Abstract

Liang Shuming 梁漱溟 (1893–1988) was unique in many ways. He was the only twentieth-century Chinese philosopher who joined his thought with actual practice and created a concrete program of social reform and cultural revival. Throughout his life, he was the only consistent and persuasive voice in defense of traditional culture. He was the only major intellectual who was more of an activist than a scholar. He was the only major intellectual on the mainland of China who preserved his independence of thought even after 1949. Throughout his life he abided by his maxim “Unity of thought and action; independent thought” (表里如一；獨立思考). His life was singular also in something of an uncanny way: from 1900 through to 1953 (and again in the 1980s), his life ran like a thread through most of the major events, thought currents and personalities in twentieth-century Chinese history from the 1900 Boxer Rebellion through the 1989 Tiananmen Incident. Following Liang’s life is like viewing twentieth century Chinese history unfold.