Chinese Characteristics

Chinese Characteristics is a book by U.S. Christian missionary Arthur Henderson Smith, published in 1890 in the Qing Empire, and four years later in the U.S.A.^[1]

Aspects

Smith identified twenty-five aspects of Chinese culture as encountered in the personality of the individual. His book comprises twenty-five chapters, each titled after one of these aspects and treating it, plus two general chapters treating, respectively, religion and society.

Individual

• I. Face
• II. Economy
• III. Industry
• IV. Politeness
• V. The Disregard of Time
• VI. The Disregard of Accuracy
• VII. The Talent for Misunderstanding
• VIII. The Talent for Indirection
• IX. Flexible Inflexibility
• X. Intellectual Turbidity
• XI. The Absence of Nerves
• XII. Contempt for Foreigners
• XIII. The Absence of Public Spirit
• XIV. Conservatism
• XV. Indifference to Comfort and Convenience
• XVI. Physical Vitality
• XVII. Patience and Perseverance
• XVIII. Content and Cheerfulness
• XIX. Filial Piety
• XV. Benevolence
• XXI. The Absence of Sympathy
• XXI. Social Typhoons (on the pressures of multi-generational households)
• XXIII. Mutual Responsibility and Respect for Law
• XXIV. Mutual Suspicion
• XXV. The Absence of Sincerity

Generality

• XXVI. Polytheism, Pantheism, Atheism
• XXVII. The Real Condition of China and her Present Needs

In print

The book was reprinted in 2003, with a preface by Lu Xun scholar Lydia Liu.^[2]

See also

• Bo Yang's 1985 treatise, The Ugly Chinaman and the Crisis of Chinese Culture (醜陋的中國人 Chǒulòu de Zhōngguórén)

• For Deng Xiaoping's formulation Socialism with Chinese characteristics see Socialist market economy

Notes & References

1. ^ Arthur H.Smith, Chinese Characteristics, New York: F. H. Revell Co., 1894
2. ^ A. H. Smith, Chinese Characteristics, EastBridge, D'Asia Vue, 2003. ISBN 1891936263