Liu Yizheng Historical, Cultural And Ideological Character Of The Times

During the time of the late Qing and the Republic of China, an entirely new mode of historical interpretation based on "historical vision" and rooted in the concept of "Evolutionism" was introduced to Chinese scholars. Under this tide of history, there was someone like Liu Yizheng who holding their own belief of the Chinese traditional culture and scholarship. But in his mind how does he understand the evolvement of history, the function history and position of Chinese culture. The thesis divide Liu Yizheng's learning into three part, history vision, historiography and culture vision. Each part of the theory is base on the writing of Liu Yizheng, and analyzing comparatively with the other scholar in the same age.It was the age of conflict between Western culture and Chinese culture that make Liu Yizheng has his complexity and tensility in mind. But what influence him most is his family and childhood. It makes him is affectionate to the Chinese traditional culture.In this time, the concept of "Evolutionism" has predominated the scholar of history. But Liu Yizheng criticized the Evolutionism by interpret the "Yi-Zhuan", and build his own historical vision. His theory was based on two famous scholars Zhang Taiyan and Liang Qichao. Although they using different kinds of recourses in criticism. Liu Yizheng criticized another famous scholar Hu shi's Theory "The Classical Schools of Philosophy did not Originate in Officialdom". It is clear that their biggest different is the conflict between "Doubting the Ancients" schools of historiography and "Faith in the Ancients" schools of historiography. The reason why Liu Yizheng is in "Faith in the Ancients" is that he want all historian recall the ancient moral of history and keep their critical position on the politics by interpreting history.Liu Yizheng declare that the true spirit of Chinese culture is the ethic. He criticized the individualism make people the slave of money. And the creature comfort caused the demoralization. The only left between people is loaves and fishes. He demand to return to the Confucius and regain a new philosophy that lead people to a "moderately" position. He believe that it was contain in the implication of "Shi-Jin". And people can use it to resist the corrupt of Western culture.The Culture Conservatism of Liu Yizheng is complex. Although it was a good self-questioning after the radicalism of the after the May 4th Movement, it was nameless and soon forgotten by people in that time. But nowadays, we could accept it as a good philosophy and scholar ambition.