Liang Qichao's Heartfelt Words

Author: Luo Jianqiu (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: August 1, 1999
Features: A century ago, China underwent a historic reform that shook the nation—the Hundred Days' Reform. Though it was merely a fleeting moment in history, its reformist ideals were, to some extent, realized later. The late Qing New Policies and the Xinhai Revolution were essentially continuations and developments of the Hundred Days' Reform. In fact, 20th-century Chinese culture could not avoid the shadow of the Hundred Days' Reform, even the radical May Fourth "Ethical Revolution" can be traced back to it. Today, people still commemorate and re-examine the significance of the Hundred Days' Reform. A century has passed in the blink of an eye, yet history has shown astonishing similarities—reform, social transformation, and cultural reconstruction—the themes of a century ago still stand before modern Chinese people. People not only need to draw nourishment from the thoughts of their predecessors but must also pay attention to the social concerns, cultural experiences, and life insights of the reformist thinkers of the Hundred Days' Reform. Liang Qichao was such an inexhaustible source of thought. Liang Qichao, styled Zhuoru, known as Ren Gong, and also as the master of Yinbing Study, was born in Xinhui County, Guangdong in 1873 and passed away in Beijing in 1929. His relatively short life left an extraordinary legacy. The many titles bestowed upon him by later generations—reformist hero, enlightenment thinker, political commentator, master of Chinese classics, academic mentor, and more—reflected the various aspects of his contributions. He influenced an entire generation, even several generations of young people. In the early 20th century, young Mao Zedong admired Liang Ren Gong and was inspired by the "New People Theory" to establish the New People Society; Hu Shi claimed to have received "infinite blessings" from Liang and that he "could not help but follow his path" in thought; Guo Moruo believed that young students had been "baptized" by his ideas or writings; as for Lu Xun's prominent idea of reforming national character, it can be said to have directly originated from the "New People Theory." To this day, academic works on Liang Qichao continue to emerge and flourish. This is naturally due to his profound spiritual charm. At the age of 17, Liang Qichao passed the imperial examination but did not follow the old path of "Confucian scholars" or "Confucianism." Instead, he actively sought new ideas and knowledge to save the nation and its people, becoming a reformist hero and a pride of the intellectual world. In the early years of the 20th century, he extensively introduced Western theories, carried out cultural innovation, and fiercely criticized the corruption and autocracy of the Qing government, showing signs of supporting revolution. However, he ultimately did not abandon the idea of gradual reform and remained within the camp of Kang Youwei's reformist faction in politics. Nevertheless, he clearly rejected Kang's theory of upholding Confucianism and protecting education, embodying the spirit of "I love my teacher, but I love truth even more," laying an ideological foundation for supporting democratic republicanism after the Xinhai Revolution. From the late Qing period to the early Republic of China, Liang Qichao was swept into the turbulent political whirlpool: from promoting the constitutional movement to supporting democratic republicanism and serving as the Minister of Justice in the cabinet of Xiong Xiling; from being the leader of the Progressive Party and cooperating with Yuan Shikai to tearfully opposing Yuan in the second half of 1915 and leading the National Protection Movement. It was not until 1918 that he finally retired from politics, focusing on writing and teaching. During these years, Liang Qichao made a name for himself in politics, achieving remarkable feats, and was indeed versatile and adaptable. Yet, he had an unchanging purpose and principle, and all his political beliefs and practices remained on the track of political modernization. As he said, "If constitutional government can be implemented, whether under a monarchy or a republic, it is acceptable; if constitutional government cannot be implemented, whether under a monarchy or a republic, it is unacceptable." In the early Republic of China, he was enthusiastic about a multi-party system and a responsible cabinet. His cooperation or struggle with Yuan Shikai, and his competition or alliance with the Nationalist Party, were fundamentally attempts to protect the democratic political system he longed for. Precisely for this reason, he "was not afraid to challenge his past self with his present self," even after withdrawing from politics in his later years, he remained an influential political commentator. His political passion was always fueled by a fervent patriotic spirit and a deep desire to advance political modernization. However, Liang Qichao emphasized social integration rather than opposition. He wanted to promote modernization while avoiding social upheaval. Therefore, he advocated gradual reform and emphasized the "harmony" of society. This idea ran through all his thoughts. At the end of the day, Liang Qichao was not a politician but an intellectual and scholar, full of talent but lacking in political maneuvering. His political contributions were, in fact, the product of his intellectual pursuits. From 1896, when he edited the Shi Wu Bao, to later editing the Qing Yi Bao and the Xin Min Cong Bao, he dominated the intellectual discourse of the late Qing period. With his emotionally charged pen and fluent, eloquent writing, he produced works that were "what no one else could write but what everyone felt," leaving people deeply moved and transformed. The breadth of Liang Qichao's thought, the originality of his arguments, and the magic of his writing were unmatched by any other enlightenment thinker of the late Qing period. After the Hundred Days' Reform, Liang Qichao's exploration and reflection on China's modernization entered an unprecedentedly broad and profound realm. Centered around the "New People Theory," he offered rich insights into China's history, national character, and social reality.