China and the West

[Anonym]. La balance chinoise [ID D20009].
Basil Guy : La balance chinoise is a treatise on education, written in the form of letters by a Chinese in Europe. This work represents at last a serious effort to understand the Chinese system, especially the question of examinations for the mandarins, and perhaps to profit by it. One of the ten letters is addressed to Lord Chesterfield, others to prominent lay or religious leaders in England, France, and Italy. The work is far from perfect, and some of its ideas far from clear, yet thouse parts which are of interest are more fully with the voyagers, the author takes notable exception, while hoping that his theories will not go unheeded. Among the details which form the background for his exposé, is his examination of infanticide, swaddling, breast feeding, nurses, the rôle of exercise in forming a sound mind and body, and finally the importance of what nowadays would be considered as free, public, elementary schools. In all of this, there is not one whit of 'chinoiseries', and the almost passionate tone employed by the author when discussing both natural equality and 'the new pediatrics' is sufficiently reminiscent of the Emile, Rousseau and theories, so that the possibility of a concatenation of ideas, if not of direct influence, is greater than may have been suspected heretofore. Further, so exclusively a Western point of view makes it all the easier when we come to the fifth letter, 'Sur la manière d'élever les enfants dans les divers pays de l'Europe et des écoles publiques', for the author to sigmatize whole systems of European education, comparing them with the Chinese, and of course proposing that in the Far Eastern country, education is at least better organized than in Europe, where the ultimate objectives are frequently at odds with one another, even when they are clearly defined, offering above all a detailed presentation of the examination system itself. Although the modalities of that system when applied to law, medicine, mathematics, and the military, next occupy the author's attention almost exclusively, we have nonetheless been treated to a complete survey, which in its novelty could have aroused the curiosity, not only of Rousseau, but also of the physiocrats, both of whom have been credited with propagating these same ideas in France. In the last letter of this treatise, there are three examples of topics proposed in earlier Chinese examinations, accompanied by sample replies which are reported to have been acceptable. These examples recall immediately not only the system, but even the phraseology of the various European academies in establishing prize competitions like thouse which interest the history of Rousseau.

A. Owen Aldridge : La balance chinoise is a serious comparison of major social customs and attitudes existing in Europe with those found in China. Although the title emphasizes the system of education, the various letters cover almost the whole range of culture, including natural and military science. The presumed narrator is a Chinese, traveling in England, France, and Italy, and writing in French. He condemns evils and abuses. According to his interpretation of the title, it refers to balancing the good and evil in China - as well as balancing China against the West. He makes the important point that the philosophical material in his letters is not derived from Du Halde or account of European travellers to China. This is a major departure from Goldsmith and Voltaire. Unfortunately the author does not reveal the source of his knowledge of China independent of the memoirs of visiting priests and travelers. Although he may be considered as the most 'Chinese' of the fictional spies or ambassadors, he is not entirely reliable, even though he possesses a knowledge of China considerably more thorough than the others. He stands out, moreover, by using China as a standard by which to judge Western culture rather than merely to expose follies and idiosyncracies. His letters are addressed to actual historical figures who are important in the cultural area which they represent. The 10 letters dates from 1750 to 1756, during the reign of the emperor Qianlong, concerns the rearing of Chinese children, domestic education and free schools ; elementary education in various European countries ; comparison of the method of study in European universities with the manner of obtaining degrees in China ; mathematics ; examinations in medicine ; contrast between Eastern and Western military philosophies ; sociology, custom of binding feet of women and economics.