Liang Shuming’s Legacy in Hong Kong and Taiwan Since 1949: Liang’s Philosophical Connection with Tang Junyi

Abstract

AbstractLiang Shuming, one of the leading figures of the School of New Confucianism of the Republican Period, never left mainland China after 1949, when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) founded the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Despite Liang’s physical isolation from Hong Kong and Taiwan, his scholarship still wielded a subtle influence on the two regions after 1949. This chapter highlights Liang’s legacy in Hong Kong and Taiwan by exploring his intellectual connection with one of the most representative and significant New Confucian scholars, Tang Junyi. Tang’s close acquaintance with Liang and his preeminent role in the Hong Kong-Taiwan New Confucian School make him an ideal focus of study for shedding light on how Liang’s New Confucian doctrine was retained, transferred, and developed in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Relying on an in-depth discussion of crucial works of the two New Confucian scholars, the chapter aims to uncover the implications of the “New Confucian Philosophical Framework” constructed by Liang Shuming, as well as Tang’s synthesis of some of Liang’s important ideas into his own thought. It is also noteworthy that the intellectual connections between Liang and Tang were reciprocal in nature. Whereas Tang Junyi made efforts to continue, revise, and surpass Liang Shuming’s New Confucian philosophy in Hong Kong, Liang simultaneously paid substantial attention to the development of Tang’s scholarship. Overall, the philosophical communication between Liang and Tang signifies an intergenerational dialogue within the School of New Confucianism.KeywordsLiang Shuming’s legacyHong KongTaiwanPhilosophical connectionTang Junyi