Abstract

Info

Title:: Lu Xun’s Illness Narratives and the Emergence of Modern LifeEthics in China

Author(s):: TAN Guilin; TAN Guilin, PhD in literature and Distinguished Professor of the Chang Jiang ScholarsProgram, is Professor and PhD Supervisor at School of Chinese Language and Literature, Nanjing NormalUniversity ( Nanjing 210097 ).

Abstract:: The illness narratives in Lu Xun’s works not only reflect his medical background and some aspectsof his personality, but embody his ethical ideas about life. His views on life ethics includes the following threeaspects. Firstly, he supported euthanasia, thinking that if his disease was curable, the patient must be treatedbut if not, he should be helped to die in a decent and painless way. Secondly, he was against torture and killing,criticizing the dark side of traditional Chinese national character which showed a lack of interest in life sciencebut great talent for inventing different cruel ways to torture and kill people. Thirdly, he respected disabledpeople but opposed condescending sympathy towards them, which speaks of his dialectical understanding thatspiritual being was superior to physical being. Such a life ethics of Lu Xun was the result of the interactionbetween his own experience of illness, his belief in science and his life philosophy. His thinking and practiceof the modern life ethics in all his life was an active response to the enlightenment strategy promoted by themagazine Xinqingnian 新青年 ( New Youth ) for helping people to gain“ the ultimate understanding” ( i.e. theawareness of ethics ).