16—17世纪来华的传教士反被多姿多彩的中国文化所吸引,以浓郁的理想主义色彩向欧洲反馈中国的图像。这一时期,欧洲正兴起启蒙运动,倡导理性主义的启蒙思想家,并不能从古希腊罗马文化中吸取多少滋养,就把视线移向非基督教世界,从来华传教士反馈的图像中“发现”了中国。德国著名哲学家莱布尼兹说:“我们从前谁也不相信,在这个世界上,还有比我们伦理更完善、立身处世之道更进步的民族存在,现在从东方中国,竟使我们觉醒了。”法国伟大学者伏尔泰鄙夷基督教世界的妄自尊大,驳斥宗教神学上帝创世说,最有力的论据就是,中国作为文明国家,在基督创世之前就存在了。讥讽那些以最高文明自诩的基督徒说,当中国以完善明智的制度治理国家时,“我们还只是一小撮在阿尔登森林中流浪的野人哩!” 欧洲启蒙思想家“发现”了中国,赞美孔子的仁 During the 16th and 17th centuries missionaries who came to China were attracted by the colorful Chinese culture and fed the images of China to Europe with their strong idealistic colors. During this period, Europe was starting its enlightenment and advocating rationalist enlightenment thinkers. Instead of drawing much nourishment from ancient Greek and Roman cultures, Europe shifted its focus to the non-Christian world and “discovered” the images sent back by Chinese missionaries China. Leibniz, a famous German philosopher, said: “We have never believed in this world that there is still a more progressive ethnic presence in our world than ours. Now from the East China, we are awakened . ”The most forceful argument that the great French scholar Voltaire contested in the Christian world, disproving religious theology, is the most powerful argument that China, as a civilized nation, existed before Christ was founded. To ridicule those Christians who claim to be the most civilized and self-proclaimed that when China governed the country with a sound and sensible system, “We are still only a handful of savages wandering in the Arden forest!” European enlightenment thinkers “discovered” China, Praise Confucius’s benevolence