Dear Brother Chunyuan: I received a letter from Mr. Zhang Wenliang and was shocked to learn of your mother’s passing! This is indeed a painful chapter in one’s life. For those of us who have spent long days away from home and thus been unable to fulfill our filial duties, the sorrow of “wanting to repay but finding Heaven immeasurably vast” is especially profound. In this regard, my situation mirrors yours. You previously sent me a lengthy letter, for which I am deeply sorry—I never finished reading it before losing it. Nevertheless, I grasped its main points. I imagine you are now at home, busily planning for the future. It is my sincere hope that our respective plans will align completely, so that our actions may also be concerted. At present, I feel that you are someone who truly cares for me and can genuinely benefit me. Should our plans and endeavors converge, that would be most gratifying. I would very much like to discuss my thoughts with you; below I have jotted down a few ideas, some of which I have mentioned to you before.

I believe there is no inherent necessity to study abroad. To many, the very notion of “going overseas” is little more than a delusion. China has sent tens of thousands—perhaps even hundreds of thousands—abroad, yet only a handful have truly excelled. The vast majority remain muddled and bewildered, which serves as concrete evidence of this. I have discussed this matter with Hu Shi and Li Shaoxi, both of whom agreed with my view. Hu Shi even wrote an essay titled “Against Studying Abroad.” Therefore, I propose that we refrain from leaving the country for the time being and instead devote ourselves to studying outlines of various fields of knowledge domestically. There are several advantages to pursuing this approach: translations are far quicker to access than original texts, allowing us to acquire a greater volume of knowledge in a shorter span of time. World civilization comprises two major currents—the Eastern and the Western—and Eastern civilization occupies roughly half of the global landscape. Indeed, Eastern civilization is essentially synonymous with Chinese culture. We ought first to thoroughly examine the fundamental doctrines and institutional frameworks of our own nation, both ancient and modern, so that we may have meaningful points of comparison when we later seek to study in the West. If we wish to make even a modest contribution to the contemporary world, we cannot ignore the context of China itself. A thorough on-site investigation and scholarly analysis of conditions within China are indispensable. Attempting to undertake such work after returning from abroad would likely prove difficult due to personal and domestic commitments. It is far preferable to carry out this preparatory research now, not only to avoid those difficulties but also to bring back valuable experience to inform our comparative studies in the West. Frankly speaking, I have yet to form a clear understanding of the various ideologies and schools of thought currently in circulation. My aim is to distill the essence of both Chinese and foreign doctrines—ancient and modern—from translated works and contemporary periodicals, thereby constructing coherent conceptual frameworks. Ideally, I would compile these insights into a book. Hence, among the three points outlined above, I consider the first—studying domestically—to be the most pressing.

What has been said pertains to the individual and intellectual dimensions. Turning now to the communal and practical aspects: none of us can escape social life, and all of us aspire to play a role in shaping the future. Accordingly, we should unite with like-minded individuals to engage in preparatory efforts. Unfortunately, this crucial step is often overlooked, yet it represents a significant issue. Merely drifting along without purposeful planning is far from sufficient; only deliberate, organized preparation can be both efficient and effective, yielding substantial results within the limited span of a human lifetime. I advocate forming alliances with comrades—establishing, within economically feasible bounds, foundational enterprises necessary for the days ahead. These two matters—personal reflection and collective action—are of paramount importance, with the former taking precedence over the latter. The former should occupy the bulk of our time, while the latter a smaller portion. The entire undertaking is envisioned to last no more than three years, based in Changsha. Consequently, I do not concur with your suggestions regarding Paris, Nanyang, or Beijing, but strongly support your proposal to convene in Changsha. There, we could create a new way of life by bringing together like-minded individuals, renting a residence, and founding a self-study university—a term coined by Mr. Hu Shi. Within this institution, we would adopt a communal lifestyle. As for funding our living expenses, several avenues might be explored: teaching, contributing six to ten hours per week through articles or news reports, compiling books containing sellable manuscripts, or engaging in manual labor. Such activities would emphasize frugality—for instance, preparing one’s own meals and laundering one’s own clothes—with all proceeds going into a common fund. Those who earn more would supplement the incomes of others until everyone’s basic needs are met. I anticipate that He Shuhang and Zou Panqing might join us if we proceed. This organization could be termed a “Work-Study Mutual Aid Group.” Central to its operation would be the establishment of an “Academic Discussion Forum,” holding meetings devoted to scholarly discourse at least twice or thrice weekly.

That concludes my remarks on the merits of studying domestically rather than going abroad. However, I am by no means opposed to studying overseas; on the contrary, I advocate a robust policy of international education. I believe that each of us should, at least once, satisfy our desire to “go abroad.” Russia, in my view, ranks as the world’s premier civilized nation, and I envision organizing a Russian expedition in about two to three years. But that is a matter for another occasion; for now, it need not be addressed. Publishing a journal presents considerable challenges. Should the self-study university take shape and achieve tangible results, we might then consider issuing a periodical—many here favor reviving the Xiangjiang Review. Other organizational details remain open for discussion; I shall refrain from elaborating further at this juncture. Please reply briefly when convenient. ^ Juanji