THIS BOOK

AS A TOKEN OF GRATITUDE AND AFFECTION

I DEDICATE TO THE MEMORY OF MY FATHER

CHEN CHIN-CH⚫ÜAN

陳錦泉

WHO SUFFERED POVERTY, ADVERSITY AND

MANY BITTER DISAPPOINTMENTS

IN ORDER THAT HIS SON

MIGHT LEAD THE SCHOLAR'S LIFE

233798

FOREWORD

DR. CHEN HUAN-CHANG, the author of The Economic Principles of Confucius and His School, has seen some service as a mandarin in one of the metropolitan offices in Peking; he is deeply versed in his native literature, of which the so-called Confucian classics have occupied him for many years; he is a personal friend and has been a pupil of Kang Yu-wei, one of the originators of the modern Chinese reform movement and himself a profound connoisseur of Chinese literature. Thus armed, he came to New York about five years ago to study English and take courses in political economy at Columbia University. Kang Yuwei's moral success among the masses of China was largely due to the fact that, while being thoroughly convinced of the necessity of reform in social and political life, he continued to be an eager adherent of Confucian principles. Dr. Chen proves a disciple worthy of his great teacher. His enthusiasm for the great sage and his doctrine could not be surpassed; western readers will find in his book the representation of Confucianism from the purely Confucianist point of view by an author who is a Confucianist himself and has had the advantage of sifting his ideas through the methods of western science.

FRIEDRICH HIRTH, Professor of Chinese, Columbia University.

NEW YORK, OCTOBER 15, 1911.

vii