A Study On Chen Tian-Hua's Thoughts

Chen Tian-Hua (1875-1905) was a famous bourgeoisie democratic revolution publicist and politician in the modern history of our country. Although he lived only for a short stage of 31 years, he made an outstanding contribution in the fields of inseminating revolutionary ideas and establishing revolutionary organization. This paper is focused on the systematic and comprehensive study on Chen Tian-Hua's thought in an attempt to help people to deephy understand Chen Tian-Hua and to widen Chen Tian-Hua's research. This paper is divided into six parts.The first part is concerned with the forming process of the democratic revolution thought of Chen Tian-Hua. Three periods of the form of Chen's democratic revolution thought are analyzed: the period of patriotism, the period of reformism and the gradual mature period of democratic revolution ideology.The second part mainly discusses the patriotic ideology of Chen Tian-Hua as an anti-imperialist, which is the core of Chen Tian-Hua's thoughts. Anti-imperialism's invading and striving for the independence of the country and liberation of the nation was one of main historical missions for modern China. Living in the late Qing Dynasty China, Chen Tian-Hua paid a close attention to the fortune of the country and nation, and his strong patriotic thoughts urged him to devote himself into the anti-imperialism struggle.The third part addresses Chen's revolutionary thought to oppose Qing dynasty. As a pure-hearted patriot, Chen Tian-Hua gradually realized that Chinese feudalism and despotism system had been the primary cause of China's stagnancy and backward during his study of the western societyand his search for the route of saving the nation. His political tendency consequently turned to oppose Qing dynasty, overthrow the feudalist rule of Qing dynasty, execute capitalist democratic politics, and establish bourgeois democratic republic.Part four is emphasized on the philosophical thought of Chen Tian-Hua. In spite of no forming a complete system and no his philosophical monograph, there are many materialism thoughts in his articles. He thought much of action and stressed knowledge. In his view, it is not enough for people to only attain knowledge, and the important is to do. His historical conception is developmental and evolutionary.Part five is aiming at the education thought of Chen Tian-Hua. Chen Tian-Hua was very earnest about education throughout his entire life. He thought that a fundamental task of saving the nation lay in education. It is only well-wrought education that riches the nation, makes people strong, and changes the visage of poverty and laggard of the nation. He advocated a variety of education thoughts that includes abolishing eight-part essay, and popularizing education, training people to serve the country and to have spirit of lofty aspiration and devotion, sending students to go abroad for study, female being educated, and so on.In the last part, an evaluation on Chen Tian-Hua's thoughts is briefly given. Chen Tian-Hua's thoughts have fruitful content. His personal experience, the tidal current of times, and his family, etc. had significant influences on his thoughts forming. His prominent characteristic in his thoughts is his following the pace of times, and an outstanding feature is seeking democracy and republicanism, anti-imperialist and anti-feudal. Also, his patriotism is a red line penetrating through his entire thoughts. Generally speaking, Chen Tian-Hua was a patriotism pioneer affecting modern politics as well of China as an ideologist with deep national feeling.His thoughts are an invaluable cultural heritage in modern Chinese cultural treasure-house.