Examples of Original Chinese Academic Concepts: Wang Jianjiang – Bie-modern

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In a study conducted by the Evaluation Research Center of Renmin University of China, Professor Wang Jianjiang’s original academic concept “Bie-modern” was selected as one of the top ten original academic concepts in China.

Detail：

Concept name: Bie-Modern

Proposed: 2014

Proposer: Wang Jianjiang (born in 1959, professor at the College of Humanities, Shanghai Normal University, and director of the Institute of Aesthetics and Aesthetic Education)

“Bie-Modern” is a generalization of an era of speciousness in the state of temporal spatialization, while Bie-modernism is a value judgment and theoretical assertion of this specious modernity and Bie-modernity. –Wang Jianjiang. The Generation and Development of Bie-modernism Philosophy and Aesthetics[J]. Journal of Hebei Normal University (Philosophy and Social Science Edition), 2022, 45 (03)

Conceptual interpretation:

The term “别现代” has been circulated in different languages around the world, and in English it is expressed as “Bie-modern”, which is defined as a doubtful modernity, i.e., a kind of modernity that seems to be different from what it is. Bie-modern” is obviously a Chinese-English composite word, “Bie” is the pinyin form of the Chinese character “别”, and “Bie” is the pinyin form of the Chinese character “别”, and “Bie” is the pinyin form of the Chinese character “别”. Bie” is the pinyin form of the Chinese character “别”, and “modern” is the spelling of the English word. The translation of “Bie-modern” is intended to emphasize the Chinese nature of “BIE” in “Bie-modern”. However, the theory of Bie-modernism is a theory of social formations that utilizes language but breaks out of the “cage of language”.

Academic significance:

The value of the first theoretical ground is emphasized: Bie-modern theory develops in the course of the debate with various Western theories of modernity and several Chinese domestic theories of modernity based on Western doctrines. However, Bie-modern theory is not entangled in debates with a particular theory of modernity; on the contrary, it completes its theoretical construction by emphasizing attribute-determined characteristics and searching for the first theoretical basis.

First of all, Wang Jianjiang’s Bie-modern theory emphasizes the establishment of essential attributes and avoids the practice of replacing attributes with features and characteristics. He criticizes Western “aesthetic modernity” and Chinese modernity theories from the West in terms of essential attributes rather than features and characteristics, and emphasizes the idea that attributes determine characteristics. He points out that the “speciousness” of Bie-modern is closely related to and basically consistent with the status quo of these underdeveloped Third World countries that are on the road to modernization but have not yet achieved it. This specious status quo precisely negates the claims of some Chinese scholars that China is a new modernity, a mixed modernity, an alternative modernity, a complex modernity, a different modernity, etc. The reason is simple: even modernity is not a modernity, but a modernity. The reason is very simple: even modernity is not enough, let alone new modernity, mixed modernity, alternative modernity, complex modernity, different modernity? These ‘new’, ‘mixed’, ‘alternative’, ‘complex’, ‘other’, ‘alternative’ are things that come after modernity is in place or after modernization is achieved, not as it is. As the saying goes, ‘if the skin does not exist, the hair will not be attached to it’.” That is, attributes come first, characteristics come second, and attributes determine characteristics, not the other way around.

Secondly, Wang Jianjiang bases his entire theory on the “first theoretical basis”. The so-called first theoretical basis refers to those theories which, although only appearing in the form of assumptions and assertions, can become the basis of the basis, the theory of the theory, and the doctrine of the doctrine, which is the root of the theory, and also the root of the doctrine. This is the root of theory and the root of doctrine, the birthplace of theory and the growth point of theory.The theory of Bie-modernism gives ontological philosophical significance to the “bie” of Bie-modern. It proposes “to be there” and “to be different” from the transformation of “no waiting” and “no difference” in the philosophy of Zhuangzi. The first theory is also presented through “the spatialization of time”, “looking back to Bie-modern after postmodern”, “life ontology”, “life equity”, and so on. “The existence of the first theoretical basis is demonstrated.The existence of the first theoretical basis shows that with the first theoretical basis, its theoretical significance will be accumulated to the deepest level, and even though it is constantly being questioned or doubted, it will still ferment the theory and its influence will still exist. As a matter of fact, the above categories of Bie-modernism have been constantly compared by Western scholars with the theories of Western Marxism, Derrida, Foucault, Rancière, Alain Badiou, and so on, in the literature of Western Bie-modernism research. This clearly shows the value of the first theoretical grounding statement of the theoretical categories of Bie-modernism.

Theoretical innovation stems from reality and answers the urgent problems of the times. The characteristic of Bie-modernism theory lies firstly in the generalization of the real society, that is to say, it is not developed from the theory of Western modernity, as mentioned earlier, but is a theory summarized according to the current situation of China, that is, a mixture of modern, pre-modern, and post-modern forms. This theory is clearly different from the historical and social form of linear development in the West, and is a spatialized philosophy of time. This philosophy, because of its four stages of development and presuppositions, makes it a theory capable of stepping out of the spatialization of time and into a new era. Western scholars have launched a comparative study of Chinese and Western philosophies around the theory of Bie-modernism, and Chinese scholars have taken the theory of Bie-modernism as the perspective and starting point of their research, and even as the theoretical coordinate. The fundamental reason for this is that Bie-modernism theory is a doctrine for studying real social problems and answering the urgent needs of the times, and thus has not only theoretical value but also practical significance.
The construction of sub-core groups of categories gives the theory a rich content and space for development. Bie-modernism theory has constructed more than 20 categories. These include Bie-modern, Bie-modernity, Bie-modernism, Looking back on Bie-modern after post-modern, The Spatialization of Time, the Harmony and Conspiracy，Four-period Development, the Leap-forward Pause, Bie-modernism Cutting, Yet-for-being, Yet-for-bie, The Zhuyi of problems and the problems of Zhuyi, A theoretical claim of Sino-Western-Marxism-I, Bie-modernist Aestheticology, Modernity in Aesthetics, Bie-modern Aesthetic Forms, Heroic Space, Consumption of Japan, First Theoretical Basis, Cultural Calculation of Deep Farewells, Vital Ontology, Life Equity, Overall Enhancement of Human Civilization, The Zhuyi of Problems and the Problems of Life Equity, Overall Enhancement of Human Civilization, Self-Regulated Aesthetics, Cultivation Aesthetics, Becoming of Artistic Conception, Regeneration of Dunhuang Art, and Jiong movie series. The establishment of the secondary and sub-secondary core category groups not only makes the theory full of flesh and blood, but also has a broad space for deepening, continuing and expanding, thus forming the second major feature of the theory of bi-modernism.
Different from metaphysical inclusivity. General metaphysics refers to “tao”, “reason” and “emotion”, etc. The comprehensiveness of Bie-modernism theory not only lies in the universal methodological significance of “difference” or distinction, but also in the universality of its concepts across various disciplines although they may be specific to a specific phenomenon. This is also the reason why Bie-modernism theory can cross the circle and influence and radiate to the field of humanities and social sciences and even to design and computer engineering. Several of its papers are included in EI. Therefore, Bie-modernism is a philosophical theory with covering characteristics. This is also the third feature of Bie-modernism theory.

In short, Bie-modernism theory is an original theory adhering to the first theoretical basis, based on the Chinese social reality, with distinctive characteristics and coverage.

Practical significance：

The founding process of Bie-modernism philosophy begins with the study of aesthetics and enters into the study of philosophy. Therefore, scholars’ discussion of Bie-modernism is generally carried out in the framework of the study of aesthetics and philosophy. However, the relevant research of Bie-modernism is not limited to the field of aesthetics and philosophy, but extends to all aspects and levels of literature and art, art, law, economics, tourism, computer engineering, as well as literature and art creation practice at home and abroad, and is practical in its coverage. Some categories of Bie-modernism theory have their ways and paths to solve the problems of development in reality, personal wealth, identification of truth and falsehood, as well as the generation of aesthetic experience and aesthetic education.

Comparison and advantages of similar international studies：

For the first time in the world, Bie-modern and related phenomena have been studied as a specialized field.

Bie-modernism theory begins to interpret China’s social pattern. However, it is not only for China. On the contrary, it is used by domestic and foreign scholars to study the same social structure or pattern of different national countries with global universality, thus becoming increasingly internationalized and globalized. This can be seen more clearly from the different names of the independent Bie-modern research institutes established in the United States and Europe. The Center for Chinese Bie-modern Studies, established in 2017 by Georgia Southwestern State University, Alma mater of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, considers Bie-modern a unique Chinese phenomenon. The Center for Bie-modern Studies, which was independently established in 2019 by Slovenia, a member of the European Union, dropped the word “China”. Asked why, the head of its center replied that Bie-modern is a global phenomenon, not exclusive to China. Moreover, more and more European and American scholars have made a comparative study of some categories of “Bie-modern” with western philosophy and cultural concepts, thus further expanding the scope of application of the term “Bie-modern”.