Xu Youyu
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Xu Youyu (traditional Chinese: 徐友漁; simplified Chinese: 徐友渔; pinyin: Xú Yǒuyú; Wade-Giles: Hsü Yuyü, b. 1947), is a Chinese philosopher, public intellectual and proponent of Chinese liberalism.
The following statement is representative of Xu's viewpoint:
"the core of liberalism is affirmation of individual value and esteem, respect and protection of personal rights and interests. Profound understanding of liberalism would necessarily break with the traditional conception that suppresses individuality and takes the nation and collective as the only value. But it also requires a clear distinction between individualism and egoism or selfishness."
He is a Research Fellow in the Institute of Philosophy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, is an expert on Western social theories including Marxism and the Frankfurt School. He is particularly noted as a historian of the Cultural Revolution.
