Cai Yuanpei: Selected Writings on Education

Cai Yuanpei was one of China’s most prominent democratic revolutionary thinkers and educators of the 20th century. He was among a group of intellectuals that included Chen Duxiu, Li Dazhao, and Hu Shih who advocated for a new academic culture promoting democracy and science. Cai integrated Chinese traditions with ideas he learned from his studies in Europe, including Germany and France. As President of Peking University, he supported literati, educators, and students to create one of China’s most dynamic universities, which played a pivotal role during the May Fourth Movement. He contributed significantly to modern Chinese education and culture by advocating for science and democracy, freedom of thought, and aesthetic education.

• Preface1 My View on New EducationFebruary 8, 19122 Textbook on Moral Education in the Middle SchoolMay 19123 Statement of Political Views to the SenateMay 13, 19124 Opening Remarks at the Inaugural Interim National Educational ConferenceJuly 10, 19125 The University BillPromulgated by Order No. 17 of the Ministry of Education onOctober 24, 19126 A View of the World and a View of LifeWinter 19127 Forewords to the Journal of Learning SpiritSummer 19148 The Mission of the World Society19159 A Preface to the Journal of Work and StudyOctober 30, 191510 Lecture Notes for the School for Overseas Chinese LaborersSummer in 191611 On the Absorption of CivilizationsAugust 15, 191612 The Inaugural Address of President of the Peking UniversityJanuary 9, 191713 A Speech at the Patriotic Girls’ SchoolJanuary 15, 191714 The Declaration of China Vocational Education SocietyJanuary 191715 A Speech to Senior-Grade Students of Tsinghua CollegeMarch 29, 191716 Replacing Religion with Aesthetic Education—Speech at Beijing Shenzhou Academic MeetingApril 8, 191717 Public Statement on the Establishment of the Sino-France Education AssociationApril 191718 Remarks at the Meeting at NanKai Middle School: Held by the Association of Professionalism, the Association of Diligent Study, and the Association of YouthMay 23, 191719 Facts and Reasons for University RestructuringApril 191820 The Fundamental Differences between New Education and Old Education–Remarks at the Welcome Ceremony of the Primary Schools’ Meeting of Hebei Province Organized by Zhonghua Book Company (Tianjin)May 30, 191821 Preface to an Outline of the History of Chinese PhilosophyAugust 3, 191822 Forward to the Peking University MONTHLY JOURNALNovember 10, 191823 Philosophy and ScienceJanuary 191924 A Preface to the Journal The Chinese CitizenJanuary 191925 An Application for Establishing the National Language Research AssociationJanuary 191926 On Developing Complementarity in EducationFebruary 191927 Why Initiate the China New Education Co-Progess AssociationFebruary 191928 A Letter to Gong Yan DAILY and a Response to Lin Qinnan’s LetterMarch 18, 191929 Mind Cultivation and Science—A Speech Presented at the Mind Cultivation Society of the Beijing Normal COLLEGE Achievement ClubApril 24, 191930 Statement of No Intention to Be President of Peking University AgainJune 15, 191931 A Speech at the Dinner Party for the 60th Birthday of John DeweyOctober 20, 191932 Don’t Forget Aesthetics in Cultural MovementDecember 1, 191933 Obligations and Rights—a Speech at Peking Women’s Normal SchoolDecember 7, 191934 Remarks at the Opening of the Public Evening School by Peking University Student UnionJanuary 18, 192035 Introduction to the Overseas Returned Scholars Association MagazineMarch 10, 192036 The Flood and the BeastApril 1, 192037 A Speech at the Inaugural Ceremony of the Journal of Education and Society, Beijing Normal CollegeApril 15, 192038 A Retrospect of the May Fourth Movement and Expectations for the FutureMay 192039 Opening Remarks at the Ceremony Awarding Honorary Degrees to His Excellency, Professor Paul Painlevé and Others, at Peking UniversityAugust 31, 192040 On the University Flag of PEKING UniversityOctober, 192041 What Is Culture?October 27, 192042 Regular Education and Specialized EducationDecember 5, 192043 The Relationship between the Arts and ScienceFebruary 22, 192144 My Hope for Normal School StudentsOctober 29, 192045 My Hope for StudentsOctober 28, 192046 Remarks at the Reception Hosted by the Edinburgh Chinese Students Association and Academic Research AssociationMay 12, 192147 The Integration of Western and Oriental Cultures—Remarks at Georgetown University in WashingtonJune 14, 192148 Remarks at the Berkeley Chinese Students AssociationJuly 19, 192149 The Issue of Knowledge—Remarks at the Chinese Student and Scholar Association of the University of Hawaii in HonoluluAugust 23, 192150 On AestheticsAutumn, 192151 The Proposal to PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF Peking University FacultyFebruary 11, 192252 On the Independence of EducationMarch, 192253 Approaches to Aesthetic EducationJune, 192254 A Speech at the Opening Ceremony of the 1st Annual Meeting of The Institute for Improving Chinese Education (IICE)July 3, 192255 On the Launch of the Peking University Alumni AssociationOctober 12, 192256 On the Letter from EinsteinJanuary 3, 192357 Advice on the Preparations for Establishing Hangchow University by Cai Yuanpei et al.January, 192358 Guiding Principles of Hangzhou UniversityMarch 27, 192359 Why Schools Should Promote Physical EducationSeptember 192360 The Renaissance in China—a Speech at University Du Travail Paul Pastur Charleroi in BELGIUMOctober 10, 192361 The Development of Chinese EducationApril 10, 192462 Memorandum Concerning the Disposal of the Boxer Indemnity FundApril 15, 192463 INSCRIPTION to the Alumni Album for Graduates from the Department of Economics, Peking University, in 1925May 192564 Preface to the Prospectus of Peking University Institute of Chinese ClassicsJune 27, 192565 CHINESE EDUCATION—Its Historical and Its Present ConditionsJuly 25, 192566 The Preface to LogicJune 5, 192667 Studying IN THE UNIVERSITY and Saving the Country—a Speech at Hangchow UniversityMarch 12, 192768 Motion for the Establishment of the Ministry of Education and Research of the Republic of ChinaJune 13, 192769 The Trends of New Education in China—a Speech at Jinan UniversityNovember 12, 192770 Motion on Independent Education Grants and FundingDecember 22, 192771 Proposal for Establishing the National University of the ArtsDecember 192772 Foreword to The Bulletin of the Ministry of Education and ReasearchJanuary, 192873 Remarks at the New Year Celebration of the Shanghai Branch of the Science Society of ChinaJanuary 18, 193074 Opening Remarks at the 15th Annual Meeting of the Science Society of ChinaAugust 12, 193075 What Does It Take to Be a Modern Student?October 193076 The Chinese Nation and the Doctrine of the Mean—a Speech Given to the Asia SocietyNovember 20, 193077 Aesthetic Education as a Replacement for ReligionDecember 193078 Aesthetic Education as a Replacement of Religion—a Speech to the Chinese YMCA in ShanghaiDecember 193079 University Education193080 Aesthetic Education193081 Criteria for Choosing an Occupation—Remarks at the China Vocational Education AssociationApril 4, 193182 Gist of Speech at Suzhou High SchoolOctober 193183 Aesthetic Education and LifeApproximately 193184 Aesthetic Education as a Replacement for Religion193285 Inaugural Address Delivered as the President of the Music and Literature Society of the National Conservatory of MusicMarch 1, 193386 My Days at Peking UniversityJanuary 1, 193487 Recollections of My Orthodox Chinese EducationApril 4, 193488 Lessons from My Reading ExperiencesApril 10, 193589 On Reading Confucian ClassicsMay 10, 193590 A General Introduction to Collections of China’s New LiteratureAugust 6, 193591 Guiding Principles for the Work of Academia SinicaApril 16, 193692 An Introduction to Great Figures of ScienceMay 20, 193693 The Spiritual Life of ConfuciusAugust 17, 193694 Mozi’s Non-Attack and Good DefenseOctober 11, 193695 My Experiences in the Education CommunityDecember 193796 Stories of George Washington in China’s EducationFebruary 20, 1939