Destiny And Choice: "The First Prodigy Of The Republic Of China" Jiang Xizhang

Jiang Xizhang was praised by Kang Youwei as "the first prodigy of the Republic of China".He was born in the late Qing Dynasty,and died in the early years of this century.He not only witnessed the first half of the twentieth Century under amidst the winds of change,but also experienced abroad the second half of the twentieth Century.No matter the world events,or personal experiences,all from the archives shows one by one.It reflects objectively the development and change of individuals under the social changes in the twentieth Century,and it is also full of conflicts and reconciliation between the changes of the times and the individual development.It has the characteristics of resisting fate and resisting the current situation.Jiang Xizhang was born in Licheng,Jinan,Shandong Province,a cultivating home greatly influenced by the Confucian culture.His great-great-grandfather Jiang Fujin had been philosophizing his studies since he was a child,and when the Nian army invaded,he was elected as a captain of the 21-member village group around him.They tried their best to resist when the Nian army invaded and the family was nearly extinguished.The advent of this disaster caused Jiang's vitality to suffer.However,the award of the imperial court brought exorbitant tribute to the Jiang family.Therefore the descendants of the Jiang family were grateful for the Qing court,and they had a soft spot for traditional Confucianism.This and the cultural and natural environment of Jinan,Shandong provide the cultural precondition for Jiang Xizhang's future “prodigy” road.With the increasing decline of Confucianism and the abolition of the imperial examination system,the disintegration of the four people's society created an opportunity for Jiang Xizhang's "prodigy" road.Jiang Xizhang's father Jiang Zhongxiu is a country literatus deeply influenced by the Confucian culture.The decline of Confucianism and the abolition of the imperial examination system are not a small blow to the people who have been accustomed to Chinese culture for a long time.For example,on the one hand Jiang Zhongxiu's famous scholars have not yet achieved the final fame,on the other hand,their status in the village has been challenged.Faced with this situation,Jiang Zhongxiu,the father of Jiang Xizhang,did not sit still waiting for death and worked for a lifetime,but picked up the important task of revival of Confucianism.He took the book and said that he formulated the covenant and made his son Jiang Xizhang a "prodigy boy." He wanted to revitalize Confucianism by the series of measures.The destiny of Jiang Xizhang's "child prodigy" was designed by his father Jiang Zhongxiu when he was not born.However,that he became a "child prodigy" is not an overnight effort.In the dream of his father Jiang Zhongxiu's "Wu Xun reincarnation",the favor of the government based mainly in Shandong local officials,and his attendance in Beijing,as well as the propaganda by the paper media,Jiang Xizhang " the image of the child prodigy " has become more and more popular among the people.After the publishment of Jiang Xizhang's signature "The Vernacular Commentary of the Four Books," he was eventually dubbed the "First Prodigy of the Republic of China" by Kang Youwei.Faced with a defined destiny,it is easy to overlook the psychological needs of Jiang Xizhang as a child.From the available information,we can see Jiang Xizhang's struggles.Eventually,with government intervention,"prodigy" Jiang Xizhang did.The final choice was made and modern education was accepted.Jiang Xizhang,the "prodigy boy",not only received formal education,but also cooperated with his father Jiang Zhongxiu to found The World Wide Ethical Society.The World Wide Ethical Society will use Jiang Xizhang's name "prodigy" to propagate themselves in order to expand their influence.At the same time,Jiang Xizhang's reputation for relying on The World Wide Ethical Society's propaganda will grow even more.As a result,Jiang Xizhang,a "prodigy",has gradually become a favored object for some religious societies in the Republic of China,such as the "Six Holy Religions World Association".Jiang Xi Zhang also used The World Wide Ethical Society to publicize his belief in "resolving Taoism,Buddhism,Christianity and Mohammedanism in the fundamental morality of Confucianism and fighting for salvation."Individuals cannot exist independently from the era in which they live.Jiang Xizhang,a ”prodigy” known for his Chinese traditional culture,he gradually conceived the idea of studying abroad after receiving a new type of education,and eventually chose natural science chemistry as a majoring specialty.The outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War made him unable to plan to collate ancient books,and thus stayed overseas.The founding of New China has given him a stage to play a valuable role in making an indelible achievement for the development of China's chemical and perfume industry.Jiang Xizhang's unique historical experience and his principle of persisting in seeking truth from facts have also determined that he cannot escape the influence of all previous political movements after the founding of the country.As a representative of China's many "child prodigies" for thousands of years,Jiang Xizhang has the local nature of Chinese prodigy.He has obvious differences from the prodigy of other countries in the world at the same time.With the gradual integration of China into the world,China's "prodigy" is also with the world,but most of the child prodigy can not escape the "prodigy child".Jiang Xizhang's "prodigy" image is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.Many people use it as an idol to worship and gradually have a trend of faith.For instance,writer Zhao Shuli once burned incense and worshipped pictures of "prodigy" Jiang Xizhang.With the increase of the influence of "prodigy",new and old scholars started to comment on the child prodigy.As a result,the "child prodigy" created a crisis of recognition.The observation of "prodigy" Jiang Xizhang in the reincarnating movement of the Republic of China is only one example.However,there is a general rule that education is backward and society is full of ignorance and superstition.It is helpful to understand the relationship between the individual's destiny,choice and the development of the times,and at the same time how to evaluate Jiang Xizhang's life is equivalent to how to treat traditional culture and contribute to the critical inheritance of traditional culture by combing Jiang Xizhang's life.