In the history of Chinese thought, the May Fourth era is remembered for its slogan “Down with Confucius Shop”. This is reflected in changes in thinking about gender relations. May Fourth portrayals of women as being oppressed by the Confucian system had a dramatic impact on how men were viewed. Although the men did often hold “the system” responsible for women’s oppression, they certainly could not escape all responsibility and emerge unscathed. Using some well-known works such as Lu Xun’s short story “Kong Yizi” (1919) as illustrations, Professor Kam Louie will show how the attacks on Confucianism at that time helped push the Confucian gentleman who was already dying from the collapse of the old imperial examinations further into the grave.  

Professor Louie will review some old and new perceptions and self-perceptions of Chinese men in the last hundred years. Despite some recent calls for the return of old gender roles and the Confucian gentleman, these calls for the revival of traditional junzi ideals are not “revivals” as such, but a flag-waving exercise to show commitment to the nationalist turn in the political sphere. In terms of masculinity, the legacy of May Fourth, in its liberationist calls for gender equality and more modern and less bookish Chinese men, still dictates the direction of current debates.