FYN Chapter 102 Debate with a Group of Confucian Scholars
Chapter 102 Debate with a Group of Confucian Scholars
A few seconds later, applause erupted like a tidal wave and lasted for a full minute.
Professor Chen and the other two sat on the sofa, their faces ashen, unable to utter another word.
Lin Wan watched the director's excited gestures on the monitor and knew that this episode was going to be a huge hit.
She composed herself and said with a smile, "Thank you all for your insightful discussion. Due to time constraints, we will now move on to the final segment—audience Q&A."
A boy wearing glasses raised his hand: "I want to ask Professor Wang Bo, you've said a lot, but I still have a question—as young people, how should we build genuine cultural confidence? Specifically, how should we do it?"
Wang Bo thought for a moment and said seriously, "First, read more books, but not just Western classics; read Chinese classics as well. Second, think more and don't just follow the crowd. Be especially wary of simplistic assertions that everything Western is good. Third, practice more—if you like music, do what I do and incorporate traditional cultural elements into your creations; if you like design, do what Chinese designers do and revitalize Chinese aesthetics; if you like technology, do what Huawei engineers do and use Chinese wisdom to solve global problems."
He stood up and addressed the audience: "Cultural confidence is not just a slogan; it's something we achieve. When our generation can make achievements in various fields that earn the world's respect, cultural confidence will naturally be established. And that day is not far off."
The entire audience stood up and applauded.
Professor Chen, Dr. Li, and Editor-in-Chief Zhang clearly did not expect to be utterly refuted and humiliated in their own "professional field" by a musician who had crossed over from another discipline.
Their faces were gloomy, and they occasionally cast complicated glances at Wang Bo—a mixture of resentment, anger, and a hint of barely perceptible surprise.
Su Xiaoxiao, on the other hand, completely changed her demeanor. Her previous concerns about Wang Bo's participation in such high-end interviews had now turned into undisguised excitement and approval.
Her eyes shone like a bird that had discovered a treasure: "Did Wang Bo secretly get extra lessons? All those quotations, all that logical breakdown... he was practically glowing on stage! And those old pedants' faces, tsk tsk, from red to white to blue, like a color palette!"
Although Su Yiyi wasn't as outwardly expressive as her sister, her gaze towards Wang Bo was filled with a gentle smile and a deep appreciation: "His perspective on the Needham Question and the continuity of civilization was truly unique."
Lin Wan announced that she would take a short break.
If you need to urinate, then urinate; if you need to do something else, then do it.
After a short break and touch-ups, everyone returned to the studio.
Lin Wan stepped onto the stage again, her smile still impeccable, but her eyes held a sharpness that was almost imperceptible: "Thank you for your patience, guests and audience. In this next short Q&A session, I hope that all the teachers can have a more in-depth or more direct exchange on some of the fundamental issues that were touched upon in the discussion. There is no fixed topic, so please feel free to speak your mind."
As soon as he finished speaking, Professor Chen seemed eager to reverse the tide and immediately took over the conversation, pointing directly at Wang Bo: "Mr. Wang Bo, you have repeatedly emphasized the mutual influence of civilizations and opposed a simple dichotomy of superiority and inferiority. This sounds very politically correct, but we cannot ignore a fundamental fact—the dawn of modern science and the Industrial Revolution truly shone in the West, not the East."
"This is a choice of history, and it must have profound cultural roots. Can you deny that certain characteristics of Western culture—such as the so-called 'individualism' and 'rational spirit' that you have been criticizing—are precisely the key to the emergence of modern technological civilization? And did Eastern culture, especially Chinese culture, stagnate and close down to some extent after the long Middle Ages?"
This time, Professor Chen stopped beating around the bush and directly used "historical facts" as a weapon, his tone becoming more argumentative.
Wang Bo was not intimidated by his imposing manner; on the contrary, it seemed as if he had been waiting for a long time.
He slightly adjusted his posture, his gaze sweeping over the audience below who were holding their breath, before finally settling on Professor Chen's face, a faint smile even appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"Professor Chen, that's an excellent question, touching on a core issue that many people, including scholars from both China and abroad, have been pondering and even questioning for nearly a century." Wang Bo's voice was clear and steady, carrying a calm, historical narrative quality. "You say this is a choice made by history, and I partially agree. But is the reason behind this choice really, as some simplistic proponents claim, that Western culture is inherently superior while Eastern culture is inherently flawed?"
He dropped his first bombshell: "Let's think about it from a different angle. Was the West, especially Europe, able to ignite the Industrial Revolution solely due to their own ingenuity? A basic historical fact is that for hundreds or even thousands of years before the Industrial Revolution, Europe continuously absorbed, learned, and even 'borrowed' from the East—mainly China—through the Silk Road, Arab transit, the Crusades, and later the Age of Exploration. This included agricultural technology, astronomy and calendar systems, mathematical knowledge, engineering machinery, navigation technology, and even political governance experience accumulated over thousands of years."
A low murmur arose from the audience.
This perspective is not unfamiliar to many people, but it seems particularly powerful when it is put forward in this context.
Dr. Li couldn't help but interject: "Cultural exchange is reciprocal; this cannot negate the West's own creative transformation!"
"Dr. Li, don't rush." Wang Bo glanced at him and continued his argument, "I have never denied the wisdom and creativity of Western scholars. What I want to emphasize is the cumulative nature of civilizational development. Without the enormous surplus productivity, mature social organization, and a series of basic technologies that China created during the agricultural era as a foundation and catalyst, it's highly questionable whether Europe could have experienced the Industrial Revolution at that time and in that form. It's like a child standing on the shoulders of a giant to pick an apple, then laughing at the giant for being too short to reach it—isn't that ridiculous?"
The metaphor was both simple and sharp, eliciting a few soft laughs and nods of agreement from the audience.
Professor Chen's face darkened: "You're using a fallacy of semantics, emphasizing external influences to excuse the East's later backwardness!"
"No, I'm precisely opposing that simplistic view of history as either leading or lagging behind." Wang Bo's tone sharpened. "The real problem is that when we discuss Western leadership, we often unconsciously imagine the West as a unified, orderly civilization from ancient times. But is that really the case?"
His gaze sharpened, and he delivered his long-prepared, fatal blow: "Let's see what Europe was like on the eve of the Industrial Revolution. It was a fragmented Europe!"
The moment the word was uttered, the room fell silent, and even Professor Chen and the other two were taken aback.