Globalization. Localism. Identity anxiety. Artistic boundaries. Social diversification. These are among the topics addressed in A Theoretical Journey Across Cultures, a 337-page collection of 14 articles by Zhou Xian that reflects his views on comparative literature, cross-cultural research, and visual culture over the past 20 years.
Globalization has triggered integration and interaction among diverse cultures, making social diversification unstoppable. At the same time, rising populism and nationalism herald a clash of civilizations and cultures. This makes the profound cross-cultural vision in Zhou’s book— about adopting a confident, open, and inclusive attitude in the wave of globalization and in the face of differences and collisions of cultures—increasingly important and relevant.
Zhou, a professor at Nanjing University, is the dean of the Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences. Specializing in art theory and aesthetics, he is an influential voice within the Chinese academy, especially in the field of visual culture. A Theoretical Journey Across Cultures was originally published by Yilin Press, an imprint of PPMG, and has been translated into French by Marianne Dunlop for Okno Editions.
Divided into four parts, the book introduces the theories, concepts, and methods of cross-cultural research. It also discusses Chinese issues in cross-cultural research, exploring how to use Chinese wisdom to address theoretical questions and the cultural challenges faced by local humanities disciplines.
The book goes on to examine the influence of foreign ideas on local academia and how scholars accept and apply these ideas in a unique way under China’s specific temporal and contextual demands.
Finally, Zhou highlights how European, particularly French, philosophical thoughts are embraced in China and discusses how self-awareness and cultural identity can be deeply understood and reflected through cultural exchange and interaction amid significant cultural disparities.
Dunlop, who met the author at an international seminar hosted by the University of Artois prior to working on the translation project, has this first impression to share. “Prof. Zhou started by apologizing for having to speak in English because he did not speak French,” Dunlop says. “To me, that is not just being polite but reflects the person he is—neither humble nor arrogant but genuine. And his genuine curiosity about the West and the world comes across loud and clear throughout the pages of A Theoretical Journey Across Cultures.”
“In this book, Prof. Zhou provides an overview of the evolution of Chinese thought over more than a century and the impact of the introduction of Western thought into China and its confrontation with Chinese traditions,” Dunlop says. “He genuinely believes that the entire world is a great and diverse human civilization and that we can better understand ourselves through the perspectives of others.” A Theoretical Journey Across Cultures “is like a mirror that reflects the differences between us and others, between one civilization and another,” Dunlop says. “It involves constant back-and-forth and constant questioning. The West must also learn to see itself through the eyes of others.” French readers, Dunlop says, will be interested to read about Zhou’s research method on the French theory and his analysis—both logical and humorous—of Foucault’s theory of discourse.
This book, which also delves into the philosophies and thoughts of Barthes, Brecht, Debray, Ibsen, and Munch, encompasses Zhou’s profound reflection on international cultural exchanges. It presents the development of and changes in comparative literature and cross-cultural research theory, examining how Chinese culture interacts and merges with external cultures in the context of cross-cultural communication.
For Zhou, cross-cultural research is akin to a theoretical journey between various cultures, replete with differences and conflicts, integration and understanding. It is about encountering unfamiliar scenery and rediscovering oneself. But what Zhou really wants to show readers in A Theoretical Journey Across Cultures is the extent of the shock that Chinese cultural consciousness undergoes when it meets other cultures—an alchemy that provokes outbursts and that allows the “self to be seen by the other.” Zhou’s book and Sun Xiaoyun’s The Dao of Chinese Calligraphy: Theories, Practices, and Perspectives—both part of PPMG’s Jiangsu Scholars Translated series on outstanding academic works—are available in French and English, respectively, and made their debut in Paris in May 2024.
