A Preface to Ma Yifu

Ma YifuJul 2022

3.2

Word count: 36K words
Chapters: 54

Summary

Ma Yifu (1883–1967) was a modern Chinese thinker, poet, and calligrapher, and an early representative of Modern New Confucianism. He was the first person in China to introduce the German and English editions of Marx's Das Kapital, and together with Liang Shuming and Xiong Shili he is known as one of the "Three Sages of New Confucianism."

In scholarship he attained deep mastery of ancient philosophy, Neo-Confucianism, literature, and Buddhist studies, integrating Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism into a single whole, and was regarded as a Confucian master of his age. Philosophically, he held that the fundamental spirit of Chinese culture lies in "bringing to light the principles of one's own mind." In Neo-Confucianism, his profound study and personal experience of traditional Confucian culture, especially Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism, were widely recognized by his contemporaries. His "Theory of Principles and Names" was his own innovation, a exposition and elaboration of the principles of the "Six Arts" suited to teaching, which he called his new doctrine of principles.

As a calligrapher, he fused zhangcao and Han clerical script into a style of his own, combining the bearing of a Confucian, the ethereal quality of a Daoist immortal, and the mind of Chan Buddhism in one furnace; he was a master calligrapher whom Feng Zikai praised as "the leading figure of Chinese calligraphy."

This book is a collection of prefaces written by the great scholar of Chinese studies Ma Yifu.

Editor's review

This book gathers prefaces Ma Yifu wrote over the years and offers a side window onto his scholarly connections and intellectual development. Written at others' request, the prefaces usually address particular classics or other people's works, yet Ma Yifu uses them as occasions to weave in his theory of principles and names and his doctrine of the Six Arts as all-encompassing, so that readers may glimpse both the scope of his learning and his critical judgment. For those familiar with Ma Yifu's monographs, these prefaces offer a more relaxed, more immediate form of expression; for newcomers, their moderate length and clear focus make them easier to approach than systematic treatises. Readers can see how a Confucian master of his generation brought others' writings to life with concise, lucid prose, and sense the Confucian-Buddhist-Daoist integration underlying his thought. Suitable as supplementary reading for the study of Ma Yifu's collected works, Modern New Confucianism, or modern intellectual history, and well suited to browsing at one's desk.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars and graduate students studying Modern New Confucianism and Ma Yifu's thought
Readers interested in the preface genre and scholarly networks of modern Chinese intellectuals
Those with some grounding in Chinese studies who wish to approach Ma Yifu through short pieces
Enthusiasts of traditional culture interested in the integration of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism

Not a good fit for

Beginners seeking a systematic introduction to Ma Yifu's philosophical system
Readers who prefer plain vernacular explanation and lack patience for classical Chinese
Practical readers looking for models of contemporary preface writing

Reading tips

First read the background of the books being prefaced, then compare Ma Yifu's comments to understand where he develops his own themes.
Read in chronological order of composition, noting shifts in emphasis and wording across periods.
Keep a notebook to excerpt passages on principles and names, cross-referencing works such as Taihe Huayu.
Do not rush; read one or two prefaces at a time, consulting the classics they discuss for best results.

版权信息
宋遗民诗序
政诫序
曲苑珠英序
董解元西厢记记
名媛文萃序
重印严氏全上古三代秦汉三国六朝文序
重印姚氏古文辞类纂王氏续古文辞类纂序
印光法师文钞序
楞严正脉科会序
护生画集序
皇汉医学序
新唯识论序
题马万里印册
儒林典要序
浙江旅嘉同乡会集会序
题夏眉杰礼书
圣传论序
重刊盱坛直诠序
题南阳樊氏遗文
重印宋本春秋胡氏传序
题温热经纬
蠲戏斋诗自序
为童藻荪书庄子缮性篇语跋
慈湖家记序
重刊周易系辞精义序
汉方简义序
成心论序
王氏地理书序
八月十九日苏盦生朝雨中宴集有作诗序
和苏盦消夏杂兴诗序
啬庵杂佩一斑题记
雪山高和苏盦作序
谢啬庵先生诗序
舜水遗书序代
意林续钞序亦曰中国古世政论一斑
国朝文汇序代
题国朝文征
重刊宗鉴指要序
熊氏丛书弁言代
吉林成氏谱系图序
四书遇题记
重刻莲池大师戒杀放生文序
晋湛方生庐山神仙诗并序浔阳有庐山者云云
禊日口占序
序拟颂古
树影诗自序
飞箭行诗自序
周易明义小引代彭俞（逊之）作
楞严开蒙小引
题子恺画集
题自书诗卷语
题抱经堂藏书图
为刘仲彝书王宸自题联语并跋后

FAQ

Is this book suitable as an introductory reader for understanding Ma Yifu?

It can serve as a supplementary introduction. The prefaces are short and focused, easier to read than systematic treatises, but since they address specific classics, understanding suffers without background knowledge. It is best to read alongside a critical biography of Ma Yifu's thought, or to read his lecture records first and return to the prefaces for a fuller picture.

What level of classical Chinese is needed to read this book?

The prefaces are written in classical Chinese, concise in wording and rich in allusions, requiring some ability to read literary Chinese. Readers with a high-school-level grounding in classical Chinese who can look up allusions with reference tools should manage; those with weak classical Chinese may first read vernacular introductions as a bridge.

How do the prefaces relate to Ma Yifu's other works?

The prefaces often touch on core ideas such as the Six Arts as all-encompassing and the theory of principles and names, corroborating his lecture records and notes. Readers may see the prefaces as scattered presentations of his thought; reading them with his systematic works gives a fuller picture of his scholarship.

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About the author

Ma Yifu Author · Chinese · 1883–1967

Ma Yifu (1883–1967), whose given name was Fu and who used Yifu as his courtesy name and Zhanweng as his literary name, was a native of Shaoxing, Zhejiang. A modern Chinese thinker, philosopher, poet and calligrapher, he was one of the early representative figures of modern New Confucianism and, together with Liang Shuming and Xiong Shili, was known as one of the "Three Sages of New Confucianism." In 1939 he founded Fuxing Academy in Leshan, Sichuan, where he continued to lecture and write. His works combine philosophical reflection with a literary and poetic temperament, often taking the form of lecture records, talks, answers to questions and poetry talks, with closely reasoned argument and elegant, refined language. Works such as Lecture Records of Fuxing Academy, Talks at Taihe and Yishan, Answers to Questions at Erya Terrace and Poetry Talks from the Juanxi Studio embody his exposition of Confucian principles and his continuation of traditional scholarship. The library holds 32 of his works, spanning classics, Eastern philosophy and modern poetry, which shows the enduring influence of his writings on the transmission of modern Confucianism and the study of traditional culture.