The Study Of WangKai-yun's Political Thoughts

WangKai-yun was the Chinese modern history important academic and political figure. Both studies of Confucian classic and politics were his concerns of life. He studied in the Chinese classics mainly on the Spring and Autumn Annals and followed toward Gong Yang School, he advocated "Notifying and Applying Ancient Classics" and thought himself a "political strategists", hoped to use his huge influence to implement "The King Theory", even if "does not make his own way" for a while, "fevered ambition still". But as a result of the conservative political thinking, as well as himself's unruly characteristic, enables his political dream finally be vain, also his life falls in the painful end of failure.This paper discusses WangKai-yun's political thinking with emphasis. Begins a stroke from the latter Qing dynasty's change in situation and his own life. Takes Wang's scholarship and political ideas as the breakthrough point, discusses the interactive relationship between his academic thought and political view. Meanwhile comprehensively and thoroughly analyzes the connotation and tendency of his political thinking through the research of his idea about internal affairs, external affairs and "The King Theory". Finally, this article generalizes and assesses Wang's political thinking and it's influence.Through the research, the study consider:WangKai-yun's academic and political thought were the interactive relations, his academic thought reflected his opinion about the political situation of that time, in turn situation then affected his academic value orientation. WangKai-yun was latter Qing dynasty's renewed "Gong Yang" scholar and historian. In line with the idea of "studying the Confucian theory reaches autonomy, the history meets the world", WangKai-yun positively used the learning to serve the situation. He honorred Spring and Autumn Annals alone, because it contained the Sage's method of changing the chaotic situation. And when annotated Spring and Autumn Annals, he advocated his own political opinion and ideality in it very subtlety. The goal he researched the history for lied in "looking for a road of a nation, the methods of choosing a person for a job, the imperial outside plan, reflecting now through comparing with ancient times". He especially paid great attention to the contemporary history, recorded it by the poetry of history, intently reflected the brutal politics and the social situation of late Qing dynasty. He gave his own idea about the future to the younger generation and hoped them to learn from history, not to sustain the past again.The opinion of "Jing Shi"and the idea of "rules by ritual" was the core of WangKai-yun's internal affairs thought. As a traditional intellectual who involved himself in action positively, he inherited GongZizheng and Weiyuan's idea of "Jing Shi Zhi Yong". Also stood in the feudalism ruling class's standpoint, but placed the infinite sympathy to common people's hard livelihood. Also denounced the disadvantage of the feudalism, boldly exposed the ruling class's corruption, greediness and brutality, but thought himself a guard of feudalism, opposed the new political reform and the political revolution, vigorously maintained the feudal ruling order. Such contradictory thought, sourced from the political situation observation and analysis. In his eyes, the " lost of traditional virtue, chasing fame and fortune, moral perishing "in late Qing dynasty was just the source of the chaotic situation, the urgent thing was to take everything in order. Therefore, must use the idea of "Rite" in Spring and Autumn Annals to "Self-Administration", can the society be harmonious.The idea of "Yi Wu" was the important part in WangKai-yun's political thinking, he inherited and developed the "Gong Yang" scholar's idea of "Yi-Xia Distinction Saying", also took it to observe the national relationship in latter Qing dynasty and proposed his own idea about "China and West ". He used the behavior, custom and etiquette enlighten as standards to distinguish China and Western country, thought that although at that time the Western country's material civilization was progressive, still lacked the "Li Le" culture. So it was no difference with the ancient barbarian tribe. Then, he proposed the idea of "Guards against must be autonomy first" and "Give moral guidance to exotic people to reach unification" which constituted his thought's key point. Based on this, he thought Chinese civilization was superior to Western civilization, and declared himself did not like discussing the "West", repelled West's all new business, especially the westernization movement in that time. Meanwhile, he advocated the idea of "stronger the fortress, firmly resist the aggression" which manifested his strong sense of patriotism and the strength of spirit.The "King Theory" was WangKai-yun's political thinking's biggest characteristic. It was a theory and strategies according to himself's analysis and judgment of the world's situation.Of how to look for and assist the "uncommon man" to become "king "or "emperor". Living in the chaotic situation, Wang paid attention to and worried about the nation's future every moment. He held the "king theory", hoped to reform the bad system to change the chaotic situation and caused the present politics to move towards in his ideal track .All these were the Confucian idea of "cultivate oneself, manage the family ,govern the country, rule the world" embodying in himself. It was a good point to some extent. Wang's all life was seeking the opportunity to realize "king theory", however, because of "king theory" had the very big fantasy and feudalistic. Especially in modern times, it became an unlucky knowledge and finally heartlessly abandoned by time. In brief, living in the chaotic situation that never existed in past many thousand years, Wang's political thinking had the transitional characteristic, had both new and old ideas too .It was conservative even useless to notice it, however, it was by no means to say that there were no reasons to praise it at all, it must not be denied completely. Objectively speaking, WangKai-yun's political thinking reflected precisely the latter Qing dynasty's traditional intellectual's hard way of their mentality variation when they moved towards in the modernization from tradition, so, his idea had its' own representative features.