Research On Liang Qichao's Psychological Thought

The theory of mental effort prevailed in modern ideological academia,and its advocates were the Reform School,mainly Kang Youwei,Tan Sitong,Yan Fu,and Liang Qichao.As a representative figure of the reformists,Liang Qichao regarded mental effort as the origin of the world and believed that the mind determines the development of society and history.Mental effort a unique power of mankind and the fundamental guarantee of human life activities.The first chapter of this dissertation mainly highlights the historical background on which Liang Qichao’s theory of mental effort came into existence,including both realistic and ideological backgrounds.From the perspective of social reality,the300-year regulation of the Qing Dynasty centered on autocratic oppression,which restricted the thought of the individuals.From the perspective of the ideological field,under political oppression,the Qing Dynasty’s academia also showed a pattern of being conservative and lacking in innovation.Liang Qichao’s theory of mental effort is precisely a revolt against this conservative reality and ideology.The second chapter mainly traces the theoretical origin of Liang Qichao’s theory of mental effort.As a theory that originated in the period of new and old changes,Liang Qichao’s theory of mental effort was influenced by both traditional Chinese culture and western New Knowledge.In terms of traditional Chinese culture,Liang Qichao was greatly influenced by the Confucian theory of mind and nature as well as the Buddhist idealism.In the field of western New Knowledge,modern western philosophy,especially the Kantian philosophy,has brought new perspectives and methods to Liang Qichao’s theory of mental effort.The third chapter examines the content of Liang Qichao’s theory of mental effort from three dimensions.From the perspective of the ontological dimension,Liang Qichao explained the significance of mental effort as a universal ontology,a cognitive ontology,and a moral ontology based on the presentation of mental effort in various fields.On the psychological dimension,Liang Qichao emphasized that as a cognitive ability,mental effort has three levels: reason,emotion,and will.The practical dimension of mental effort is a necessary tool for humans to communicate with each other through subjective activities,both metaphysical and physical.The fourth chapter introduces Liang Qichao’s cultural and political views influenced by the theory of mental effort.The purpose of the theory of mental effort is to improve society,culture and politics which are important elements of social construction.Starting from the perspective of mental effort,Liang Qichao absorbed the advantages of the Chinese tradition and the West,creating the culture and politics of his ideal future Chinese society,thereby bringing the theory of mental effort from theory to reality.The fifth chapter summarizes the characteristics and theoretical impact of Liang Qichao’s theory of mental effort.As a common proposition of the reformists,the theory of mental effort has some characteristics common to some schools but also has its own characteristics.By comparing his thoughts with those of other reformist scholars,we can find the unique value of Liang Qichao’s theory of mental effort.After the reformists,although the theory of mind effort was no longer prevalent,it continued to revive.In the construction of modern Neo-Confucianism,we can still see characteristics that are similar to Liang Qichao’s theory of mental effort.Through discussing various aspects of Liang Qichao’s theory of mental effort,this dissertation strives to display the overall appearance of Liang Qichao’s theory of mental effort.Even if Liang Qichao’s theory of mental effort did not become a major trend in Chinese ideological circles for a long time,its dissemination promoted the acceptance of Western culture in Chinese society,promoted the transformation of Chinese culture,and had a profound impact on the modern transformation of Chinese society.