A Study On Yang Du's Thoughts Of Constitutionalism

Throughout modern Chinese history, Yang Du (1874-1931) was more criticized than praised. He, with his theory of monarchism and his study on constitutional monarchy, played an active role in the political arena in late Qing Dynasty and early Republican China and was highly appreciated by Yuan Shih-kai. Later when Yuan Shih-kai intended to declare himself emperor, Yang Du took the lead in the restoration attempt and ended up with an infamy of "chief culprit of monarchism". After the Yuan Shih-kai's "Hong-xian Monarchy" was overthrown, Yang Du, after much desperation and insight, completely discarded his thoughts of constitutional monarchy and theory of monarchism. Yang Du followed Sun Yat-sen in Sun's pursuit of democratic constitutional government and later joined the Communist Party of China.His political ideal was to rebuild the calamity-ridden China into an economic and military power which could compete with imperialist powers through constitutional monarchy. He sought various opportunities and assiduously strived for his aim only to find himself being target of public criticism. The thesis, based upon the analysis of the formation, practice and abandonment of Yang Du's thoughts of constitutional monarchy, explores the theoretical origin and developmental traces of Yang Du's thoughts of constitutionalism as well as his role in "Hong-xian Monarchy". The thesis then points out that it is undeniable that his thoughts of constitutionalism had some positive and patriotic elements though he adhered to his proposition of constitutional monarchy and once obstructed the progress of history.The thesis consists of three chapters. In the first chapter, the thesis studied the historical fact that Yang Du inherited and further developed the theory of constitutionalism of his teacher, Wang Kaiyun (a master of Confucian Classics) and how the theory of constitutionalism led Yang Du into political arena and exerted a life-long impact on him. Chapter Two discusses how Yang Du developed his own theory of constitutionalism different from those of Kang Yuwei and Liang Chi-chao (both of whom were modern Chinese scholars and social and political reformists) on the basis of western liberty and freedom and his theory of constitutionalism. His proposition was to save and stabilize the nation through constitutional monarchy under a capable monarch, national parliament and protection of civil rights. Chapter Three points out that "Hong-xian Monarchy" was crucial in studying Yang Du's thoughts of constitutionalism,which, as an important turning point in his political career, highlighted the ebb and flow of Yang Du's theory of monarchism and constitutionalism in the particular historical period. The thesis attempts to establish that constitutional monarchy and monarchism are two inseparable aspects of Yang Du's thoughts, which combined to influence him and prompt him to place his hope on Yuan Shih-kai's "Hong-xian Monarchy" in the early Republican Era. As a result, he was long taken advantage of by Yuan Shih-kai and was deplorably labeled "chief culprit of monarchism".