Offspring Perfecting,Body Strengthening And Soul Building:National Revival Thought Of Scientific And Technological Intellectuals In The Republic Of China Period

Since modern times,western countries have witnessed scientific and technological revolution one after another and become stronger.But Chinese nation has failed to keep up with the pace of development of The Times and fallen behind in the world.It is constantly invaded by western powers and its national sovereignty and independence are constantly challenged.At this moment of national peril,groups of people with lofty ideals stepped forward one after another to seek the way of national rejuvenation.Among them,scientific and technological intellectuals who returned from overseas study in the Republic of China started to publicize science and technology and seek the way of national salvation in their unique way to revive China.First,they emphasized the important role of science and technology in national rejuvenation.They called for the cultivation of people’s scientific spirit,the pursuit of truth,not superstition,which is not only conducive to the change of personal ideas,but also conducive to the progress of society;They advocate learning to deal with affairs in a scientific way,investigating,analyzing,summarizing,and solving problems systematically.They stressed that science and technology is an essential element of modernization,and national rejuvenation is not retro,but more importantly,to keep pace with the times and realize national modernization.Second,they emphasized that the realization of national rejuvenation should be based on the excellent people.They basically reformed the weak and sick Chinese people in three aspects: offspring perfecting,body strengthening and soul building.One,in terms of "offspring perfecting",they emphasized the importance of heredity,analyzed the genetic diseases that harm the Chinese nation,and eliminated the inheritance of congenital "bad breeds" and ensured the birth of healthy offspring by means of "eugenics" and "offspring perfecting".Two,in the " body strengthening " aspect,they first examined the whole Chinese nation’s constitution,including the innate character and physique,acquired the result is that the Chinese nation’s innate quality is not weaker than other ethnic groups,but grew up with health problems because of various reasons.Disease control and prevention in the form of banning opium and emphasizing hygiene,nutrition adjustment through the scientific diet and state control,physical exercise in the form of national sports and systematic training are needed in the way of improving the health of the Chinese national and strengthening the Chinese national physical fitness.Three,in the aspect of "soul building",they emphasized the construction of Chinese national spirit,including the investigation of Chinese history and culture to enhance the confidence of the Chinese nation;the dialectical investigation of the Chinese national character to promote the strengths and avoid weaknesses and promoting the excellent national character,as well as improving the inferior national character and the investigation the brain and intelligence of the Chinese nation in order to strengthen the wisdom of the people.Finally,these intellectuals explore the way of national rejuvenation from their background of science and technology.In addition,giving the national period of the specific historical background,some of their propositions are primary,but their spirit of actively exploring national revival road is worth learning,and inspires us that we can make our own contribution to making our country rich and powerful,even if our jobs are different and we are proficient in specific areas.