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Thread: 'Xia Ke Xing' - A 'rousseauesque' Jin Yong novel?

  1. #1
    Senior Member Du Gu seeking a win's Avatar
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    Default 'Xia Ke Xing' - A 'rousseauesque' Jin Yong novel?

    Was JY influenced by Jean Jacques Rousseau (French philosopher 1712-1778)? If one reads JY's novel 'Xia Ke Xing' this is seemingly the case.

    In XKX, two types of human beings are juxtaposed:

    Shi Po Tian - a pure soul ('noble savage') excluded from society,

    Xie Yan Ke - a man with 'smooth outside - rotten inside' behaviour.


    Doesn't this comply with J.J. Rousseau's idea of :

    mankind is innately/basically good before he is contaminated and corrupted by society.


    In the end JY even let the illiterate hero SPT succeed against his cultured opponents.


    Your opinions please.

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    Senior Member Candide's Avatar
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    Doesn't this comply with J.J. Rousseau's idea of :

    mankind is innately/basically good before he is contaminated and corrupted by society.
    It does, but that idea has been known in Asia for a few thousand years already. I'm surprised that you don't know about it.
    "Anything you can't say NO to is your MASTER, and you are its SLAVE."

    "I disapprove of what I say, but I will defend to the death my right to say it."

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    Senior Member Du Gu seeking a win's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Candide
    It does, but that idea has been known in Asia for a few thousand years already. I'm surprised that you don't know about it.


    Can't imagine that the Chinese (with its thousand years of culture) would say that human beings are corrupted by society/culture

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    Senior Member Candide's Avatar
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    I can't write Chinese, but the first part of the Sino-Vietnamese version is:

    "Nhan chi so, tinh ban thien..."

    It states that all humans are born innocent or good. Those who become evil/bad are influenced by external factors. It doesn't explicitly say that humans (or all humans) are corrupted by society/culture though.

    It's more likely that Jin Yong is influenced by this traditional point of view than that of the French dude.
    "Anything you can't say NO to is your MASTER, and you are its SLAVE."

    "I disapprove of what I say, but I will defend to the death my right to say it."

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    Moderator Suet Seung's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Candide
    I can't write Chinese, but the first part of the Sino-Vietnamese version is:

    "Nhan chi so, tinh ban thien..."
    Hmm...that line...it's from a Buddhist prayer, San something Jing or something?
    Last edited by Suet Seung; 06-01-04 at 12:39 PM.

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    Senior Member Guo Xiang's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Du Gu seeking a win

    Can't imagine that the Chinese (with its thousand years of culture) would say that human beings are corrupted by society/culture
    5000 years, thank you.
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    Senior Member convoy's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Suet Seung
    Hmm...that line...it's from a Buddhist prayer, San something Jing or something?
    Three Words Scripture (San Zi Jing) has nothing to do with Buddhism. It is about the philosophy of life.

  8. #8
    Moderator Suet Seung's Avatar
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    Originally posted by convoy
    Three Words Scripture (San Zi Jing) has nothing to do with Buddhism. It is about the philosophy of life.
    Hahaha Thanks for correcting me. Then where did this philosophy come from? By Whom?

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    Senior Member convoy's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Suet Seung
    Hahaha Thanks for correcting me. Then where did this philosophy come from? By Whom?
    By some ancient guy .
    No, I also don't know.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Du Gu seeking a win's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Suet Seung
    Hahaha Thanks for correcting me. Then where did this philosophy come from? By Whom?




    http://raptor.depauw.edu/sanzijing/

    http://raptor.depauw.edu/sanzijing/szj001-008g.html

  11. #11
    Senior Member convoy's Avatar
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    Well, it seems that it is not merely a philosophy of life. It is also includes mathematics, geography, chemistry, farming, etc.

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