Master at Fudan | Quan Zenggu’s “slash life”

He obtained an undergraduate degree in philosophy from Stanford University in just two years, pioneering the study of the history of Western philosophy in China. He was once the director of the Foreign Languages ​​Department of Fudan University, and he and his wife served as the director of the library of Fudan University...

This year marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of Quan Zenggu, a well-known philosopher and professor of philosophy at Fudan University. What kind of person is Mr. During the pursuit, reporters from Jiefang Daily and Shangguan News discovered that he was a "all-rounder" who learned both ancient and modern times and was well versed in both China and foreign countries. The currently popular "slash life" is a perfect way to describe his wonderful life.

[In the Harvard library, I stayed all day]

Quan Zenggu is a descendant of Quan Zuwang, a famous historian and writer in the Qing Dynasty. The oldest existing library in China, "Tianyi Pavilion", contains the cultural heritage of this ancestor of the Quan family.

In 1923, Liang Shiqiu, Chen Zhi, Gu Yuxiu, Wu Jingchao, Wu Wenzao, Sun Liren, etc. were also on the same ship to study in the United States.

In just two years, Quan Zenggu received an undergraduate degree in philosophy from Stanford University, a master's degree from Harvard University in another three years, and completed a doctoral program at Harvard University. At Harvard, the place he went to most often was the library, where he would bring a piece of bread and stay there all day.

In 1928, Quan Zenggu returned to the ever-changing China, taught in many universities, and founded publications with Lin Yutang and others. "China Review Weekly" and "World Monthly" were English-language publications with international influence at that time, and they were also important cultural fronts for China to speak out to the world. Quan Zenggu wrote a large number of English articles during his concurrent editorship.

[Less than 50,000 words, but it reveals a rare philosophical spirit]

In the early 1930s, "A Short History of Western Philosophy" written by Quan Zenggu was published by the Commercial Press, pioneering the study of the history of Western philosophy in China.

"The whole book has less than 50,000 words, but it contains a philosophical spirit that is not found in much thicker works on the history of Western philosophy. This kind of philosophical spirit, which is rare today, is worth remembering and commending us in any case." Fudan University Zhang Rulun, a professor at the School of Philosophy, told reporters.

"A Short History of Western Philosophy" was written in 1933 when the Nazis came to power. In this booklet, Quan Zenggu could not suppress his worries about the future of mankind. "So I thought foolishly, if I had the ability, I would put all the philosophy, literature and purely great works of the world in a big iron box, and then go dig a big hole on the peak of the Himalayas and hide the iron box inside. . So that when people discover it in the future, they will know what the previous culture was like.”

Such innocent brushwork "allows us to see the spirit of establishing a heart for heaven and earth, establishing a destiny for the people, carrying on the unique knowledge for the past saints, and creating peace for all generations. We also see the essence of philosophy." Zhang Rulun said.

"This booklet has a broad vision and a unique understanding of the development and evolution of Western philosophy. This unique perspective on the study of the history of philosophy has been well inherited in Fudan today." Associate Dean, School of Philosophy, Fudan University Chang Linhui told reporters.

In 1961, Quan Zenggu launched a modern Western philosophy course in the Philosophy Department of Fudan University. This was the first of its kind in a university at the time. It had a profound impact on the academic world and laid the foundation for modern Western philosophy research at Fudan University. "More than a century after Hegel was an important era in the modernization process of Western countries. It was a historical period of radical turmoil in the world's political, economic and social development, and philosophy is an excellent mirror for understanding this process of human understanding. But in At that time, teaching modern Western philosophy required a lot of academic courage. "Huang Songjie, the former director of the Department of Philosophy at Fudan University, once wrote that Quan Zenggu also delved into Russell, Wittgenstein, etc. and published a series of in-depth academic papers. This was also an area that other scholars did not dare to venture into at the time.

In the early 1980s, the "History of Western Philosophy" compiled by Quan Zenggu came out. This is a new starting point for the study of the history of Western philosophy in China. It has become a landmark book that cannot be bypassed when studying the history of Western philosophy, and it will drive the further development of the Department of Philosophy at Fudan University. The book has been reprinted fifteen times and won the Ministry of Education's Outstanding Textbook Award.

[Don’t let the “golden horse and iron horse” in the book only run in your mind]

In the early 1980s, China established a degree system, and Quan Zenggu was one of the first batch of doctoral supervisors in domestic universities.

"My father treats his students with all his heart. I often hear him asking students to read original philosophical works and then explain them word for word." Hu Qingchen, Quan Zenggu's son, told reporters.

The living room of his home serves as the student's classroom. Students go to his home for lessons once every two weeks, ranging from over an hour to half a day. Quan Zenggu has always reminded students that they must have their own experience when reading original works of philosophy, and they cannot let the "gold and iron horses" in the book run through their minds without leaving anything behind. He asked students to submit an article or reading report every month, and warned them not to pile up materials that they have not digested and understood, and not to pretend to be empty talk. At the same time, he also thoughtfully borrowed books from the library for students to read.

Zhang Qingxiong, a professor at the School of Philosophy at Fudan University, told reporters that he once asked Mr. Quan where to start studying Western philosophy. Quan Zenggu told him that he might as well start with ancient Greece and recommended him to read "Critical History of Greek Philosophy." "I looked for it. , it’s really rewarding.”

When Zhang Qingxiong participated in writing "History of Western Philosophy", he carefully studied Quan Zenggu's research papers on Russell and Wittgenstein. "Mr. Quan's articles are well organized and have a clear ideological context. This also affected my research style, that is, starting from the original work. Let’s start with clear logical clues.”

[Co-translating Dickens's "Hard Times" with my wife]

Someone once used the word "perfect" to describe Quan Zenggu's English attainments. His student Yao Jiehou, a researcher at the Institute of Philosophy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, recalled that Quan Zenggu once served as the captain of the Harvard University debate team. Before establishing the Department of Philosophy at Fudan University, he served as the director of the Foreign Languages ​​Department of Fudan University for many years. He is not only proficient in English, but also familiar with German and Latin.

Quan Zenggu has translated many foreign literary works. He and his wife Hu Wenshu, who is a professor of the Chinese Department of Fudan University, jointly translated Dickens's "Hard Times", which is a masterpiece among translations. The book is recognized as the most philosophical among Dickens's novels. Strong is also the hardest to translate.

Zhang Qingxiong told reporters, "When I applied to be a visiting scholar in Switzerland, I needed to submit an English recommendation letter. Mr. Quan made some modifications in some details. At that time, I felt that his English level was indeed high, and his expressions were precise and fluent."

[Doing research alone in the study, quietly]

There is an anecdote in the history of the Fudan University Library. Hu Wenshu and Quan Zenggu served as the director of the Fudan University Library. The school archives still preserves the complete list of the couple's handover of work in February 1951.

Hu Wenshu and Quan Zenggu signed the handover list.

"The first thing I see when I go to his home is often the ancient books in his hands." Huang Songjie once recalled that Quan Zenggu was famous for his research on Western philosophy and was also familiar with Chinese classics. The collection of Chinese academic and cultural books in his home far exceeded that of the West books.

"Like everyone else, I have the highest admiration for my father." Hu Qingchen, 74, is Hu Wenshu's nephew. He adopted this family when he was 4 years old. "I didn't change my surname at that time. My father said there was no need to change it. He also said that surnames do not indicate closeness, and children raised with care will always be related. The father was slightly shorter than the mother, which was not uncommon at the time, which shows that the father has an open mind. "

Hu Qingchen told reporters that he was very naughty when he was a child. Quan Zenggu always regarded him as his own and never said a harsh word.

In his impression, his father and mother had a deep relationship and never had any quarrels. The most harmonious scene is when the two collaborate to translate Dickens's "Hard Times." "My father usually dictates his words first, and my mother has a strong command of Chinese, so she records and polishes her writing." Hu Qingchen recalled that his father and mother often wrote poems and calligraphy together.

After "Hard Times" was published, the couple used the royalties to buy a hardcover set of "The Complete Works of Lu Xun". Because Quan Zenggu's mother liked drama, they used the remaining royalties to buy a Beijing brand black and white TV.

“We lived in the No. 1 Dormitory of Fudan University at the time, and were among the first batch of people to buy TV sets in the 1960s. There were few TV programs at that time, and they mainly broadcast drama performances and football games. Neighbors and colleagues often came to watch TV at home, and the living room "It's full of people." Hu Qingchen said that his father was easy-going and would watch with great interest when Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera were played. Most of the time, he would do research alone in the study.

Concentrating on scholarship, integrating Chinese and foreign countries, being open and inclusive, these are the gifts left to future generations by the "120-year-old" Quan Zenggu.