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FACULTY OPINION PIECE Issue no. 3 | 2022
FACULTY OPINION PIECE
The term Sinology refers Thoughts on Sinology
to an academic discipline
By Dr Yam Kah Kean
that covers all aspects of Department of Chinese Studies
studies related to China,
ranging from Chinese Sinological research offers a unique academic
thought, philosophy, contribution to understanding all aspects of China's
religion, to history, past and present. Sinologists are scholars who have
culture, language, received strict academic training, alongside their
literature, and so on. In constant innovation and scholarly achievements. These
general, the fields of Sinology can be reflected by the advantages help in overcoming the limitations of the
traditional book cataloguing system that divides traditional perspectives. In addition, the rigorous and
ancient Chinese texts into four categories: jing shi zi ji, comprehensive research methods of Sinology also
or literally classics, history, thought and anthology. The make up for the shortcomings of traditional academic
classics category consists of Confucian classics only; blind spot. New methods provide new level of
history includes works related to historiography; the cognition and explanation, thus saving Sinology from
thought category comprises of philosophical and being labelled as an old or outdated field.
ideological works; the anthology category is a
collection of various writings such as poems, novels, Furthermore, traditional Chinese scholarship has
and etc. always emphasized the ultimate goal of learning, which
is to cultivate morality. For instance, the notion of "six

As a matter of fact, Chinese scholarship of old had classics are all about history"; it links history with
always regarded these forms of knowledge as a whole. Confucian moral ideals, and therefore, to study history
In ancient China, a Confucian was a learned thinker, but is to pay close attention to the cultivation of morality.
he probably was also a historian or a linguist or an Likewise, plots in the classical novel, Dream of the Red
alchemist. This is what the ancient Chinese had in their Chamber may seem like love stories, but it actually
mind when naming a person elite. contains deep insights about life. In other words, rather
than being outdated, Sinology sustains self-cultivation

Unfortunately, nowadays the whole has been divided if one truly embraces it.
into pieces in the academic circles; so, literature has
little to do with philosophy and history does not deal In the Malaysian context, in addition to the above,
with exegesis. The Laozi, a Taoist philosophical text, for Chinese Studies also include various research fields
example, is actually a compilation of beautiful and that are related to Malaysian Chinese (abbr. Mahua),
rhyming prose. such as Mahua figures, Mahua thoughts, Mahua
community, Mahua language, Mahua literature and so
When Sinology first appeared in the academic circle, it on. Therefore, departments of Chinese Studies in
focused on studying things in relations to ancient Malaysian universities are bound to offer courses
China. With time, Sinology has come to include dealing with Mahua. Malaysia can emerge as a center
research work on modern and contemporary China. In of Mahua studies.
short, Sinology can be divided into a narrow and a
broad sense, with the demise of the Qing Dynasty at the Regarding the function and prospect of modern-day
year 1911 as the watershed event. However, one must Sinology or Chinese Studies, its task in this new era
bear in mind that it is only by mastering the traditional should not be limited to interpreting classical Chinese
knowledge that can truly understand contemporary culture. Standing upon the shoulders of the past
China. Chinese civilization has never broken this researchers, Sinology offers a possibility for greater
continuity, after all. understanding and effective exchanges with
contemporary China.
As far as the terminology is concerned, there should be "traditional Chinese scholarship has
a distinction between Sinology and China Studies. always emphasized the ultimate goal
While the former deals with Chinese studies (as of learning, which is to cultivate
Sinology is often referred to), the latter focuses on morality. For instance, the notion of
China as a nation. "six classics are all about history";"

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