Introduction to Daoist Studies in Germany

The missionary Hua Zhi'an (Ernst Faber, 1839-1899) arrived in Hong Kong in 1864, and came to Shanghai in 1886 to preach among the German expatriates and to engage in Chinese studies. He published several papers on the study of Confucianism, and was regarded as "the most accomplished sinologist of the nineteenth century". 1873, Hua Zhi-An published a German edition of his Introduction to Chinese Religion, followed by an English edition in 1879, and in 1884 and 1885, papers in German such as Taoism and The Historical Nature of Taoism were published.

In 1881, the German sinologist Gabelenz (1846-1885) published papers on Zhuangzi and Wenzi, and an English paper on the Life and Teachings of Laozi in the China Reporter, and in 1892, the University of Berlin opened a "Chair of East Asian Languages" under the chairmanship of Prof. Gruber.

Grube (1855-1908) was a researcher in Beijing between 1897 and 1899, where he investigated Chinese folklore and folk beliefs, and later published theses: Religion and Sacrifice in China, Religion in Ancient China, etc. He wrote the Taoist Myths (Lei Li Zi) and the English paper The Life and Teachings of Laozi. His "Taoist Myths (Lixian Zhuan)" examines the language of the work and analyzes the Taoist doctrine of creation in light of it. Gruber studied Chinese folk beliefs and the formation of the 'Eight Immortals', and published The Influence of Chinese Folk Religion on Buddhism, Chinese Folk Gods in Xiamen, and The Peking People's Use of Death. Gruber is best known for his independent translation of the first forty-eight books of the classical Chinese mythological novel Fengshen Yanyi. The translation of the second half of the German text of Fengshen yanyi was done by Herbert H. Gruber. *** completed.

In 1912, the University of Berlin officially opened the "Chinese Lecture", which was headed by the Dutch sinologist Groot (1854-1921). Groot was originally an official in charge of colonial affairs in India, and later became famous for his study of Chinese Taoism. Between 1892 and 1910, he published The Religion of China in six volumes, which became a must-read for later sinologists, and between 1903 and 1904, he published The History of the Passion of the Chinese Religion in two volumes, which also became a famous work in the world of sinology. In addition to these, Groot published in English The Religion of China, which was later translated into German.

Another German scholar who lectured on Chinese at the University of Berlin was Franke (1863-1946). Franke came to China in 1888 to study translation at the German Embassy in Beijing, and after 1890 he worked as an interpreter and consul, and in 1907 he became a professor of Chinese at the University of Hamburg, where he presided over the lectures on Chinese language and culture, before moving to the University of Berlin. Frank's research work was extensive, and his main work was the History of the Chinese Empire (five volumes). His studies of Chinese religion include The Book of Chinese Religion 1900 and The Book of Chinese Religion 1909, published in the journal Archiv der Religionen in 1910 and 1915. This groundwork was important for the study of Chinese religion in European and American academia, and in 1945 the German High School Society in Peking published Frank's Lectures and Essays on Chinese Culture and History, which included a discussion of his studies of Taoism.

Forke

Forke (1867-1944), after coming to Beijing to study the Chinese language, began his career as an interpreter, and was professor of Chinese at the Institute of Oriental Languages at the University of Berlin from 1903 to 1923, and after 1924, professor of Chinese at the University of Hamburg, specializing in Chinese philosophy. In 1939, Falk's "History of Chinese Philosophy in the Middle Ages" was published, which contained such works as "Mysticism in China", "Ge Hong as Philosopher and Alchemist", and so on. The most influential figure in the study of Chinese studies in Germany is Wei Lixian.

Wei Lixian (Wilhelm, 1873-1930) was a missionary of the Weimar Mission, and after coming to China in 1897, he has been active in Qingdao as a missionary. He translated and published Taoist works such as Laozi, Zhuangzi and Liezi before the First World War, and later served as a literary advisor to the German Embassy in China. When the Institute for Chinese Studies at the University of Frankfurt was founded, Wei Lixian became professor of Chinese language at the institute. According to Wei Lixian, Laozi is a book "about morality and life", while Zhuangzi contains mysticism. In addition to the Taoist books mentioned above, Wei-Li Hsien is the author of General Knowledge of Practical China, Lao-Tzu and its Taoism, The Spirit of China, A History of Chinese Culture, The Orient - The Formation and Transformation of Chinese Culture, Chinese Philosophy, and Translations of the Purposes of Taiyi Jinhua, to name but a few. The book "The Purpose of Taiyi Jinhua", with a preface by the famous psychologist Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961), was later published in English. Wei Lixian's contribution to the study of Sinology was enormous. In his honor, the Wei Lixian Center for Translation Studies was established in Bonn.

Max Weber (Weber, 1882-1945) was one of the most important figures in the study of Taoism. Max Weber (Weber, 1864-1920) was a famous German sociologist, historian, economist and politician, graduated from the Law Faculty of the University of Heidelberg, and taught successively at the University of Berlin, the University of Freiburg, the University of Heidelberg, the University of Munich, and was one of the founders of German sociology. Max Weber was one of the founders of German sociology. Max Weber's entire research results, compiled into the Sociology of Religion Essays in three volumes. The first volume includes the famous works "Protestant Ethics and the Spirit of Capitalism" and "The Economic Ethics of the World's Religions". Max Weber Max Weber's study of Taoism is part of his study of the ethics of world religions under the general framework of "The Economic Ethics of the World's Religions". The study of the economic ethics of the world's religions complements his study of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.

Max Weber argues that the Western world is in the grip of a religious ethic. Weber argues that Protestant Christianity, which was formed in the Western world after the Reformation, has contributed to the development of modern capitalism in the West. Because the Protestant ethic not only has an intrinsic affinity with the spirit of capitalism, but also is the decisive force leading to the formation of the capitalist system. Max Weber's Confucianism and Taoism. Max Weber's book Confucianism and Taoism was intended to argue that the reason why China did not succeed in developing capitalism like the West was because it lacked a religious ethic that could serve as a powerful "lever" to promote the development of capitalism.

However, Max Weber did not know Chinese. However, Max Weber did not know Chinese, and he used as a basis for his research the little knowledge about China that the Western world already had from missionary and colonial activities, as well as the limited number of Confucian and Taoist books that had been translated into Chinese. Therefore, Max Weber's level of Sinological research is not as high as that of the Chinese studies. Therefore, the limitations and one-sidedness of Max Weber's Sinological studies and his knowledge of China are self-evident.

Confucianism and Taoism is divided into three parts. The first one, "Foundations of Sociology", deals with the economic and political systems of Chinese society in chapters, namely: "Cities, Vassals and Gods", "Feudal and Salary State", "Management and Agricultural System", "Autonomy, Law and Capitalism", pointing out that there are many unfavorable conditions for the development of capitalism in China's political system, blood relations, agricultural system and legal system. The second part, "Orthodoxy", is divided into chapters on Confucianism, the orthodox value system of Chinese society, i.e. the "scholarly class", and the "orientation of life in Confucianism", and so on. Max Weber argued that the Chinese scholarly class was the most powerful and most powerful in China. According to Max Weber, the Chinese scholars were "undoubtedly the ruling class in China", and the orthodox value system they represented was Confucianism. Confucianism is "purely a secular morality within the secular world", "it is nothing but a great code of political norms and social etiquette for the educated world". In the third article, Taoism, Max Weber relies on Gruber. Weber relies on Gruber's Religion and Culture of the Chinese and Gruet's The Unity of Heaven and Man: The Basis of Religion, Ethics, State System, and Science in China.

Weber argued that Taoism was rejected by Confucianism and regarded as heretical in China. In the struggle between the scholars and their opposing forces, we always see the Taoists on the side of the opposition," he said. Referring to the Taoist master Zhang Ling, Weber says that his descendants "founded an organization in the declining and troubled times of the Han dynasty. This organization had its own governing bodies, taxes, and strict and compulsory political discipline, and successfully fought against the political authorities". Weber was entirely correct in noting that Taoism appeared as a heresy of Confucianism, and that Taoism initially appeared as an opponent of the scholars. However, Weber argued that Taoism and Confucianism, despite their antagonism, were equally committed to traditionalism, and therefore Taoism, like Confucianism, was equally unlikely to be a 'lever' for the emergence of capitalism.

It is also important to note that Max Weber's study of Taoism, which is a very important part of his work, is a very important part of his work.

It is also important to note that Max Weber's study of Daoism did not, in fact, exceed the level of research and general understanding of European sinologists at the time. According to Weber, "Taoism is an absolutely anti-rational and frankly very low form of sorcery, immortality, healing, and demoralization". This view was a common one among European sinologists of the early twentieth century who had a background of Christianity and Catholicism. Therefore, Max Weber's statement is not at all surprising. It is not surprising that Max Weber made such a statement. He analyzed it from the perspective of religious organization, and believed that "Taoism is nothing more than an organization of sorcerers. Buddhism, in the form in which it was introduced into China, ceased to be a religion of salvation, as was the case in early Indian Buddhism, and became an organization of monks who practiced sorcery and secret arts. Thus, Taoism and Buddhism, at least for the layman, did not become sociologically decisive religious groups". He analyzes it from the point of view of religious teachings and argues that "the teachings of Taoism, though different from the crude and 'universalist' theories of witchcraft, do not act more rationally or form a countervailing force". Weber's analysis is entirely in reference to Western religions, and thus, in Weber's eyes, there is just a whole lot of witchcraft, immortality, healing, and elimination of disasters, etc., even though Weber saw Taoism as belonging to the religion of the layman, and opposed to Confucian orthodoxy.

On the eve of World War II, German sinologists left Germany in droves. Among them was Hellmut Wilhelm, son of Wei Lixian. Born in Qingdao, China, Wilhelm taught German at Peking University, where he chaired the Beijing German School Association, and then moved to the U.S. in 1948 to become a professor at the School of Oriental Studies at Washington State University, where he authored The History of Chinese Ideas and Society and Society and the State in China: The History of an Empire. As he had assisted his father, Wei Lixian, in translating the I Ching, Wei is also the author of a translation of the I Ching, which was later translated into English, and is known for his lectures on the I Ching. His influence on the study of the Yi in Western Europe remains to this day. Meanwhile, Erkes authored The Origin of Taoism and The Origin of the Taoists, among others.

After the Second World War, the study of Chinese studies in Germany was initially in decline. In the last two decades, the number of students studying Chinese in German universities has gradually increased, and the study of Sinology has gradually resumed. However, the study of Sinology in Germany is mainly concerned with Confucianism and Songming ethics, which is in line with the conceptualist tradition of German academia. German research on Taoism in the post-war period was both a continuation of pre-war research on Taoism and the influence of Taoist research in neighboring France.

Wolfgang Frank

Wolfgang Frank Franke

Wolfgang Franke Wolfgang Franke, a German scholar and author, was one of the most important figures in the study of Daoism.

Wolfgang Franke, the son of the sinologist Franck, came to China in 1937 and worked as a researcher at the German Society for Secondary Education in Beijing, and returned to China in 1950 as a professor at the University of Hamburg, where he authored Bibliography of the History of the Ming Dynasty, A Hundred Years of Revolutionary History in China, and China and the West, among others. He is also a professor at the University of Hamburg. He is the author of The Bibliography of Ming History, A Centennial History of the Chinese Revolution, and China and the West, among other works.

Werner Eichhorn
Werner Eichhorn is the author of The Trinity and its evolution in Singapore and Malaysia.

Werner Ekorn is the author of The Trinity and its evolution in Singapore and Malaysia.

Werner Eichhorn has written many books on Chinese culture, Chinese religion and Taoism. He has written many books on Chinese culture and Taoism, including Thoughts on Taoism in the Second Book of Zhuangzi, Overview of Sun En's Rebellion and Early Taoist Rebellion, Examination of Zhang Jiao's Rebellion and Zhang Lu's Regime, Tai Ping and the Tao of Taiping, History of Chinese Culture, Values of Buddhist and Taoist religions and their legal status during the Song Dynasty, Religions of China, and Religion and State Cult in Ancient China.

Joseph Thiel

Joseph Thiel (1896-1968), a writer and author, is the author of Thinker.

Joseph Thiel (JosephThiel)，以研究元史为主，著著元代的佛道论争的著作《元代佛道教之争》以及《《《《庄子》的认识论问题》和《《《道德经》中道的概念》等。

Wolfgang Bauer

Wolfgang Bauer (WolfgangBauer)。

Wolfgang Bauer, or Bauer Wugang, is the author of Studies on Huangshi Gong, China and the Quest for Happiness - Paradise and the Ideal State in the History of Chinese Thought, The Doctrine of Neidan of Ge Hong, and The Cult of the Chinese Shizuo in Taiwan Today, among other works.

Hans Steininger, University of Würzburg. Prof. Hans Steininger, known for his work on Guan Yinzi and the Wenshi Zhenjing, founded the Institute of Chinese Studies at the University of Würzburg in 1965, and in 1979, in cooperation with Prof. Schoenen, participated in the international study of the synopsis of the Daozang. In addition, Prof. Steininger is an international member of the Japanese Taoist Society, and has close ties with the Institute of Oriental Culture at the University of Tokyo and the Faculty of Literature at Waseda University. 1985, on Steininger's sixty-fifth birthday, he published a commemorative collection of essays, Religions and Philosophies of the Orient,*** containing 30 papers divided into four sections, namely, Taoism, Buddhism, other religions, and philosophy. Among them are the following on Taoism:

Most of the post-war German sinologists studied in France or Japan, and some of them have been engaged in sinological research in France or Japan for a long time, and they are usually listed among the sinologists of that country. For example, Anna Saidel is often recognized as a French Sinologist. For example, Anna Seidel is usually recognized as a French sinologist. Some of them returned to their home countries after completing their studies. For example, Badrien Hussain studied Taoist internal alchemy at the Institut des Hautes études in France and published his doctoral dissertation on the translation and study of The Secret Method of the Spiritual Treasure in French in 1984. He has also published his doctoral thesis on the translation and study of The Secret Method of Lingbao in French in 1984, as well as The "Qinyuanchun" of Lu Dongbin - Alchemy Poetry of the Song Dynasty, Lu Dongbin in the Literature of the Northern Song Dynasty, Daoism: A General Introduction, and The Inner Elixir of Taoism. Husain now teaches at the University of Würzburg.

Grube, ReligionundKulturderChinesen (1910) Groot, 6vols, TheReligiousSystemofChina (1892-1910) Max? Weber, Confucianism and Taoism (Nanjing, China: Jiangsu People's Publishing House, 1995)