The Late Qing Literati Awakening And Yan Fu, Evolution And Ethics Philosophy

The modern Chinese society was a convergence of various conflicts. Radical social changes caused by national crisis, class antagonism, and blend of Chinese and western cultures, which greatly stimulated the social mainstay-literati and officialdom in the late Qing Dynasty. The late Qing Dynasty was best with difficulties both at home and abroad, and the theme was to save the nation from the national crisis and to struggle for her strengthening. Conformed with the national crisis and the cultural crisis, the literati and officialdom initiated a camping for learning from the west. After the thought trend of states man ship of practical use, the Self-strengthening Movement, and the Hundred Days Reform, etc, the literati and officialdom initiated awakened, and their understanding of learning from the west changed from "Qi"( f! ?concrete thing) to "Dao"(iil),and they trained many talents who mastered western methods and technology, among whom Yan Fu was a representative. Yan Fu was proficient in Chinese knowledge and culture, and western methods and technology, and was always along with the literati and officialdom's awakening. With a deep understanding of modern western culture, Yan Fu formed a unique philosophy of evolution and ethics. He vigorously advocated the evolution ideas in the philosophy of evolution and ethics, critized traditional thought, and advanced the literati and officialdom's perceptual consciousness to the philosopher's rational thinking, therefore, furthered the literati and officialdom's awakening. By way of this, he promoted a totally new theory for social reform. Yan Fu's philosophy of evolution and ethics not only became the main trend of thought in the political saving movement at that time, but also exerted great influence on the later social trend of thought and revolution, esp., after the Revolution in 1911. The formation of philosophy of evolution and ethics itself was a breakthrough in traditional philosophy, and became an important stage in the history of Chinese philosophy. It was the onset of reconstructingChinese philosophy, promoted the transformation of Chinese philosophy into a modern one, and was 'the first real modern philosophy system in the history of Chinese philosophy." Due to these, Van Fu became a famous modern philosopher, translator and educator in China, and became a milestone in Chinese culture history.