Gems of Chinese Literature/Liang Ch‘i-ch‘ao-China’s Need

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Gems of Chinese Literature (1922)
translated by Herbert Allen Giles

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LIANG CH‘I-CH‘AO.

[Born 1872. One of the most brilliant of the band of reformers who succeeded in establishing the Republic and later on in defeating the treacherous bid for monarchy by Yüan Shih-k‘ai. He has written extensively on politics, education, religion, and sociology, in a style which, for beauty and lucidity combined, may well rank with that of China’s masterpieces. It has in fact been said that “his style displays so classical a finish that the Chinese often shed tears over his compositions, simply from admiration of their beauty. He has been Minister of Justice, and also of Finance, under the Republic; and in 1919 he attended the Peace Conference at Paris as delegate.]

Liang Ch‘i-ch‘ao1524415Gems of Chinese Literature — China’s Need1922Herbert Allen Giles

Just now, all China is under the influence of Yang Chu.^[1] There are those whose talk is of Confucius but whose deeds are of Yang; there are others whose talk and deeds are both of Yang. The limit is reached by those whose talk is of Mo Ti^[2] but whose deeds are of Yang; and there are even some who, recognizing neither Confucius, nor Yang, nor Mo, carry out the principles of Yang amid those of no understanding. Alas! Yang's teachings have been the ruin of China. They have indeed, and the only way to save her is to turn to the teachings of Mo Ti; not to the teachings of any other Mo but to the teachings of the real Mo, Mo the philosopher.

↑ Founder of the “selfish” school. See p. 18.
↑ Who taught the doctrine of “universal love.” See p. 14.

[1] Founder of the “selfish” school. See p. 18.

[2] Who taught the doctrine of “universal love.” See p. 14.

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