On "benevolence" Of The Spirit Of The Enlightenment

The enlightening thought of China modem times started at the end of the Ming Dy- nasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, and attheend of the Qing Dynastyand the beginning of the Republic of China, a group of enlightenists emerged, of whom Tan Sitong was an outstanding representative. Tan?s enlightening spirit was mostly manifested in his Benevolence Theory. The thesis wants to explain the enlightening spirit of Tan s Benevolence Theory as follows. Smashing Trammels Benevolence Theory was a theory of smashing trammels, in which Tan called on people to smash all kinds of trammels that bound their body and soul. Achieving Equality The crux of equality was benevolence communication, mental power was the motive force of smashing trammels, achieving equality and heading for Great Harmony, and relativism was the means of achieving equality. Heading for Great Harmony Tan thought that, after smashing ftanimels and achiev- ing equality, the ultimost destination of history evolution was to enter the Great Harmony Society. The enlightening spirit of Benevolence Theory affected greatly China Modem Times Democmtic Revolution. Tan and his Benevolence Theory encouraged many people with lofty ideals to take the revolutionary mad of smashing the old system and establishing a new one. Its effect hr the history will be unceased.