Thorsten J. Pattberg (born 1975 in Hamm) is a German philologist and cultural critic from Peking University. He is the author of the East-West Dichotomy.
Pattberg's research focuses on Translation Studies, in particular linguistic imperialism, the competition between cultural key terminologies, and the resulting sovereignty over the definition of thought. He considers the translation of cultural key terminologies as cause for concern over that culture's legitimacy and intellectual property right. In his book Shengren, Pattberg describes the Chinese term Shengren found in Confucianism as a unique, non-European archetype of wisdom, comparable to "Bodhisattva" or "Buddha" found in Buddhism.[2]
Pattberg was broadcast on Chinese state media Beijing Television BTV[6] as the originator for Key Concepts in Chinese Thought and Culture under the auspices of Vice PremierLiu Yandong and CCP General SecretaryXi Jinping.[7][8] According to the State Council's official website,[9] the aim is to disseminate Chinese concepts and political doctrine via Hanban, the Office of Chinese Language Council International, academic exchanges, Western publishers such as Springer and the Confucius Institutes. Pattberg writes anti-Western propaganda for China Daily,[10]Beijing Review, Global Times and other state media, claiming, among other things, that "no power in history has ever attained greatness by being a democracy."[11]
Literature
The East-West Dichotomy: The Conceptual Contrast Between Eastern and Western Cultures. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press. 2013. ISBN9787119085821.
Shengren: Beyond Philosophy and Above Religion. New York: LoD Press. 2011. ISBN978-0984209118.
"Lingualism: A New Frontier in Culture Studies". Asia Pacific World. Tokyo: Berghahn. Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 32–35. 2013