495. Dr. Dave Wang's Research Article Has been Translated into Danish

Readers of this weblog know that Dr. Dave Wang's academic papers have been translated into some international languages, including Chinese, Italian and Japanese. I have found an introduction to Dr. Dave Wang's research on Benjamin Franklin and Confucius in Danish.  To my knowledge, it was the first time that Dave's article found in Danish. See the snatched picture below. It was done by the Schiller Institute.

Below I provide you with the English Translation:

April 4, 2017 - On the occasion of the 300th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin's birth (1706-1790), Professor Dave Wang of St. John's University published an investigation Of Franklin's extensive studies of Chinese philosophy and technology. In his The introduction states that "Franklin's efforts to involve positive Elements of Chinese civilization in the development of building an American Civilization had a major influence on Franklin's contribution to the formation of American civilization. His lifelong correspondence and miscellaneous survivors Papers show he was taken in and amazed at Chinese culture. He Explored virtually any aspect of Chinese civilization, right from that Spiritual to the material. He believed that China was the oldest, and, from Long experience, the wisest among nations. " Here are some quotes from Franklin, from Wang's survey. ( Continue to read it on line)

494. Confucius Ideas and Thomas Jefferson's Preamble to the Declaration of Independence

Russell Freedman, one of America's premier biographers for young people , wrote the book in 2002, titled Confucius: The Golden Rule Hardcover . In this book Freedman presents his readers the remarkable life and far-reaching influence of Confucius, the famous Chinese philosopher.

Confucius had influenced the United States, as we learned from Dr. Dave Wang's research. The  influence has been far greater than many people realize in world today. The Jesuit missionaries introduced Confucius and his works to Europe in the 16^th century. Some of the them became scholars in the field of China studies and some of them were hired by the Chinese imperial courts. It was in this period of time when the Lun Yu, known in Europe as the Analects of Confucius was translated into Latin.

According to Freedman, European philosophers, statesmen, and writers were surprised by finding that more than 2,000 years earlier, in the “mysterious Orient,” (p.38)  Confucius had lectured the "same thoughts " the European thinkers were thinking. The Europeans "were impressed by Confucius’s teachings about the honest use of language, by his attacks on hereditary privilege, and by his ideas concerning good government." (p.40). The Europeans were shocked by the doctrine that "a ruler must have the consent of his people, and if he fails in hisduties, then the people have the moral right of revolution." Confucius' ideas influenced the development of democratic ideals both in Europe and America." People in the world today are able to find Confucius' influence on the founding of the United States by reading Thomas Jefferson’s preamble to the Declaration of Independence:

“Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed….. Wherever any form of government becomes destructive of theseends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institutea new government.”  (p. 40.)

493. Dr. Dave Wang's Speech on the US Founders and China

On April 14, 2017 Dr. Dave Wang made a presentation on Chinese cultural influence on Benjamin Franklin. He told several dozens of audience who presented at the meeting:

"I wrote about Benjamin Franklin and Confucian moral philosophy, and that Franklin used the principles of Confucius to cultivate his virtue. In 2011, I published “The U.S. Founders and China: The Origin of Chinese Cultural Influence on the United States,” which includes a picture of the Supreme Court Building, and there is Confucius right there. When you go to the United States Supreme Court, if you go to the east gate, you can see Confucius right there.

Franklin published an essay on the morals of Confucius in 1737 in his Pennsylvania Gazette. He published several chapters of Confucius’ moral philosophy in 1737. In a 1747 letter to George Whitefield, a very well-known pastor, Franklin wrote, “Confucius was my example. I followed Confucius.” Twelve years later, Franklin published Confucius’ works.

In 1784, after the Revolution, some veterans hoped they could hand down their glories, their titles, to their descendants. They organized the Cincinnatus Society for this purpose. Franklin was not happy about the idea of handing down your title, your glory, to the next generation—that’s the inheritance system, or the aristocratic system of the Europeans, which was just what our Revolution opposed. What’s the meaning of the Revolution, if we restore the European aristocratic inheritance system? That’s totally wrong. We should adopt the Chinese merit system, and people with talents will be selected to serve the public."

492. Thomas Jefferson and the Book of Ode

In the Book of Ode 《诗经》, Confucius claimed that “The former kings are not forgotten because of the great virtue they owned when they led their states.  Jefferson drew from the example of Prince Wei in his determination to create a prosperous republican state and preserve his personal legacy. Jefferson believed that a leader should be prepared for meeting demanding, public spirited and morally attuned task. He also believed his own political, moral, and personal values were important to American history. He collected documents, books, newspapers, and other materials so that later historians could reconstruct an accurate representation of his role in The American Revolution. 

From the content of the Chinese poem, it is reasonable to say that Jefferson’s inclusion of this specific Chinese poem reveals his admiration of Confucian ideals and his aim to make himself a leader like Prince Wei, which Confucius recommended.   

491. Japanese National Diet Library Collects Dr. Dave Wang's Paper

When browsing the web I found that the Japanese National Diet Library has collected Dr. Dave Wang's speech, From Confucius to the Great Wall: Chinese cultural influence on colonial North America .

490. Dr. Dave Wang Shared His Research on Chinese Exporting Porcelain

In his academic research on US founders and China, Dr. Dave Wang has pointed out that Chinese export porcelain was more than a common product or a mere commodity. As other fluent colonists in North America, the founders of the United States coveted porcelain from China.  In North America some colonists were so addicted to their cravings for Chinese porcelain that they went into deb.

On March 11, 2017 President’s Day holiday weekend in the USA. Interviews of Dr. Dave Wang, a noted international authority originally from China who has researched, lectured and published on the ties between the American Founders and Chinese civilization.

The following is from Mr. Jeffrey Bingham Mead, the Host of the 1490 WGCH.

“I met Dr. Wang in Chinatown, Flushing Queens in New York City to hear his findings about the impact of Chinese Export Porcelain on Americans and Europeans. I asked him to share his thoughts on the March 11show.Dr. Wang is the managing librarian of the Laurelton Library in Queens, New York City and an adjunct professor at St. John's University. “

489. The Early Development of the United States and Chinese Civilization

In 2008 when teaching in St. Johns University as an adjunct professor, Dr. Dave Wang made the exhibition on his research project, The Early Development of the United States and Chinese Civilization at the University faculty forum.

By 2008, Dr. Dave Wang has published some academic papers in the field at home and abroad, including “Benjamin Franklin and the Great Wall of China,” “Benjamin Franklin and Chinese Civilization,” and “Benjamin Franklin and China: A Survey of Benjamin Franklin’s Efforts at Drawing Positive Elements from Chinese Civilization during the Formative Age of the United States.” Dr. Dave Wang published his first research in 2006. It was two years only, however, his pioneering research has won him international repute. Several of his English papers have been translated into international languages such as Italian and Chinese. Dr. Wang was also invited to give lectures and speeches, in the titles, such as Benjamin Franklin and Confucius Moral Philosophy, and The Founding Fathers of the United States and Chinese Civilization in some other countries, including China, Italy and Portugal.