Research on the Thought of Kang Youwei

Author: Hsiao Kung-ch'uan
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-07-01
Features: The Study of Kang Youwei's Thought is the last long academic masterpiece by Professor Hsiao Kung-ch'uan. Originally written in English, it was first published as a series of articles in academic journals before being compiled into a book. Additional chapters on family background, biography, and educational reform were added, dividing the work into four parts. It is now translated into Chinese by Wang Jung-hsin and included in the seventh volume of the Complete Works of Hsiao Kung-ch'uan.
Professor Hsiao conducted an in-depth study of Kang Youwei, with a manuscript of over 400,000 words, inspired by the discovery of a large number of unpublished manuscripts by Kang. With ample materials at hand, Hsiao applied his profound philosophical expertise to the study of intellectual history, effortlessly and with boundless insight. These unpublished manuscripts by Kang were donated by Hsiao to the Institute of Modern History at the Academia Sinica in Taiwan, where they have since circulated. After reading Kang's manuscripts with an impartial mind, Hsiao developed new understandings and interpretations of this intellectual giant in modern Chinese history.
When the English original was published, some readers criticized that while Hsiao did criticize Kang, he was largely sympathetic to him, even bordering on partiality. This view was somewhat influenced by the revolutionary historiography that emerged after the Republic of China. In fact, when Hsiao wrote the chapter on Kang in A History of Chinese Political Thought, he was not entirely immune to such biases. However, after thorough verification, these perspectives were revised, reflecting the historian's commitment to documents and a (seek truth from facts) approach. Thus, the claim of excessive sympathy is merely a matter of presenting the matter with impartiality (gong xin shu).
The Study of Kang Youwei's Thought is the last long academic masterpiece by Professor Hsiao Kung-ch'uan. Originally written in English, it was first published as a series of articles in academic journals before being compiled into a book. Additional chapters on family background, biography, and educational reform were added, dividing the work into four parts. It is now translated into Chinese by Wang Jung-hsin and included in the seventh volume of the Complete Works of Hsiao Kung-ch'uan.
Professor Hsiao conducted an in-depth study of Kang Youwei, with a manuscript of over 400,000 words, inspired by the discovery of a large number of unpublished manuscripts by Kang. With ample materials at hand, Hsiao applied his profound philosophical expertise to the study of intellectual history, effortlessly and with boundless insight. These unpublished manuscripts by Kang were donated by Hsiao to the Institute of Modern History at the Academia Sinica in Taiwan, where they have since circulated. After reading Kang's manuscripts with an impartial mind, Hsiao developed new understandings and interpretations of this intellectual giant in modern Chinese history.
When the English original was published, some readers criticized that while Hsiao did criticize Kang, he was largely sympathetic to him, even bordering on partiality. This view was somewhat influenced by the revolutionary historiography that emerged after the Republic of China. In fact, when Hsiao wrote the chapter on Kang in A History of Chinese Political Thought, he was not entirely immune to such biases. However, after thorough verification, these perspectives were revised, reflecting the historian's commitment to documents and a (seek truth from facts) approach. Thus, the claim of excessive sympathy is merely a matter of presenting the matter with impartiality (gong xin shu).