China and the West

John Dewey arrived in Changsha.

Bertrand Russell arrives Changsha at the invitation of the General Education Association of Hunan. He gives four lectures : "The idea of Bolshevism", "Personal incidents in Russia", "The labour failures of Bolshevism", "Necessary elements for a successful communism".

Letter from John Dewey to Dewey children
Changsha Hunan Oct 26 [1920]
Dearest children,
We left last friday morning—its Tuesday evening now…
Instead of going right thru from Hankow we were taken to a nice clean hotel with bathtub, and stayed there till next afternoon at five when we took a train. There was a funny time there. A delegate as usual came up from here, a Frecnh returned student. There was also a delegation of Hankow educators at the train. One of them in behalf asof the French-Chinese sociaty of Hankow invited us to a lucneon at noon. So I accepted. The very next moment he said that would hurry us too much, so they would have the banquet at five. Then the Changsha delegate spoke up and said we might be on the train at that time. Then the H. man said—all in frecnh—it was a sufficiently rare occasion, n'est ce pas, and we wcould stay over another day. I referred the matter back to our delegate. Next morning he came to the hotel and said the banquet was fixed for five. Your mother and I both thought he didnt like it to have the trip posponed a day so for the first time since Ive been in China I butted in and said my time for the trip was limited, and this meant one day less for lecturing, and While I appreciated etc etc. So he said it would hardly do for him to make any objections but if I wrote a note it would be all right of course. So the note was written suggesting the banquet be given on our return when it could be combined with a day for lecturing. Then they got passes for us for the afternoon train, and sent a young American returned student just back from Oberlin and Harvard with us. After we got on the train he said that the Changsha delegate was anxious all the time to saty and have the banquet. Also he was much peeved because an American returned student wasnt sent, and said the Japanese and French Balgian returned students had combined here agt the American, and they ought to have sent some one who could speak Eng as there were about thirty here. Also that the banquet was for Chancellor Tsai and a fren[c]h returned professor of biology at Peking Univ who is accompanying the Chancellor to Shanghai to see him off for a trip to Europe. Meantime the delegate from here had to stay anyway because the boat from Shanghai was late, said boat bearing the Honorable B[ertrand] Russell, who was also coming here to lecture. Well this is a long story and doubtless seems quite pointless. But take my word for it that it quite illuminating and you'll know a lot more about China than we did before it Happenned. At first we were peeved and thought we had made a mistake, but as they had teachers here from all over the province waiting for the meetings to begin, and I think they were already one day late, Im glad we butted in. The Hon B[ertrand] R[ussel] came in this noon on the train we came on yesterday with all the rest of the party along. He was supposed to speak every forennon till next monday night, six in all, and me afevery afternoon. But it seems he has or thinks he has to be in Peking, and has announced he must take the boat back tomorrow or next day Im not sure which. Whether he hasnt been in China long enough to know how little dates count or whether he has some other reason I dont know. They had a place all picked out for him, I think a missionary English and he declined to go, said he preferred a Chinese hotel. But I guess the hotels, Chinese here are pretty bad. The committee wouldnt let him go and I understand have emptied or filled a house especially for him.
A Miss [Dora] Black of Cambridge a former student is accompanying him and is to lecture on sociology. Mamma has seen more people than I have since the news came out, and all the people, at least foreigners are saying What do you know about these socialists travelling around the world together? Fortunately we dont know anything?. He lectured this p m right after I did, on Bolshevism. I was rushed right out of the hall, to 'go and get rested'. I suppose from politeness but it almost looked as if they [di]dnt want me to hear him. I judge they are about the same as his articles. The only thing I heard him say was that one reason he was opposed to Bolshevism was that the rest of the world wouldnt accept it voluntarily, they were bound to impose it, and that would mean continued fighting and he considered the situation so precarious that civilization might go under in a prolonged war. The other thing was that they were doing a lot for the children. Its fortunate for China his reaction was unfavorable as they will stand things from him on acct of his radical rep they wouldnt from anybody else. They rather idealize the Bolshevists here, especially the radical among the students. This place seems to be a hot bed. As I have written the late civil war began here. The old Tuchun was the rottenest in China, or would have been if there went so many rotten ones, they all the rottenest when you hear the details. The schools have been closed for almost two years, and the students have all the effervescence on tap the rest worked part of off last year. Also Hunan has the rep of being the most independent and revolutionary province in China. I was told that in one school the students had compleed in 21 changes of techers in the last two month. Im not sure that it wasnt one place which had been changed 28 times to meet their desires. They have issued posters that nobody should be called mister or teacher or any other title any longer since all are equal. However they wont admit the teachers are their equals in practise. Also advised that all the unamrried men and women in Changsha be promtly paired off. A Chinese told me he would get me a translation of the whole thing. As matter of fact its probably a dozen students ut of a thousand, but the minority is vigorous enough, the majoritgy will always give in when the minority calls them names.
The new governor has been tgov twice before, once after the rev and was driven out by the name Yuan Shi Kai crowd, and then after the latters downfall only to be driven out by the Anfus. He is said to be one of the most enlightened liberals in China, a younger amn than I thought. When they said he was Hanlin—an old Chinese doctor under the exam system, I supposed he was an old man but he isnt over 45. He must have been a precocious kid and got his degree lalong with his mothers milk. He is certainly what they call democratic. We went to call on him yesterday p m, an he was in conference when we got there. Then he finally came almost running into the room, breathless and apologetic, with no pomp or bodyguard of soldiers. He came to the lecture this p m without any soliders at all, no uniform, and helped introduce me. Most of the governors dont stir out unless they have soldiers several deep to stop all stray bullets. he gives us banquet friday night. We are staying at a Chinese doctors, teacher in the medical college here, Yale farudate, speaks better eblish than I do. His wofe has never studied aborad but speaks enough eng to get along, and they have a foreign house and style, only Chinese food, Im glad to say. Darn good [co]oking at that. This is the seat of the socalled Yale-in-China college Yale grads send funds, and the faculty is largely from there, both American and Chinese. They keep up more social style than any place, weve been outiside Peking and Shang. By which I mean evening fdress. Haventing got sick of lugging mine around, of course I came without and we are invited out to dinner every night, tho some of them are Chinese affairs. Also invited out to luncheon everyday about, also a few afternoon teas. We are in luck being at these place, as it is Chinese enough to find out things from their point of view and foreign enough to have a bathtub, and good beds. There seem to be rather more cooperation than is usual between Chinese and foreigners here. The gentry give half the money for the College, comes thru govt funds. The only case in China I think. We are only three hundred miles from Canton.anAfter taking from five pm till eleven next day to get there, something less than 250 from Hankow, 300 is far enough howver. There were no sleeping cars, but he had a coop to ourselves and could stretch out some. The soldiers took possession of everything else, tho they are supposed to be the reformed soldiers, defenders of the faith. The streets are narrow here, and they say the former northern soliders used to beat a ricksha man or chair coolies if they bumped into them at all, and it was practically impossible not to. Quite middle age style. Also when they anted things from a stor[e] they would take what they wanted. The old Tuchun shipped or allowd a lot of rice to be shipped to Japan and got a big squeexe on every picul, hundred pounds. Made a million, in six weeks alone, also a shortage of rice in China at same ime, and exportation officially forbidden. He still lives, in Shanghai and took his money with him I suppose. And his conks. The young man who came with us and who is interpreting for me in spite of a bad cold, and the first time he ver did for anybody, is a case, a character. Was a revolutionist when he was a school boy of fiteen, and made such a name that when the republic came in they sent him to America to syudy, Hunan province altho he knows no Eng. He is quite critical of Dr Hu [Shi] and the Peking crowd, thinks they are too radical and destructive, but he is really more radical than most of them, tho more prwctical, less theoretical about it.
Time to go out to dinner
Love to everybody Dad

Bertrand Russell attends a governor's banquet in Shanghai and meets John Dewey and his wife Alice Chipman Dewey.
Russell departs for Beijing.

John Dewey attends a banquet hosted by Tan Yankai, the governor of Hunan, in Changsha. He visited Changsha, attended an education conference, and visited Hankou and Jiangxi province.

Letter from Bertrand Russell to Ottoline Morrell, 28. Okt. 1920. In : The Nation ; 8 Jan. 1921.
I wrote the following account on the Yiangtse : To Ottoline Morrell.
Since landing in China we have had a most curious and interesting time, spent, so far, entirely among Chinese students and journalists, who are more or less Europeanised. I have delivered innumerable lectures – on Einstein, education and social questions. The eagerness for knowledge on the part of students is quite extraordinary. When one begins to speak, their eyes have the look of starving men beginning a feast. Everywhere they treat me with a most embarrassing respect. The day after I landed in Shanghai they gave a vast dinner to us, at which they welcomed me as Confucius the Second. All the Chinese newspapers that day in Shanghai had my photograph. Both Miss Black and I had to speak to innumerable schools, teachers' conferences, congresses, etc. It is a country of curious contrasts. Most of Shanghai is quite European, almost American ; the names of streets, and notices and advertisements are in English (as well as Chinese). The buildings are magnificent offices and banks ; everything looks very opulent. But the side streets are still quite Chinese. It is a vast city about the size of Glasgow. The Europeans almost all look villainous and ill. One of the leading Chinese newspapers invited us to lunch, in a modern building, completed in 1917, with all the latest plant (except linotype, which can't be used for Chinese characters). The editorial staff gave us a Chinese meal at the top of the house with Chinese wine made of rice, and innumerable dishes which we ate with chopsticks. When we had finished eating they remarked that one of their number was fond of old Chinese music, and would like to play to us. So he produced an instrument with seven strings, made by himself on the ancient model, out of black wood two thousand years old, which he had taken from a temple. The instrument is played with the finger, like a guitar, but is laid flat on a table, not held in the hand. They assured us that the music he played was four thousand years old, but that I imagine muse be an overstatement. In any case, it was exquisitely beautiful, very delicate, easier for a European ear than more recent music (of which I have heard a good deal). When the music was over they became again a staff of bustling journalists.
From Shanghai our Chinese friends took us for three nights to Hanchow on the Western Lane, said to be the most beautiful scenery in China. That was merely holiday. The Western Lake is not large – about the size of Grasmere – it is surrounded by wooded hills, on which there are innumerable pagodas and temples. It has been beautified by poets and emperors for thousands of years. (Apparently poets in ancient China were as rich as financiers in modern Europe.) We spent one day in the hills – a twelve hour expedition in Sedan chairs – and the next in seeing country houses, monasteries, etc. on islands in the lake.
Chinese religion is curiously cheerful. When one arrives at a temple, they give one a cigarette and a cup of delicately fragrant tea. Then they show one round. Buddhism, which one thinks of as ascetic, is here quite gay. The saints have fat stomachs, and are depicted as people who thoroughly enjoy life. No one seems to believe the religion, not even the priests. Nevertheless, one sees many rich new temples.
The country houses are equally hospitable – one is shewn round and given tea. They are just like Chinese pictures, with many arbours where one can sit, with everything made for beauty and nothing for comfort – except in the grandest rooms, where there will be a little hideous European furniture.
The most delicious place we saw on the Western Lake was a retreat for scholars, built about eight hundred years ago on the lake. Scholars certainly had a pleasant life in the old China.
Apart from the influence of Europeans, China makes the impression of what Europe would have become if the eighteenth century had gone on till now without industrialism or the French Revolution. People seem to be rational hedonists, knowing very well how to obtain happiness, exquisite through intense cultivation of their artistic sensibilities, differing from Europeans through the fact that they prefer enjoyment to power. People laugh a great deal in all classes, even the lowest.
The Chinese cannot pronounce my name, or write it in their characters. They call me 'Luo-Su' which is the nearest they can manage. This, they can both pronounce and print.
From Hanchow we went back to Shanghai, thence by rail to Nanking, an almost deserted city. The wall is twenty-three miles in circumference, but most of what it encloses is country. The city was destroyed at the end of the Taiping rebellion, and again injured in the Revolution of 1911, but it is an active educational centre, eager for news of Einstein and Bolshevism.
From Nanking we went up the Yiangtse to Hangkow, about three days' journey, through very lovely scenery – thence by train to Cheng-Sha, the capital of Hun-Nan, where a great educational conference was taking place. There are about three hundred Europeans in Cheng-Sha, but Europeanisation has not gone at all far. The town is just like a mediaeval town – narrow streets, every house a shop with a gay sign hung out, no traffic possible except Sedan chairs and a few rickshaws. The Europeans have a few factories, a few banks, a few missions and a hospital – the whole gamut of damaging and repairing body and soul by western methods. The Governor of Hun-Nan is the most virtuous of all the Governors of Chinese provinces, and entertained us last night at a magnificent banquet. Professor and Mrs Dewey were present ; it was the first time I had met them. The Governor cannot talk any European language, so, though I sat next to him, I could only exchange compl8iments through an interpreter. But I got a good impression of him ; he is certainly very anxious to promote education, which seems the most crying need of China. Without it, it is hard to see how better government can be introduced. It must be said that bad government seems somewhat less disastrous in China than it would be in a European nation, but this is perhaps a superficial impression which time may correct.
We are now on our way to Peking, which we hope to reach on October 31st.

Zhang, Shenfu. Ji bian zhe. In : Chen bao ; 30. Okt. 1920. [Letter to the Editor about Bertrand Russell].
Mr. Zhang Dongsun's is thoroughly misreading Bertrand Russell when he describes his philosophy with the Chinese words 'shi yong zhu yi'. The English equivalent for this is 'pragmatism' not 'realism'. This is a major, fundamental mistake. Anyone who knows anything about contemporary philosophy and about Russell's work knows that Russell is a firm opponent of pragmatism. His view is very different from Bergson and Dewey, in the same way that his mathematics is fundamentally different from that of Galileo. Since last year, when he began to study modern psychology, Russell has developed a new theory which suggests that there is no difference between mind and matter. They are both part of a continuum of varied perception. In this respect, Russell's theories are quite close to those of William James. Russell's idea that 'truth propositions correspond to actual facts' is nonetheless different from James' notion that 'truth is an assumption we need in order to proceed with the work of philosophy'. The difference in their positions is amply evident in the Principia mathematica and in other of Russell's works. So how can one of our so called illustrious commentators make such a fundamental mistake ?

Bertrand Russell arrives in Beijing.

Letter from Alice Chipman Dewey to Lucy Dewey
Oct. 31 [1920]
Dear Lucy, This is Sunday evening and we have just come in from a picnic on the mountain called YoloShan. We saw an anceatral worship, so one more experience has been added to Cinese ones. The place is lovely, trees large and old and not all of them crooked. Live oak and sweet gum and ginko camphor and chestnut, and good roads which are too goo to please the old residents who prefer the like the primitive, The temples are in charming spots, It is all little tho compared to the Ssishan and easy to reach, tho they insist I should keep in a chair. Papa had to stop at a school on the way down and make a speech so I am the only one back with Dr Yen himself, Mrs Yen and the two children staid for the ancestral worship as they are friends of that family. A monument, a beautiful new house with every thing comfortable for the worshippers, the flags and other marks of honor, the son greeting the friends who came, the open house and the tea and the sons wife the table set out with a fea[st] over which the flies were crawling, it all did not seem so bad a way to remember the dead as one might think. There wa[s] incense burning in place of the flowers on the grave Then we came down a lovely green and moist road like h[o]me with a little brook singing alongside and here am I taking the first whack at the machin to tell you about Changsha. There is much to tell, it has been what the books call an eventful week, small event filling up every minute, I spose Pap told you they handed us a program with a banqu[et] every night when we arrived, We have had the lovliest place to stay in all China missionary spots, Dr Yen is the most spirituel of Chinese and Mrs Is good as gold and simple and all that she ought to be, She comes from Shanghai. There are four lovely children It seems to me the Yale Mission intends to dominate all situations, and it is the Chinese members who keep their hands on top, We havent had a breathing spell once, not a moment when we could run away and buy things, Tho I have gathered up a few, Tomorrow morning I am going to th[e] Y.W.C.A. who live in part of a big house, f[am]ily named Tso who are selling off old things, and maybe I shall find something for you, We are bringing a leopard skin and some cross stitch. I wish I had kept a record from day to day to send you, You know by this time Mr Russell did not stay long but went on to peking last Tuesday, We leave t[o]morrow night and I think we have staid quite long enough. They are keeping up too strenuous a pace to last out for long. last night we went to a dull banquet given by eight societies. Tonight the Gentry are giving us one, I shall not go unless Pap gets back here for I think I am the only woman and Dr Yen does no[t] want me to go, In spite of his being so kind he has Chinese ideas about women.
The talk here is strong and loud about the Russells, Still I asked them to go and call on you. My advice is to receive the[m] well and not speak of the event, In fact it i[s] better for us all to do as little talking ab[o]ut it as possible. The day I first lectured in the missionary school they took back an engagement with Miss Black to speak and they told her the reason they co[u]ld not receive her, I will tell you all about it when we get back. The case is not easy All I wrote you from Hankow turned out to be quite an inc[illeg.] reac reading of Chinese methods and I have decided to never agin make an exception to my habit of saying I dont know what they are doing nor how they do it. [T]hings have gone smoothly here and very hapily owing to this charming home where we are staying, The whole thing is better planned and goes off with more snap than in most places The interpreters have been not very good, tho Papa has been settled down to an excellent one now. The Governor has been very civil, he is quite a simple human being, he brought us down the river in his launch when he came back from ns worship of the old hero whose grave we visited. He is going to start at once a model school on the basis of Pas suggestion that there are only two in China, He has aksed a Miss Loyan to take charge of it, She has been studying school administration in T.C. for three years besids studying somewhere else three years before that and she came back last September. She seems very stupid, and she certainly does not understand our language very well but we will hope that is not so. If one school is started as a result of these trips there is something to show, There is n[o] doubt this Gov is very much interested in education, It is said here he is rather weak in wishing to offend no one. but do not quote to any one any thing except the agreeable things I say He gave us together with other visitors a dinnes on Wednesday night.
Tomorrow night we leave on the boat at ten oclock. We go to lunch and to dinner and we each have to speak twice and I am going to look at the things at the Y.W.C.A. We are expect to stay in Wuchang and Hankow eack two days, So we ought to leave Hankow for the north on Saturday the 7th of Nov, Pa will go straight home but I shall stop off at Paotingfu I will let Miss Gumbrell know as you suggest in your letter which I was surely gald to get All you say soulds as if you were enjoying life Miss Stearns lives here she will get me the broadcloth and besides I am buying velvateen for you two dresses.
[Alice Chipman Dewey]

John Dewey visits the Yoloshan.

John Dewey attends a conference on constitutionalism and self-government in Changsha.

The Beijing da xue shu li za zhi announced on 3 Nov. that Bertrand Russell was to lecture at Beijing University. He lecture weekly on 'Mathematical logic', 'Structure of society', 'The analysis of matter', 'The analysis of mind', 'The problems of philosophy'. Russell agreed to give four lectures in all, the first two at Beijing University, the last two at the Teachers College.

John Dewey : Six lectures on education and social reform in Wuchang.

Interview by Bertrand Russell with Liang Qichao and Zhao Yuanren as interpreter.

John Dewey : Lecture 'Democracy and education' : delivered at the Department of Educational Research, Beijing Teachers College, Fall 1920-Summer 1921. = Ping min zhu yi yu jiao yu. Chang Daozhi interpreter ; Li Jimin, Yang Wenmian, Chang Daozhi recorder. In : Xue deng ; Nov. 5, 10, 12, 17, 18, 19 (1920). In : Ping min zhu yi yu jiao yu ; Nos 26-35, 41-42 ; Dec. 20 (1920), (Jan. 10, 25 ; Febr. 20 ; March 5 ; April 1, 20 ; May 5, 20 ; June 5 ; Nov. 10 (1921).

Bertrand Russell gives the first lecture about "The problem of philosophy" to an audience of 1000 people at Beijing University He explained the meanings of the different symbols he would use, and then introduced both the calculus and algebra of propositions.

John Dewey visits Hankou.

John Dewey : Lectures at Jiujiang and Nanchang, Jiangxi.

Letter from Zhang Shenfu to Bertrand Russell 9 Nov. 1920.
Probably I will leave Peking for France on the 17th, or later. I am very sorry we would separate so soon. But even I go to France, I will continually study your philosophy and as I always attempt to read anything you write, henceforward when you publish books or articles (even reviews), please kindly make me knowing at once. Thank you in anticipation for the trouble you will take. May you favour me with a copy of your photograph with your autograph ? I only wish this because I worship you.

Welcome party for Bertrand Russell in Beijing.