Phan Boi Chau' Thought About Saving The Country, Saving The People - Meaning and History Lesson
Phan Boi Chau' Thought About Saving The Country, Saving The People - Meaning and History Lesson
Phan Boi Chau' Thought About Saving The Country, Saving The People - Meaning and History Lesson
ISSN: 2582-9823
Vol-1, Issue-1, Jul – Aug 2021
Journal DOI: 10.22161/ijllc
Article CrossRef DOI: 10.22161/ijllc.1.1.5
Peer-Reviewed Journal
Assoc. Prof, Dr, Thu Dau Mot University (TDMU), Binh Duong Province, Vietnam
Email: [email protected]
Keywords ABSTRACT
Phan Boi Chau, The thought of saving the country and the people is one of the core issues, reflecting
humanistic thought, the thoughts, the people and career of Phan Boi Chau. It is a synthesis of the
following contents: viewpoints that uphold the role of the people ; that is the love of
history,
compatriots, and Fatherland. All of them stem from the principle that are national
meaning, spirit and patriotism, with close unity between culture and politics, between nation
Vietnamese thought. and humanity; contribute to enriching and deepening the traditional humanistic
spirit of the Vietnamese nation, affirming the strength of the Vietnamese people and
nation, awakening the people's patriotic spirit, cheering, encouraging and rallying
the masses to fight to regain the national independence, freedom for the country
and happiness for the Vietnamese people.
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In terms of outlook on life and politics - society, on the stand up and expel the invading French colonialists. Phan
basis of criticizing the superstition and ignorance of our Boi Chau also criticizes people, although they are from the
people and the trampling on the dignity and human rights same race, the same country, but do not know how to love
of Vietnam of the French colonialist, Phan Boi Chau has each other, they are suspicious, separated, or killed each
promoted human roles and values through the promotion other. Therefore, he wrote: "for the people who seek
of human personality and human rights. He considers happiness, even sacrificing oneself will not regret." (Phan,
personality to be human nature, as an expression of 2000, Complete set, vol 4: 73)
mankind and human rights as a divine natural human right, With regard to love of race and Fatherland, with his
a person greater than all things, associated with issues such scientific knowledge and profound philosophical point of
as civil rights, national authority, independence, freedom, view, Phan Boi Chau thinks that by nature being human,
democracy, equality. He analyzed the relationship between having the same race, we must know to love each other.
human self, values and human rights with the origin of the Otherwise, humans are just ordinary creatures. Therefore,
country's right, to highlight the human role through the in his mindset, Phan Boi Chau always deeply expressed his
issue of human rights: patriotism and pride in the descendants of the Dragon and
“What people love most is nothing like my body. Above the the Fairy descendants, of Hung Vuong descendants with
body are the ancestor, the parents, under the body are the more than four thousand years of history of building the
descendants, little-grandchildren; but in fact, they are all country. keep the water glorious. Since then, he appealed
one of us ... My body has no value. Because there is water. to every Vietnamese citizen not only to: "Make the Lac
If the country is lost, our value is low. Why is my body that Hong blood become well-know" and make: "The Dragon
has rights? Because there is country. If the country dies, and the Fairy's traditional glory" (Phan, 2000, Complete
the rights will be lost. ” (Phan, 2000, Complete set, vol 3: set, vol 3: 413), but also to know solidarity, love each
26) other, forming great power to build, develop and protect
He affirmed that the people, especially civil rights, are the the country. Besides the great and deep love for people, for
decisive factor for the rights, strength, destiny and survival our race, ethnicity and Fatherland.
of the country. These are the views that demonstrate his Points of view on education
progressive nature. In which people have a decisive role in According to Phan Boi Chau, education with the most
the destiny of the country and its root is the patriotism of general meaning is to nurture and educate a comprehensive
the race. person both physically and mentally, to train a perfect
The point of view heightens kindness and selflessness human. In the issue of Education - the use and value of
To clarify the content of the point of view "kindness", literature, he analyzed and explained quite deeply the
"selflessness", Phan Boi Chau gave a rather profound meaning of the concept of education: "the two words of
definition of "kindness". He thinks that "kindness" is the education were originally in Chinese literature, but now
"compassionate" heart of people; is love for people, they have become National language, "giao" means
including love for people, race and fatherland; is the good teaching, "duc" means raising” (Phan, 2000, Complete set,
nature "embryo from the womb, with new humanity, human vol 7: 213). According to him:
beings, is the kindness endowed to us; Kindness is the "Everything that our people need to learn, we invite
qualitative difference between humans and animals, teachers, open schools so that any people in our country
between human beings and the inhuman” (Phan, 2000, who are rich and poor, cowardly, boys and girls, who are
Complete set, vol 8: 41). In particular, in the concept of five years old or older, go to a nursery school to take the
kindness and altruism, Phan Boi Chau does not stop at the upbringing of the childish level; eight years old or older,
abstract concept, in general, but it has been vividly then enter the primary school to take the education of the
expressed in his perspective of love which is broader and elementary level; fourteen years old or older, then go to
deeper. They are love for the people, love for the human high school to take the high school education; By the age
kind, and love for the country; in deep hatred the colonial of eighteen, the talents were quite good, then went to the
empire invaded. In which, he praised the role of the college to take the professional college education." (Phan,
working people; he affirmed that "a prosperous country is 2000, Complete set, vol 7: 184)
thanks to the people", so "our country's destiny is held by Phan Boi Chau criticizes the scholarly, conservative,
our people." (Phan, 2000, Complete set, vol 2: 179). backward and one-sided learning style that has been
Because of clearly seeing the role and great strength of the deeply ingrained in our country for thousands of years and
people, when advocating revolutionary violence, Phan Boi exposes the content of education that is misleading,
Chau always called on the entire people to unanimously enslaved, aimed at coercing the Vietnamese people
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became slaves, buffaloes and horses that the French theoretical premises for future thinkers to inherit and
colonialists carried out in our country, saying: “Since the develop.
lost of the country, of course the French not only did not Phan Boi Chau's humanistic thought has great significance
provide the Vietnamese with a good education, but they and is a breakthrough in arousing the strength and
are increasingly Forcing Vietnamese people to follow the confidence of the people. It is the bell that awakens the
education of slaves, buffalos and horses... to encourage independent will, self-reliance and resilience of our
learning from chapters, exams, such as ancient literature, people, arousing the strength and confidence of our
poetry, supportive training, from chapter” (Phan, 2000, people; thereby helping our people to have enough spirit,
Complete set, vol 7: 280). Since then, he advocated an energy, will, courage, courage, to stand up unanimously to
educational and academic renewal, a neo-liberal from drive away the invading French colonialists, to regain
school opening to content, educational methods and also independence for the nation and freedom for the country.
the appointment and use of talented people after being The humanistic values in Phan Boi Chau's thought also
trained. He advocates that "if people have enthusiasm, they have high value and deep meaning in awakening and
can recruit talented people to teach them useful learning raising the patriotic spirit of the Vietnamese people; not
and give up fictional studies, still respecting the goodness only that, it was also a great source of motivation, a great
of the holy book that must supplement Thai Tay's learning. spiritual power that promoted the spirit of the revolution,
The exams set up new rules, not the exams of literature” encouraged, gathered, unified the entire people,
(Phan, 2000, Complete set, vol 1: 99). He said that the unanimously stood up and chased away the French and
content of education must be comprehensive; must educate saved the country, save the house.
both education, ethics and physical education; educate
However, the humanistic thought of Phan Boi Chau still
both knowledge of natural sciences to social sciences; It is
has certain limitations. Firstly, Phan Boi Chau has tried to
particularly important to educate knowledge about
inherit, critically on Nho's views and absorb scientific
economics, military, jurisprudence, information, industry,
knowledge and new points of view and progressive
agriculture, commerce, forestry, medicine and social
perspectives of bourgeois democracy, but in general, in his
issues, such as democracy, independence, freedom,
thought, he still being influenced by many Confucian
equality, and the foundation of patriotism (Phan, 2000,
concepts, categories and views both in content and form
Complete set, vol 2: 184-185). He advocated for the
and he often explained them under the lens of a patriotic
renewal of the examination method, saying: “The exam
Confucianist.
establishes a new regulation, not a literal exam” (Phan,
2000, Complete set, vol 1: 99) and proposes “to grant the Secondly, Phan Boi Chau does not have a really scientific
emigration scholarship. Study abroad well to help training worldview to present and explain issues of content of
talented people for country" (Phan, 2000, Complete set, human values in a scientific way. The feature of Phan Boi
vol 1: 99). Chau's worldview is the inconsistency and ambiguity,
mixing the point of view of Confucianism with some
Practical significance of humanities values in Phan Boi
scientific knowledge of the West. Therefore, making him
Chau's thought
do not have a truly scientific explanation of the content of
The humanistic thought of Phan Boi Chau has contributed his human values. Also, because there is not a scientific
to enriching and deepening the contents of concepts, worldview and a certain knowledge of sociology,
categories and views in the content of spiritual thoughts dominated by class stance, so Phan Boi Chau does not
and human values of the Vietnamese people, from there have a correct view in determining the role and position.
enrich the cultural identity and traditions of the people's mind. He did not rely on economic interest
Vietnamese people. Not only that, the humanistic value in relations to divide social classes, but sometimes he relied
Phan Boi Chau's ideology has contributed to the on occupation, social status, when he relied on bloodline,
development and supplementation of the Vietnamese religion to be the criteria for the that division.
traditional ideological content, human values, concepts,
Thirdly, Phan Boi Chau still has ambiguity in identifying
categories and opinions, points with new and progressive
revolutionary forces, especially in determining the core
connotations and properties, such as personality, human
force of the revolution. Phan Boi Chau also has
rights, civil rights, national rights, associated with issues
fluctuations, inconsistencies, even compromises and tend
such as independence, freedom, democracy, equality...,
to reform in revolutionary policies and methods. That is
creating a change of thought Vietnam at the end of the
also the general crisis of the lines of patriotic movements
19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. With
this period.
such profound theoretical value, the humanistic value in
Phan Boi Chau's ideology has become one of the
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The above limitations are because of Phan Boi Chau is in [2] Chuong, T., & Tran, N. V. (2001). Phan Chau Trinh about
the process of transforming his ideological stance, from the author and the work. Hanoi: Education.
authoritarian monarchy to bourgeois democracy and [3] Chuong, T. (2012). Phan Boi Chau is a patriot - a great
cultural house Hanoi: Culture – Information.
approaching Marxism-Leninism, so he has not completely
[4] Doan C. (Editor, 2013). History of Vietnamese
escaped from the influence of the old worldview, at the
philosophical thought - From the nation-building period to
same time not fully absorbing new and progressive ideas at the early twentieth century. Hanoi: National Politics.
that time. Moreover, due to the limitations of historical [5] Minh, H. C. (2010), Complete set, vol 4. Hanoi: National
times, he is not qualified enough to have a comprehensive Politics
view of all the changes of the time. So, he has not been [6] Phan, B. C. (2000). Complete set, 10 vol. Hue: The
able to shape a scientific worldview to properly explain the Publishing House Thuan Hoa.
problems posed. If you ignore these limitations, his human [7] Tran, V. G. (1997). The development of thought in Vietnam
values are still useful historical lessons for the renovation from the nineteenth century to the August Revolution, vo2:
The bourgeois ideology and its inability to face historical
work as well as for the current cause of national
missions. Hanoi: The Publishing House National Politics.
construction and defense. It is a lesson all for human, and
for people; lessons to promote the value and promote the
role of human and the people, and lessons of concern,
education and complete development of the Vietnamese
people today.
V. CONCLUSION
The content of the humanistic thought of Phan Boi Chau is
a rather unique and progressive ideological system on the
role, status and values of the human and the people; is
benevolence, selflessness; is educational interest. The
aforementioned contents, if ignoring certain historical
limitations, still remain valid in a certain aspect that we
need to inherit. Currently, the problem of building and
developing comprehensive human is one of the issues that
Vietnam is very concerned with with the view that "People
are the center of the development strategy, and at the same
time the development subject" (Communist Party of
Vietnam, 2016: 126).
With progressive and humanistic thoughts of Phan Boi
Chau. Ho Chi Minh commented on Phan Boi Chau: "A
hero, an angel, who has dedicated himself to independence
is worshiped by twenty million people in slavery life" (Ho,
2000: 172.) These views of Phan Boi Chau are still useful
lessons for human development in Vietnam today.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to take this opportunity to express my warm
thanks to Board of editors, my family, colleagues and
brother in assisting convenient conditions for my research
paper.
REFERENCES
[1] Communist Party of Vietnam. (2016). Document of the
12th National Congress of the Party. Hanoi: National
Politics.
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