A Review Of The Great Master Linsun’s "Learning To Practice" In Late Qing And Early Min

As a great master, LinSun is not only a herald in democraticrevolution, but also an eminent scholar who inherits the past and ushers inthe future. He is extensive and profound in thoughts, specializing inpolitics, Yongjia School, philosophy, ethics, human nature and so on. Inthe transition from the old to the new in Min Period, he who insists onpreserving the quintessence of our nation and confronting against theNew Culture Movement, is known as a “maniac”. LinSun adheres to thecombination of learning and practice and publishes articles in the hope ofevoking the public to save the country by literature works. His overtwenty-year teaching in Peking University makes Wenzhou School animportant part in academia. Therefore, LinSun is an exerciser of thoughtand action. A case study on him can reflect the tendency of contemporaryintellects and complicated political tide.The paper, adopting the methodology of combination of sociologyand history, takes LinSun’s “learning and practice” as starting point. Firstly, it analyzes how the miserable childhood and the education ofChen Family drives LinSun to be a maniac scholar. Secondly, theanalysis of LinSun’s pursuit of learning to practice is illustrated by hisvow of changing the status quo, joining the PKU and his teaching. Thepaper aims to probe into LinSun’s thoughts of politics, human nature andYongjia School as well as their influence on society at that time by hispublishes. LinSun’ devotion to PKU for more than twenty years is amomentous practice in education. Clinging to Wenzhou School andadvocating the protection of national quintessence, he waged a vigorousbattle between the old and the new. As the wheels of history moves on,LinSun’s failure in adjusting himself to the torrent, accompanied by hispoor health and family changes, consequently makes him arrogant andlonely and finally ends up in his departure from PKU. However, LinSun’slearning and practice is the response made under the external pressure ofsaving the country and the confrontation of Chinese and western culture.In summary, LinSun’s learning and practice is determined by the certainsocial environment, deeply bearing a mark of that time.