Wei Xiqin’s evolutionary plan for modern China

Abstract

This study examines the thinking, practices, and significance of Wei Xiqin (1882- 1952). Born in Germany and educated in various European countries, Wei was a musician and educator who played an active role in the educational reform of the Republic of China. Wei was equipped with modern European thoughts but held deep reverence for Confucianism and other traditional Chinese classics. Examining this contentious figure in the wake of “Chinese Evolutionism” trend, this study investigates the differences between Wei’s evolution theory and the dominant evolution theory during early 20th-century China. Wei’s evolutionism, which I call a type of “Cyclic Evolution,” implies a cyclic process of connecting the body, mind and world. The completion of this process means the evolution of an individual. Focusing on Wei’s theories and practices on music, education and “psychology,” this thesis shows the linkage between the new concept of “evolution” and Confucianism. Using a German- Chinese intellectual as a case study, this research further illustrates the differences between Wei and other Chinese intellectuals who engaged in discussion on Eastern and Western cultures. I further highlight the uniqueness of Wei and reintegrates this marginal figure, who has been overlooked in traditional narratives, into the scholarly discussion of China’s evolution. By emphasizing Wei’s “Cyclic Evolution,” the thesis shows that Wei’s evolution theory lacking the element of Chinese nationalism was hard to be accepted in modern China.