DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHINESE 87 



Ch'i-ch'ao has been Minister of Justice under President Yuan Shih-kai 

 and also editor of the Yung Yen Pao ("Justice"), published in Tient- 

 sin twice a month. K'ang Yu-wei carried on reform work from Japan. 

 All of these men had high ideals for their country — ideals which have 

 been but partly realized owing to the condition of the masses of the 

 people and to official opposition. 



As far as the impact of outside influences is concerned, western edu- 

 cation has been a strong factor in showing that the old ideals and tech- 

 niques are inadequate, as compared with those of western countries. 

 Students have gone to England, Germany and America, and have had 

 ocular demonstration of the prosperous social and economic condition 

 of the people there. They have seen democratic principles practically 

 applied; and the fundamental principles of western civilization, as well 

 as the scientific attitude toward the problems of life, have been acquired 

 by them in the colleges and universities. Returning to their country, 

 they have by example and precept promoted individualism and social 

 justice. Some have gone to Japan and have seen what great changes 

 are taking place under the influence of the modern movement there. 

 Other students, upon entering schools established by Europeans and 

 Americans under the supervision of various missionary societies, have 

 become acquainted with western ideals for the individual and society. 

 They, too, have taken an active part in propagating ideas that stimulate 

 advance from custom into reflective morality. The influence of these 

 factors, and the sad experiences of the Boxer uprising, were so per- 

 vasive that Tzu Hsi, the Empress Dowager, upon the advice of Yuan 

 Shih-kai and Chang Chi-tung, issued a decree in 1904 abolishing the 

 old system of examinations and making graduation at one of the modern 

 colleges the only recognized path to official employment. The abolition 

 of the old system of education and the introduction of new ideals in the 

 schools throughout China was one of the principal causes of the over- 

 throw of absolutism and the founding of the Eepublic. And since the 

 founding of the Eepublic, the old conception of the education as an 

 instrument for making loyal subjects of the Emperor has, according to 

 the ministry of education, been -changed into an attempt to utilize edu- 

 cation as a means of cultivating moral and virtuous character for the 

 purpose of qualifying both men and women for citizenship. 



The commercial relations existing between China and foreign coun- 

 tries since the forced introduction of opium have also furthered the 

 moral development of China. The development of commerce, industry 

 and art affects the moral life in three important ways. ( 1 ) "It gives 

 new interests, and opportunity for individual activity." 14 (2) These 

 increased opportunities bring forward the question of values. Are all 

 the new activities good? If so, what can be done to promote them? 



"Dewey and Tufts, "Ethics," p. 153. 



