Selected Works of Cai Yuanpei - An Annotated Edition

Author: Nie Zhenbin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: Cai Yuanpei was a great revolutionary, educator, and social activist in modern Chinese history. Although he was a jinshi (imperial scholar) during the Guangxu era under the feudal imperial examination system, he completely opposed feudal autocracy and feudal education, advocating for saving the nation through education. He introduced new democratic ideas and modern scientific knowledge to enlighten the masses and was the first to propose a systematic educational philosophy emphasizing the comprehensive development of moral, intellectual, physical, and aesthetic qualities. He was the founder of modern educational thought and the pioneer of the new educational system. Throughout his life, he promoted scientific and democratic ideas, advocated academic research, and "harmonious coexistence of new and old thoughts," implementing the principle of "professors governing the university." Under his leadership, Peking University became the cradle of the May Fourth New Culture Movement and was hailed by Mao Zedong as "the great scholar of academia and the model of humanity." The articles collected in this book comprehensively reflect Cai Yuanpei's educational philosophy, scientific and democratic ideas, aesthetic thought, and ethical concepts. Cai Yuanpei's main practical activities spanned the late 19th century and the first four decades of the 20th century. This half-century was a tumultuous and painful era in Chinese history, marked by rare chaos, yet also an era of numerous heroes. In this dark yet brilliant period, Cai Yuanpei, like many others, walked a difficult and winding path in life. He was both a recipient of the old feudal education and a founder of the new bourgeois education. Although he was a jinshi under the feudal imperial examination system, he completely opposed feudal autocracy and feudal education, advocating for saving the nation through education. He introduced new democratic ideas and modern scientific knowledge to enlighten the masses and was the first to propose a systematic educational philosophy emphasizing the comprehensive development of moral, intellectual, physical, and aesthetic qualities. He was the founder of modern educational thought and the pioneer of the new educational system. Cai Yuanpei was a great revolutionary, educator, and social activist in modern Chinese history. Although he was a jinshi under the feudal imperial examination system, he completely opposed feudal autocracy and feudal education, advocating for saving the nation through education. He introduced new democratic ideas and modern scientific knowledge to enlighten the masses and was the first to propose a systematic educational philosophy emphasizing the comprehensive development of moral, intellectual, physical, and aesthetic qualities. He was the founder of modern educational thought and the pioneer of the new educational system. He promoted scientific and democratic ideas throughout his life, advocated academic research, and "harmonious coexistence of new and old thoughts," implementing the principle of "professors governing the university." Under his leadership, Peking University became the cradle of the May Fourth New Culture Movement and was hailed by Mao Zedong as "the great scholar of academia and the model of humanity." The articles collected in this book comprehensively reflect Cai Yuanpei's educational philosophy, scientific and democratic ideas, aesthetic thought, and ethical concepts. Cai Yuanpei's main practical activities spanned the late 19th century and the first four decades of the 20th century. This half-century was a tumultuous and painful era in Chinese history, marked by rare chaos, yet also an era of numerous heroes. In this dark yet brilliant period, Cai Yuanpei, like many others, walked a difficult and winding path in life. He was both a recipient of the old feudal education and a founder of the new bourgeois education.