Fu Ssu-nien
Fu Ssu-nien 傅斯年 | |
---|---|
Personal details | |
Born | Shandong, Qing China | 26 March 1896
Died | 20 December 1950 Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China | (aged 54)
Education | Peking University |
Occupation | Historian Linguist Writer |
Fu Ssu-nien (Chinese: 傅斯年; pinyin: Fù Sīnián; 26 March 1896 – 20 December 1950), was a Chinese historian, linguist, and writer. He was one of the leaders of the May Fourth Movement in 1919. He was also one of the creators of the Academia Sinica, and was named director of the Institute of History and Philology upon its founding in 1928.[1]
Early years
Fu was born on 26 March 1896 in Shandong, immediately after the First Sino-Japanese War,[2] a time when the traditional systems were being challenged and revolutions were about to happen.
In 1909, Fu entered the secondary school set up by Tianjin government, excelling in mathematics, English, and Chinese. In 1913, Fu was accepted by the preparatory school of Peking University where he ranked first upon graduation in humanities division.[2]
In 1916, Fu went on to the Chinese Department of Peking University to pursue his bachelor's degree. During his time at the university, Fu gradually changed from a conservative to a radical.[2] In 1919, Fu participated in the famous May Fourth Movement and was one of the major students leaders. On the morning of 4 May 1919, Fu led a group of approximate 3000 students to protest the Chinese government's weak response to the Treaty of Versailles, which ceded the Shandong province to Japan.[3]
In 1920, Fu went to Europe to continue his education. His first stop was
Academic career
In October 1926, Fu accepted an offer from
In 1929, Fu moved the Institute of History and Philology to Peking and started to teach at Peking University, his alma mater. In 1945, Fu was appointed as acting president of Peking University at the age of 50. In 1946, his second year as the acting president, he excluded many "turncoat" professors who supported the Wang Jingwei government, a puppet government controlled by Japanese forces during World War II. During his term, Fu also recruited many famous scholars at that time, such as Ji Xianlin and Zhu Guangqian.[2]
Fu did not shy away from controversy. After the organization of the path-breaking
In 1947, after witnessing the drastic deterioration of the economy, Fu published three famous articles calling for the resignation of
In December 1950, Fu died in the Taiwan Representative Council at the age of 55 due to hypertension.[2] Soon after answering questions from assembly member Kuo Kuo-chi on 20 December, Fu sat down and said to the assembly's secretary-general Lien Chen-tung, "I’m done! I’m done!", and fell. The announcement of Fu's death by interim assembly chairman Lee Wan-chu the next day caused a protest led by NTU students. Lee stated that "Fu had left this world", but his Hoklo accent made it sound as if Fu had "died of anger" caused by Kuo's questioning.[5]
Legacy
The Fu Ssu-nien Library of the Institute of History and Philology of the Academia Sinica in Taiwan was named in his honor.[6]
Fu was known for saying, "There are only 21 hours available per day because the remaining three hours are reserved for self-reflection."[7]
Scholar Hu Shih said that Fu Ssu-nien is one of the best educators and charismatic leaders of his time.[2]
Selected articles written by Fu
- 《歷史語言研究所工作之旨趣》(The Life of Working in the Institute of History and Philology) (1928)
- 《周頌說》(Zhou Song)(1928)
- 《大東小東說》(The Story of Da Dong and Xiao Dong) (1930)
- 《論所謂「五等爵」》(Discussion of the Social Stratification) (1930)
- 《姜原》(Jiang Yuan) (1930)
- 《明清史料發刊例言》(The History of Ming and Qing Dynasty) (1930)
- 《夷夏東西說》(East Yi West Xia) (1933)
- 《周東封與殷遺民》(Zhou-Dongfeng and Yin-Yimin) (1934)
- 《自由與平等》(Freedom and Equality) (between 1948 and 1950)
- 《蘇聯究竟是一個什麼國家?》(What is the Soviet Union really like?) (between 1948 and 1950)
- 《我們為什麼要反共?》(Why Are We Anti-communist?) (between 1948 and 1950)
- 《共產黨的吸引力》(The Attraction of the Communist Party) (between 1948 and 1950)
References
- ^ Xu Yahui (Hsu Ya-hwei) 許雅惠; Ancient Chinese Writing, Oracle Bone Inscriptions from the Ruins of Yin, 2002. Illustrated guide to the Special Exhibition of Oracle Bone Inscriptions from the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica. English translation by Mark Caltonhill and Jeff Moser. National Palace Museum, Taipei. Govt. Publ. No. 1009100250, p.8
- ^ Wang, Fan-sen, Fu Ssu-nien: A life in Chinese history and politics. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000
- ^ Vera Schwarcz, The Chinese Enlightenment: Intellectuals and the Legacy of the May Fourth Movement of 1919, University of California Press, 1986
- ^ a b 歐素瑛〈貢獻這個大學于宇宙的精神-談傅斯年與臺灣大學師資之改善〉
- ^ Han Cheung (16 December 2018). "The 'big cannon' educator". Taipei Times. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
- ^ Institute of History and Philology
- ^ "台北故宫人" (in Chinese). 光明日报. 2011-03-28. Retrieved 2011-03-31.