On Wang Xianqian

Wang Xianqian was born in Hunan Changsha. He was a very important statesman, educationalist, scholar and publishes editor in late Qing Dynasty. When he served as an official, one side, he objected compromise and strongly advocated unyielding attitude. The other side,he hoped that the ruling class were in high spirits and restructure the politics. After resigns from office, he advocated to introduce foreign technology, set up our own technological process. He was a positive role in Hunan new deal. But Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao and he had different opinions about political reform and the relation between "sino—learning" and "western—learning". At last, he objected Hundred Days Reform. As stated above, he didn't objected "sino—learning" and"western—learning". In fact, he was the first person who initiated modern factory in Hunan province. The factory named Baoshancheng trading company. It has led the Hunan realm of production transformation and revolutionizes. As a famous scholar, Wang Xianqian took a part in modern industry. It changed the general mood in scholar-officials. Scholar-officials had known it was important to develop modern industry. Wang Xianqian was a hard worker. He had lots of works of literature. In Study of Confucian classics, he was good at textual criticism and being applicable to practical politics. In historiography, he can summarize forefathers' works, remedy their defects and blazed new trails. He preserved and provided a lot of important history material. His work is useful for modern people to research history. In the science of Zhuzi, he wrote two books《Zhuangzi jijie》and《Xunzi jijie》.They are the best book about《Zhuangzi》and《Xunzi》.He had made a big contribution to the science of Zhuzi. In literature, when he noted and commented Music Bureau of the Han Dynasty, he had a good grounding in the basic rhyme and tone of a written Chinese character. Our behavior determined by the ideology. As a statesman, he had a integral Western ideology. One side, he supported industry and commerce. The other side, he held up fighting against invasions. As a educationalist, he encouraged Western learning and real learning. He thought it was right to cultivate new talents. As a publishes editor, he was cautious and conscientious. So Qing Dynasty commended him again and again. Wang Xianqian is conservative, but conservation isn't the same as undeveloped stage or reaction. He did his best to rejuvenate China. At the same time, we should examine feudal ethical code closely or carefully, develop what is positive and discard what is negative. We should know benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and fidelity, they are good for harmonious consciousness and social stability.