Romantic Enthusiasm Of Metaphysics

In traditional China, the self-identity of intellectuals was based on a world view that included a mixture of Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist thought. Confucianism was at the core, constructing a social ethical and political order of "individual-family-empire-world", while the thought of "unity of heaven and man" developed a self transcendent meaning. From the late Qing Dynasty, following the deterioration of political order, the value system of Confucianism began to be doubted by intellectuals. Thus, intellectuals since the late Qing Dynasty not only suffered from a crisis in the political order, but also a crisis of the spiritual order.The response of many intellectuals to this spiritual crisis was to restructure individual identity. Individual identity refered to the theme, who I am, and related to metaphysics, outlook on life and political viewpoint. The decline of Confucianism as a highest value system made the restructuring of individual identity demonstrates diversity. From the late Qing Dynasty to May Fourth Period, Chinese intellectuals made various attempts to achieve this goal through importing western scientism, Christianity and humanism, variously combined with Chinese traditional sources like Confucianism and Buddhism. These sources were absorbed by intellectuals in a complex form, and the complexity demonstrates diversity of individual identity type.Diversity of individual identity type was ultimately relating to the change of cosmology. During the period, traditional organic cosmology mixed with physical cosmolory. By contrast with Hu shi, who thought life meaning came from eternal society on the basis of physical cosmolory, Chu qianzhi demonstrated that metaphysics was the key to solve the problems of human. Between the two, Liang shumin admited the meaning of metaphysics, but disagreed to state in exaggerated terms. Feng youlan acknowledged cosmolory was physical on reason, but hoped metaphysics was the homeland of our souls on emotion.I chose Chu qianzhi as a case to show diversity and complexity of individual identity in May Fourth Period, and to feel the spiritual situation. His romantic enthusiasm of metaphysics not only indicated he herited the thought of Yang min, but also showed his character of great man for saving the world. I try to study his thought and character by the method of history of thought.