Distorted Morality

In On Saving Face, Michael Keevak traces the Western reception of the Chinese concept of “face” during the past two hundred years, arguing that it has always been linked to nineteenth-century colonialism. “Lose face” and “save face” have become so normalized in modern European languages that most users do not even realize that they are of Chinese origin. “Face” is an extremely complex and varied notion in all East Asian cultures. It involves proper behavior and the avoidance of conflict, encompassing every aspect of one’s place in society as well as one’s relationships with other people. One can “give face,” “get face,” “fight for face,” “tear up face,” and a host of other expressions. But when it began to become known to the Western trading community in China beginning in the middle of the nineteenth century, it was distorted and reduced to two phrases only, “lose face” and “save face,” both of which were used to suggest distinctly Western ideas of humiliation, embarrassment, honor, a

“SMART教育”是目前国际社会通行的一种儿童教育体系，即将学科教育（Subject）、美德教育（Morality）、艺术教育（Art）、陪伴教育（Relationship）、户外体验教育（Travel）相结合，秉承“助儿童有更幸福人生”的初心，以素质教育为目标，以美德教育为核心，以艺术教育为路径，与家长协力培养健康、快乐、喜欢创新、善于交流和动手制作，全面发展的SMART儿童。本书系统阐述该教育体系，着眼于21世纪的人才培养，立足中国教育实践，提出了适合中国儿童的核心素养教育模式。

This authoritative collection contains writings by some thirty of the most significant Chinese writers of the period between 1919 and 1949. The three decades from which these pieces are drawn encompass most of the Republican period, a tumultuous era in Chinese history in which modernization and republicanism coexisted with classical culture. Thematically, these xiaopin wen, or modern Chinese essays, differ significantly from the more social and political fiction of the May Fourth movement. Their scope varies, from ruminations on broader existential issues to more personal contemplations on everyday life, often delving into issues of morality and interpersonal relations. Although described as "essays," they are not restrained by the formal, expository connotations of this English term; rather, their tone is more intimate, reflective, and at times witty or tinged with melancholy.

Our world today is troubled by war and conflicts, and leaders are seeking solutions from different sources, and some are turning to the Confucian principles of benevolence, righteousness, priority, and trust for moral guidance. These are simple concepts pertaining to human relationships and personal development. This book is a rendition of selected parts of The Four Books, focusing on the nature and morality of man, the education process, and the perfect personality, and will help the modern reader to appreciate the essence of Confucian wisdom.