Li Zongwu

Li Zongwu (1879–1943), originally named Shiquan and later renamed Shikai, with the courtesy name Zongru, was a modern Chinese thinker and educator from Ziliujing in Fushun, Sichuan (present-day Zigong). He worked in education for many years, serving as a middle school principal and a provincial school inspector. In 1912 he became known for his essay "The Philosophy of Thick Black," and styled himself the "Thick Black Patriarch." He later wrote works including "Talks on Thick Black," "Trends in Chinese Scholarship," and "A Discussion of Social Problems." His writing is sharp and humorous, often using historical figures and social phenomena to analyze human nature, with a plain and satirical style. The collection contains 23 of his works, including complete, collected, and illustrated editions of The Philosophy of Thick Black, as well as essays and academic commentary, mostly on social culture, Eastern philosophy, and applied psychology, and they have circulated widely as popular reading.