The Research On Zhang Shizhao’s Revolutionary Thoughts (1902-1907)

Zhang Shizhao is a controversial person in modern and contemporary Chinesehistory. He had lingered between the politics and the academics in his life, received theideological transformation from the radicalness, sureness to conservatism. He was moreradical between1902and1907, the thoughts of national salvation by revolution was aconductive method to explore the national salvation path, and the prerequisite andfoundation of ideological transformation later.There are many internal and external problems in the late Qing Dynasty，the task ofthe time was to save the nation from subjugation and ensure its survival. As thespreading of the western modern ideological theories and the journalism, more andmore intellectuals went on the historical stage. Zhang Shizhao’s revolutionary thoughtswas connected with the social environment and realistic demands of that time. At thesame time, he actively adapted himself to follow the social trend. Zhang Shizhao’srevolutionary thoughts are characterized as the mixture of east and west, and ZhangShizhao rethought and drew lessons from the Chinese and foreign political theories. Hecould not take the road of revolution fast without the appeals and perceives of hiscolleagues. He formed his revolutionary thoughts and become mature day by day whenkept contacting with his colleagues.Zhang Shizhao considered that the revolution is the inexorable trend with times,which must depend on the intellectuals’ leadership.He advocated the revolution, andopposed to the reform, he thought that the revolution should be equal withanti-Manchuism, whose thought filled with strong nationalism and racialism. ZhangShizhao had analyzed the reason why Chinese had deep-rooted servility systematically,based on the history, custom, education and schools, and pointed out that promotingrevolutionary education is the basic solution to uproot the servility, and re-cultivate new citizens.Zhang Shizhao’s revolutionary thoughts played a leading role in propelling toawakening of the intellectuals living in the late Qing Dynasty, and enhancing thenational cohesion, which was regarded as the harbinger of the Xinhai Revolution. Hisrevolutionary thoughts showed as radicalism in politics, but conservatism in cultural. Inaddition, his thoughts also embodied some characteristics of elitism and pragmatism.