On Songshu Cultural Thought

Song Shu was an important thinker standing for reforming in modem history of China. Lived in turbulent social circumstance, he had a very unique thought. This dissertation analyses the contributing factor and characteristic of his cultural thought, also make a compare with other thinkers of the same time. The first part deals with the reasons of his cultural thought was founded. The worsen and worsen social circumstances of modem China, the aggression of west co~tries,could be the catalysis of his thought. He was very diligent from the childhood, the positive factors in traditional education, such as people being foundation of the country, the idea of changing in confusianism, etc, made him arise spontaneously high aspiration to consider the state affairs as his own task. His own effort was another essential reason of his cultural thought. The second part analyses his style of study. As a typical intellectual turning from traditional to modern society , he attached importance to suspect , criticize and synthesize He studied heart , body, ancient , present , reason , habit everyday, And he paid special attention to forbearance ,as advocated by Confucius. The third part talks about his thought of Restoration to Confusianism. He believed that the Confusianism was very good originally . But it was destroied by Shu Suntong , Ek~ng Zhongshu, Han Yu and Cheng Yi The principal aim of Confusianism was democracy and devoting oneself to the country. Yan Yuan and Huang Zongxi took the mantle of Confucius. Song Shu ponited out that the Confusianism was identical to the democratic system in the West. In essence, the aim of his Restoration to Confusianism was learning from the West. And in that period, kang Youwei, Tan Sitong , Xia Zengyou had the same idea with Song. Their effort promoted the innovation of Confusianism in modem history of China. The fourth part analyses his evaluation of the west knowledge. He has wide ?? learning and a retentive memory, such as the political science, the economics, education, the science of law, medical science, philosophy , literature and drama etc. Contrast China with the West , he pointed out that the best way for China was Changing dress Reforming institution Wholesale Westernization. However, he knew clearly that wholesale Westernization was not workable for China, the workable way was Referring west institution Reforming slowly. The fifth part of this artical talks about his theory of Chinese and Western culture, the different content the same essence andcombine the traditional Chinese and Western culture. He maintained that the traditional Chinese culturen and Western culture are the same in essence , the two culture should exchange and be combined. The sixth part pointed out the value , status and limitation of his cultural thought. The special theory about exchange of traditional Chinese and Westen culture he raised enriched the ideology history of modem China. Song Shu should be recognized as an significant thinker in modern Chinese history.