A New Paradigm of the Study of Women's History and the View of History of the May 4th Movement: Comment on Unswerving Ambition: The Virgin Phenomenon in the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Abstract

The book True to the Word: The Faithful Maiden Cult in Late Imperial China, written by Professor Lu Weijing, an American scholar, is a highly representative achievement in the study of women's issues. This achievement attempts to construct the discourse system of describing the life of virginity and the history of Ming and Qing dynasties, reveals many disputes and contradictions behind the phenomenon of virginity, and puts forward some questions and criticisms on the traditional historical view that ancient Chinese women are passive and negative. However, it is also worth criticizing and questioning the writing purpose of opposing and overthrowing the view of the May 4th Movement, and the excessive emphasis on self and ethnicism exposed in the research, and disregarding social justice and social progress. Although the May 4th historical view has its obvious drawbacks, it attaches great importance to the value of human life and the meaning of existence, and always exudes rational brilliance in its adherence to the basic idea of anti-oppression and liberation.