Yan Hai Guang and Modern Chinese Liberalism -- Shanghai Sanlian Academic Library

Author: He Zhuo'en
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Yin Haiguang, known as "the son of May Fourth" and "a thinker of free thought," was a pivotal figure in the history of Taiwan's free democratic movement. The author recognizes the typical significance of Yin Haiguang as a liberal figure, as he symbolizes both the continuation of the first half of the 20th century in Chinese liberal thought history and the transition in the latter half. This book combines the study of the individual with the macro evolution of Chinese liberal thought, exploring the correlation between the two as a deeper issue. It is a rare and powerful work on the life and thought of Yin Haiguang.
Studying the history of liberal thought requires foundational work in researching liberal thinkers. Modern Chinese liberal thinkers made significant contributions in introducing Western liberal classics, in addition to dedicating considerable effort to reforming China's real-world society and striving for the localization of liberalism in China. Figures like Yan Fu and Liang Qichao during the May Fourth era, Hu Shi, Luo Longji, Wang Zhaoshi, Zhang Dongshun, Zhang Junmai, and Chu Anping during the May Fourth and Kuomintang coexistence era, as well as Yin Haiguang, Lei Zhen, Chen Guying, Li Ao, Yang Guoshu, Hu Fo, Wei Zhengtong, and Lin Yusheng in Taiwan and overseas after the division of the two sides, are all such figures, each worthy of separate case studies.
Among these major eras, from an ideological perspective, representative figures are Yan Fu, Hu Shi, and Yin Haiguang. Yan Fu was the earliest to introduce liberalism in China, serving as the pioneer of Chinese liberalism, and influenced figures like Liang Qichao. Hu Shi, who gained fame during the May Fourth Movement, has been regarded by liberal scholars as the leader of Chinese liberalism, with his fundamental liberal beliefs remaining unshaken throughout his life. Yin Haiguang, during the troubled period of liberalism, took up the banner of May Fourth and introduced liberalism to Taiwan. In his later years, he reflected on the shortcomings of May Fourth and attempted to advance Chinese liberalism, becoming a key figure in the transition of Chinese liberalism from romanticism to rationalism.
Compared to the studies of Yan Fu and Hu Shi, mainland China has lagged behind and shown relatively weak attention to Yin Haiguang. Therefore, without pretense of modesty, the author chose to study Yin Haiguang.