In this expression, chang (常) means “ordinary,” “common,” or “normal,”together with “constant” and “unchanging.” Shi (识) here refers to what is known, understood, or experienced. General knowledge is the social consensus on the basic matters of everyday life and the commonly shared spiritual background that is unknowingly assumed by the community. During Japan’s Meiji Era, some Japanese scholars used 常识 to render the English phrase “common sense,”which spread to China at the end of the Qing Dynasty. Its meaning is opposite to that of “specialized knowledge.” Besides, “general knowledge” has moral implications, and has been upheld as the criterion or measure for telling right from wrong and good from evil, and for deciding whether to advance or retreat and making various choices. Today, the expression mainly refers to the basic knowledge a normal person should have. Its ancient and modern meanings are connected.