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Abstract Liang Qichao and Yan Fu , the twin giants in the late Qing and early Republican era , while sharing many common intellectual and academic ideas , differ remarkably . Their concentrated critiques in1908 of theChinese historical reformer Wang Anshi provide a fairly good vantage-point for comparison . The two of them live in totally different circumstances :while Yan occupies a comparatively superior position , the middle-aged Liang , in overseas exile , hopes desperately for appointment from the government . Consequently their critiques of Wang differ . As concerns statecraft , Liang , with some criticism , mainly speaks positively of Wang's New Deal ,whileYanholds an everlastingbalanced praise-and-critiqueattitude .Concerning thecraft of mind , Liang sings the praises of Wang , while Yan speaks half in praise and half in critique , insisting that Wang's ideal itself was mistaken .Regarding scholarship ,Liang's focus is on Wang's thought about the canons ,laying emphasis on″seeking for′D a Yi′or′great rightness′to govern the world″, while Yan concentrates on Wang's literature and philosophy , examining Wang's thought from the viewpoint of philosophy with more criticisms than praises . Such differences demonstrate clearly not only Liang and Yan's different intellectual bottom-lines , but also their different attitudes and methods toward history , which further reflects the complicated truth of the late Qing intellectual community .
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Received: 18 May 2009
Published: 16 December 2009
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