu Zhimo 徐志摩, “Art and Life,” life-outlook trends, May Fourth sentimentality enlightenment, romantic subjectivity, national soul

Abstract

This article revisits Xu Zhimo’s 徐志摩 (1897-1931) first speech, “Art and Life,” at Tsing Hua College after he returned to China, arguing that the English text is an important document of May Fourth anti-enlightenment. This is based on three observations. First, Xu’s speech engaged the May Fourth Movement as a period of awakening (juewu 覺悟) by addressing the problem of Chinese life and expressing his voice on the eve of “The Debate Between Science and Metaphysics” (ke xuan lunzhan 科玄論戰), a new idealism with humanity as its creed and art as its religion. Second, the Tsing Hua speech marks the beginning of Xu as a May Fourth poet. His romantic journey, known for its spiritual adventures, has its roots in a transcultural life-outlook critique and embodies his search for a new national soul. His socio-cultural critique of China and its national character, his demonic poetry, his Icarian passion for transcendence, even his conception of the “revolution of the soul”—all can be traced back to this speech. Third, the speech was Xu’s romantic declaration as well as the development of his “big dream of serving China.” His romantic self was rooted in the sage-hero complex he had developed since childhood, his eagerness to live out “a rediscovered national soul.” It therefore reveals Xu’s entanglement with Confucian tradition, suggesting that the transcultural hybridity of “the romantic generation” is a topic for further study.