| Summary: | 博士 === 中國文化大學 === 中國文學研究所 === 97 === This dissertation adopts the ordinary and practical method—“Document Analysis Method” by which I analyze and induce the contents of Ku Hung-ming’s works and related documents. The reason why I adopt this method mentioned above is to let the evidences speak themselves to display the research results of mine. Although Ku Hung-ming was a prolific scholar, his political belief—the Idea of Kingliness appeared in every article written by him and never weakened a bit all the time. Therefore, if we have collected the more works, we will understand the great depths of his Idea of Kingliness the better.
Ku Hung-ming was a strange personage in the political world and academic circle during the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. In spite of studying abroad in the West and learning West Culture for over ten years, he actually became an unbelievable defender of Chinese Civilization when he came back to China. Among all the civilizations of the West, besides the Cultural Conservatism which he regarded as bearing a great resemblance to Chinese Civilization, the rest, in his eyes, were all nothing but dross. Of all things, the New Learning was called “the destructive forces of the modern materialistic civilization of Europe” and was thought of by him as a terrible monster which would destroy Chinese Civilization. He thought it was a great mission to put down the New Learning. Only until this terrible was put down thoroughly could he not become happy.
In Ku Hung-ming’s days, “The Spread of Western Influences to the East” gradually submerged China into a sub-colony. All patriots then proclaimed the thought of “Learning Merits from the Foreigners to Conquer the Foreigners” and even proposed the whole Europeanization of China and insisted on the abeyance of Chinese Civilization. Unexpectedly, Ku Hung-ming went against the tide, He not only criticized any person who claimed to save China by taking advantage of West Civilization, but also declared “Chinese Civilization is the real civilization in the world”. Consequently, as to Ku Hung-ming, the reason why he advocated Chinese civilization was not only to save China, substituting for West Civilization by Chinese Civilization was really his great ideal.
When we discuss the reason why he was regarded as an eccentric in his days and was able to coldly censure the western people with a frown showing no inferiority complex. We think that there must be naturally a basis which made him honestly feel he had not done anything wrong. This basis was the core of Chinese Civilization—the Idea of Kingliness.
This dissertation contains eight chapters.
The First Chapter is the Exordium, indicating the objective and direction of research. In this chapter, I introduce the main idea of the meaning of “Kingliness” firstly and expound “the procedure of discussion” and “the method of research” secondly.
The Second Chapter researches Ku Hung-ming’s life on a wide canvass with a view to exploring the procedure of the formation of his idea. What impresses me so much is that a soul of defending Chinese Civilization seemed to come into his body after he had met with Ma Chien-chung at Singapore. This soul was very firm and steady all the way till Ku’s death.
The Third Chapter discusses Ku’s outlook of his “conservatism” and “educating the foreigners”. In this chapter, I am going to explore the ultimate ideal of his conservative thought—good government and clearly indicate that “with ambition to educate the foreigners” was the real aim of Ku’s scholarship—to prevent “the Worship of Might” and “Mob-Worship” belonging to the West from destroying the good government of China and the world. The only way of securing the good government is to promote the Idea of Kingliness.
The Fourth Chapter is to know the theory of the Idea of Kingliness from Ku’s assertion as to the research of foreigners’ China Scholarship—“Eight Details” in Higher Education’s Chapter One. The last three aims of “Eight Details”—“keeping their houses in order,” “securing good government in their country,” and “peace and order throughout the world” did not only conform to the ideal of “good government” in his Idea of Kingliness, but also presented the evolutionary process— from “Family religion” to “State religion” of The Religion of Good-citizenship whose essence was the Idea of Kingliness.
The Fifth Chapter is from his viewpoint of merging Chinese Civilization and West Civilization to prove that Ku was not a die-hard conservative who knew nothing but advocate Chinese Civilization to fight against the West. He insisted that there was a mutual point between Chinese Civilization and West Civilization. This mutual point is to seek the government. But he thought West Civilization in his days had lost the function of educating people, and for this reason he insisted that only to learn Chinese Civilization is the right direction of merging Chinese Civilization and West Civilization. Because Chinese Civilization owned the fountainhead of practicing the Idea of Kingliness—“Good Nature” and “Reverence for Authority.” This fountainhead had enabled Chinese to practice the Idea of Kingliness to reach the state of good government.
Because Ku Hung-ming claimed to merge Chinese Civilization and West Civilization, the Sixth Chapter hence brings out four topics for the purpose of exploring the methods and directions of Ku’s practicing the Idea of Kingliness. These four topics are as follows: “The Attitude of Ku’s toward West Civilization,” “The Method of Ku’s Utilizing Western Scholarship,” “The Method of Ku’s Merging Refined Parts of Chinese Civilization and West Civilization--Expansion,” and “The Real Direction of Expansion—the Religion of Good-citizenship.”
The Seventh Chapter closely follows the sixth chapter to go on explore “the Religion of Good-citizenship.” Firstly, it brings out the topic—“The Blood Relationship and Essential Points of the Religion of Good-citizenship.” That is for the purpose of exploring whether the Religion of Good-citizenship is a pure Chinese Civilization. Secondly, it brings out the topic—“The Essence of the Religion of Good-citizenship—The Magna Charta of Loyalty” to discuss how Ku Hung-ming asserted to substitute for the Magna Charter of Liberty by the Magna Charta of Loyalty to help the Western people to eliminate two roots of trouble in Europe—“Mob-Worship” and “Militarism.” At last, it brings out the topic—“The Reason Why the Religion of Good-citizenship Can Be Regarded as a Religion” and sets up five sub-topics to display the discourses on an equal footing between the Religion of Good-citizenship and Christianity to see how he attained such a conclusion—“The Religion of Good-citizenship is qualified to replace Christianity,” that is—“To honor the King” equals “To believe in God.” Those five sub-topics mentioned above are as follows: “In China, Politics and Education are One,” “Confucianism is not a Religion, but it Can Replace the Position of a Religion,” “Confucianism is a State Religion,” “The Truth of God-Belief,” and “The Comparison between the Institutions for Inspiring Morality of China and the West.”
The Eighth Chapter is the Conclusion. It is to assemble the important parts of every chapter to make a summary for this dissertation, and finally give a necessary evaluation of Ku Hung-ming.
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