In the book The Spirit of the Chinese, the author compares the Chinese with the Americans, the British, the Germans and the French, and highlights the characteristics of the Chinese: the Americans are broad and simple, but not deep; the British are deep and simple, but not broad; the Germans are broad, deep and not simple; the French are not as deep as the Germans, but not as deep as the Americans. The broad-minded and the simple-minded British have the sensitivities that the three nationalities lack; only the Chinese have all these four excellent spiritual characteristics.

  The author's other view on Confucianism is also very clear. In Mr. Gu's book, I heard for the first time that the Chinese do not want religion. They do not have the need for religion. His views on morality and religion are similar to Feng Youlan's "super-moral values" mentioned in his Brief History of Chinese Philosophy.He believes that Confucianism is not a religion, but it can replace religion and make people no longer need religion. In this regard, the author compares Confucianism's "benevolence", "filial piety", "courtesy" and "love" with Western religions respectively, and quotes a large number of viewpoints in the Analects of Confucius and the Golden Mean as well as Western religions and philosophers'opinions, and draws the conclusion that Chinese Confucianism can replace Western religions and armies to maintain national order.In fact, apart from the prevailing dialectical view of Confucianism, and combining with the social reality of Gu Lao at that time, we can see his good intention in writing this article. Among them, the predecessors have already mentioned more. If we repeat it here, it will be of little significance. More importantly, we should see whether the Chinese spirit put forward by Gu Lao still has reference significance today. We should look back on the so-called dross which we criticized more than before with the main points put forward in his article.

  I don’t agree with Gu Hongming’s view on Chinese women: “Chinese women’s concept is the image of cleaning the room with a broom in hand.” The concept of “women have always been housewives and housekeeping women” has already entered with the collapse of feudal society, and the feudal ethics such as “three principles, five constants” and “three obediences and four virtues” which have always restrained Chinese women have long been abandoned. It is the truth that everyone is born equal. Gu Hongming said, “A real Chinese woman has no self. The selflessness of Chinese women makes it possible and not immoral to take concubines in China.” In this regard, I would like to say that Chinese women are not selfless, but helpless to the strong bondage of feudal ethics.

  However, for an old gentleman living in the late Qing Dynasty, it is excusable that some of the articles written under the influence of Confucian culture can not be accepted by our modern people.The value of this book does not lie in copying its ideas into today's society and restoring the so-called "true civilization of China". In order to save the cultural dignity of China after the late Qing Dynasty, we should learn from it. In modern society, we should eliminate the prejudice of the West against China and shape the image of cultural China.