A Brief
Chronology
Of the
Life of Thomé H. Fang
(1899-=
1977)
&=
nbsp; Suncrates
1899, aged 1 Born on Feb. 9 (Luna
The 23th
generation descendant of the Guilin Fang Clan,=
=
[1]
usually known as the Great Fang Clan, beginning with Fang Deyi
of the later Song and early Yuan Period; the 16th generation
descendant of Fang You (1418-1483),[*] Imperial
Inspecting-General of the Ming Dynasty, who died as Mayor of Guilin, Guangxi (now the =
most
fascinating scenic spot in world tourism).
Geneological
name: Fang Dehuai; official name: Fang Xun, personal name: Dongmei,
(hence Thomé), meaning thereby “Be=
auty
of the east”; Father: Fang Jianzhou (Gran=
tee of
Honorary Advanced Official Candidate); mother, Lady Yang; 1
1901, aged 2 Death of father; =
death
of mother in 1903; entrusted to the guardianship of Fang Chen, his 2nd=
elder brother.
1902,
aged 3 Ed=
ucaton
began at home with the study of The=
Book
of Odes; a prodigal wonder child able to learn by heart the entire book
just by listening to the odes chanted; thus, bred up in the atmosphere of a
typical Confucian family.
1917, &nb=
sp; aged
18
President, the
Students Self-Government; Editor-in-Chief, The
Light of Jinling (a campus Bulletin); Presi=
dent,
the Chinese Philosophical Society of the Students Body.
Well-known across =
the
campus for his intellectual brilliance: with superior knowledge of classical
Chinese literature surpassing the teacher; and better command of English th=
an
Professor of Philosophy of Religion, the&n=
bsp;
British educated Dr. Wang, Dean of Students. But soon designated for
dismissal for having been caught in reading novels on Sunday ceremonies. Dr.
Clarence H. Hamilton (later Special Writer for Encyclopedia Britainica on Chinese
philosophy and Buddhism) came to his rescue with protest, saying, “I =
would
rather see the whole university closed than such a brilliant young man
dismissed (for such trivial blunders)!” In an interview with the
President, Dr. Baldwin, Fang proposed (1) that the University shall register
with the Chinese government for due respect of China’s educational
sovereignty; and (2) the missionary educational institutions shall respect
Chinese cultural tradition and heritage by appointing top qualified scholars
for relevant courses, rather than hiring the shams. President Baldwin so im=
pressed
with his presentation; decided to send him to study in the
1918, =
aged
19 Met
Wang Guangqi for the fir=
st
time; Wang and other co-founders of the Young China Society (hereafter refe=
rred
to as YCS) came from
1919,
aged 20 &=
nbsp; Outbreak
of the May 4th Movement in
On May 5, received
student leaders from
Joined YCS in Nove=
mber
for love of its cultural and intellectual ideals as independent of political
power struggles, endorsing to the Society’s goal=
set
for creation of a Young China by way of social activities on the scientific
spirit and to its guiding principles for lifestyle: Strive, Practice,
Perseverance, and Simplicity.
Founding Member for
the
The American
pragmatist philosopher John Dewey arrived in Shanghai on May 1; Hu Shi was there to receive him; hence actually neith=
er in
Beijing nor Nanking was Hu=
Shi directly involved in the May 4th Movement.
1920,
aged 21 =
Editor-in-Chief,
The Young World an offerspring of The
Young China founded by Wang Guangqi and edi=
ted by
Li Dazhao and Kang Baiqing=
in
Mao Zedong jointed=
the
YCS in November, introduced by Kang Baiqing.
Li Dazhao organized secretly the Marx Studies S=
ociety
in the Library of Beijing University where Mao worked with him.
Living in the Sout=
h,
Fang joined neither the Marx Studies Society nor the CCP (Chinese Communist
Party) founded the year following (1921).&=
nbsp;
Thus, by such a non-partisan position Fang was enabled to server as
re-conciliator during the final split between the Left and Right Wings of t=
he
Society in 1926,
Publications in The Young World: (1) “The
Finished in June
translation of Pragmatism by D.=
L. Murrary, published by China Books Co.,
Delivered the
“Welcome Speech” in honor of John Dewey’s visit to the
1921, aged 22 Set out in August =
for
1922, aged 23 Completed
Master Thesis “A Critical Exposition of the Berg=
sonian
Philosophy of Life”; Thesis Director: Professor =
Evander
Bradley McGilvary; wan high praise from the gra=
duate
philosophical faculty; Thesis still available at the University of Wisconsin
Library, Madison, MI.
Visited Bertrand
Russell with several other Chinese students at a hotel of Madison, Wisconsi=
n;
so enthusiastically engaged in discussion on “The Problem of China=
221;
that Russell forgot entirely his lecture appointment with the local communi=
ty,
leaving the audience to have waited in vain at the lecture hall!
Remained at
With rather limited
financial resource, could afford to hire a tutor from the German Department=
for
only two hours (at $5.00 per hour), learning the pronunciation of the langu=
age;
afterwards, by self-study with perseverance, could read Goethe, Kant, Hegel,
Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Dilthey, Cassirer,
Heidegger, etc., in the original. Often fond of saying, “With ten dol=
lars
have I mastered the German!”
Disappointed at no
courses offered on Hegel at
Associate Professo=
r of
Philosophy at Wu Chang Normal College (now Wuhan
University), after having passed successfully the toughest 3-step faculty
entrance examination: (1) publishing one article on the campus Bullletin, (2) delivering an Inaugural address, and (=
3)
accepting the oral examination by students and faculty conjointly.
1925, aged 26 Professor of Philosophy, Nati=
onal
Southeastern University, Nanking (until 1927);
colleague with Zong Baihua=
，Li Zhenggang, He Zhaoqing, etc.
Taught Ludwig C. H. Chen in logic, introduction to philosophy,
idealism, realism, especially Plato; Chen later became a world authority on
Aristotle (with one year’s study at London University and ten
years’ at Berlin University, 1929-41).
1927, agd 28 Concurren=
tly
Professor of Philosophy,
Finished Science, Philosoph=
y and
the Significance of Human Life, Chapters I-V.
Taught Chen Shih-chuan and Tang Junyi
(transferred from Beijing University); the former later became an acclaimed
authority in the study of The Book =
of
Change and the latter, a leading authority of contemporary Neo-Confuciansim.
Led the faculty’s demonstration on October 22, as one of the
three professors carrying the student’s coffin on their shoulders in
march straight towards the Government Mansion, protesting for the student
leader Yuan Daxi’s being killed on the pr=
evious
day’s demonstration, to the effect that Acting President Li Liejun resigned and Chiang Kai-shek returned from Jap=
an to
resume office in Nanking.
1927, aged 28 Met Hu Shi for the f=
irst
time in Shanghai, disagreeing with the latter’s article “The Wo=
rld Philosophy during the Last Fifty
Years,” the 50th Anniversary Special Issue of The Shen <=
span
class=3DSpellE>Bao, Shanghai (1922).
1928, aged 29 Married to Miss Lilian Kao, aged 22, in Shanghai.
1929, aged 30 Chairman and Professor, Philo=
sophy
Department,
Eldest son Fang Tianhua born, later bec=
ame a
scientist in Chemistry.
1931 Aged 32 “The Sentiment of Life and the Sense of Beauty”
published in Journal of Literature =
and
Fine Arts,
1932, aged 33 Twin children Fang Tianjue<=
/span>
and Fang Tianni born; Tian=
jue
became a scientist in mechanics and Tianni, in =
electricity.
1933, aged 34 First daughter Fang Tianxin=
born, later became a library scientist, but finally joined the Catholic Ord=
er
as a num.
1936, aged 37 &=
nbsp; Address
to the 1st Annual Meeting of CPS (Chinese Philosophical Society)=
, Nanking, on “The Tragedy of Life: A Duet of the=
Greek
and modern European Motif.”
Science,
Philosophy, and the Significnce of Human Life <=
/span>published
by the Commercial Books Co., Shanghai.
Outbreak of the Xi=
An
Accident, December 12; Generalissmo Chiang Kai-=
shek
was kidnapped by General Zhang Xueliang and Gen=
eral
Yang Hucheng at Xi An, Shan Xi; released as a r=
esult
of Stalin’s intervention.
On the eve of the
Japanese Invasion, invited by Ministry of Education, spoke over the Central
Broadcasting Station, Nanking, April 6 to 24, i=
n a
series of eight lectures, later published in book form entitled The Chinese Philosophy of Life: An Out=
line; generally
regarded the author’s Address=
to
the Chinese Nation, paralleling Fichte’s Address to the German Nation (whil=
e facing
the invasions by Napoleon).
Spoke 30 minutes at
the Lu Shan Conference called by Generalissmo
Outbreak of the
Resistance War against the Japanese Invasion on July 7, known as the Lugou Bridge Incident, Hobei,
Northern China.
Member of Executive
Committee, CPA (Chinese Philosophical Society); address to the 2nd Annual
Meeting, CPS, Nanking, on “Three Types of
Philosophical Wisdom”
Retreated in Octob=
er
with the Nationalist Government to Shaping Dam,
2nd
daughter Fang Tianxi died in the course of rertreat.
Address to the 3rd
Annual Meeting of CPA on “The Eastern and Western Types of wisdom.=
221;
Resumed the tutori=
ng
schedule with Generalissmo Chiang in courses of
Hegel, Dialectics, Philosophy of Change, and Wang Yang=
ming,
etc. Exchange of courtesy between teacher and student proceeded that between
citizen and head of the state, in accordance with ancient rules of propriet=
y.
1939, aged 40 =
“Logical
Formulation of the Philosophy of Change” published in The Joint Studies of the Book of Chang=
e,”
Commercial Books Co., Changsha, Hunan and Hong =
Kong.
1940, aged 41 &=
nbsp; Early
disciples Professor Tang Junyi and Ludwig C. H.=
Chen
joined the philosophical faculty, NCU, as colleagues with Zong
Baihua, Li Zhenggang, He Zhaoman, Xiong Wei, Hu Shihua,
etc.
&=
nbsp;
Senior poet and
scholar Ma Yifu, on reading “The Sentimen=
ts of
Life and the Sense of beauty” sent sincere greetings via their common
friend Professor Xiong Shi=
li
– A rarely heard of anecdote of “the elder seeking to befriend =
the
younger” in conventional China.
1941, aged 42 &=
nbsp; Death
of Rabindranath Tagore in
As requested, sent poems to
Professor Zhu Guangqian, Dean of College of Lib=
eral
Arts,
1942, aged 43 &=
nbsp; Kept
correspondences with Professor Xiong on Buddhist
Philosophy, clarifying certain points of difference between them.
1943, aged 44 &=
nbsp; In
February President Gu Meng=
yu
of NCU resigned; Generalissmo Chiang took over =
the
office as Concurrently President. On inauguration, his staffs (unfamiliar w=
ith
the academic custom) treated the faculty rudely by ordering all the sitting
chairs in the Auditorium be removed in wait for Chiang’s arrival. Fang asked, “Who is coming
today?” “President Chiang of the University.” “How =
can
one be the University President without showing due respect for the
Faculty! In protest, I
quit!” All stunned. Even with all the sitting chairs
restored, Fang still insisted to keep his words by resigning as Director for
the Institute of Advanced Studies in Philosophy at NCU.
1944, aged 45 &=
nbsp; Received
the visit at NCU by Dr. Servepalli Radhakrishnan heading the Indian Delegation of Cultur=
e and
Education; accepted the latter’s most friendly challenge to serve as
spokesman for China’s cultural and philosophical traditions, as he was
doing for India.
Returned to Nanking after the Japanese Surrender; gave the first =
public
speech at the Campus Auditorium blaming the corrupt Nationalist Government
officials for misconduct and mis-speech (e.g.,
calling those innocent citizens who remained in the fallen Capital during t=
he
wartime “pseudo-students,” “pseudo-people,” etc.); =
all
the audience burst out in sobs and tears.
Accompanied by Mr. =
Xie
Dongmin, later Vice President of Nationalist
Government, and Professor Xu Keshi,
German educated, Director of Education, Taiwan Provincial Government, to vi=
sit
the Grass Mountain for sightseeing, now the Yangmingsh=
an,
situated in the suburb of Taipei, a scenic spot that served as the reception
center for Prince Hirohito of Japan (later Empe=
ror)
in 1923 and Alexandr Solzhe=
nitsyn,
the Russian Nobel Laureate, in the early 80s; who stayed at the China
Hotel nearby.
<=
/span>
1948, aged 49 =
Professor and
Chairman, Philosophy Department, and Concurrently Director, Graduate Instit=
ute
of advanced Studies in Philosophy, NTW (
1949, aged 50 =
Strongly
recommended Zhu Guangqian, (then Acting Dean of
Liberal Arts, National Peking University) for a Professorship in Philosophy=
at
NTW. In protest of the case being boycotted by the Dean of Liberal Arts, Fa=
ng
resigned both his Chairmanship and Directorship, remaining only in the capa=
city
as a teaching faculty in the department until his retirement in 1973. ̵=
1;
undoubtedly a great loss for the subsequent development of the department
toward excellence.
1951, aged 52 =
Address
to the banquet reception for university professors, hosted by President Chi=
ang,
on “Hegel’s Philosophy: Its Present-Day Predicament and its
Historical Background
1953 Reformed the CPS (Chine=
se
Philosophical Association), Taiwan Branch.=
Elected to Executive Committee.
1955, aged 56 =
Concurrently
Professor of Classical Chinese Literature, Taiwan Provincial Normal College
(until 1956), and Suchou University (until 1959=
).
1956, aged 57 =
Address on Heg=
el
published in Collected
Essays of Hegel’s Philosophy, Vol. I,
Awarded “Med=
al
of Distinguished Service Professor” by Ministry of Education, Nationa=
list
Government.
1957, aged 58 =
The Chinese View of
Life published by the Union Press, Hong Ko=
ng
-- as an initial response to Servapalli Radhakrishnan’s most friendly challenge in Chongqing, 1944.
1959, aged 60 =
Lecture
tour in the U. S. A at the invitation of the US State Department. Visiting
Professor,
Science,
Philosophy, and the Significance of Human Life reprinted
by the Rainbow Books, Taipei.
1960, aged 61 =
Visiting
Professor, University of Missouri, Columbus, Missouri, February to June; met
for the first time Professor Lewis E. Hahn (awarded “Man of the Year =
in
Philosophy 1967” and “Lifetime Achievement” by APA).
&=
nbsp;
Address to Oberlin
Theological Seminar, Oberlin, Ohio on “A Philosophical Glimpse of Man=
and
Nature in Chinese Culture,” where his first mentor in Western philoso=
phy
and religion (1917-21) Dr. Clarence H. Hamilton resided and taught.
Continued lecture =
tour
throughout the U. S. A. from coast to coast. visiting 37 campuses.
Address to Section=
of
Metaphysics on “The World and the Individual in Chinese
Metaphysics,” culminating in the climax of his debate with Professor =
A.
N. Findlay of London University, England.&=
nbsp;
Wan high admiration from all participants. D. T. Suzuki of Japan sent his per=
sonal
greetings and invited him to meet at the Japanese Garden on the campus of
UH. Dr. Charles Moore, Confer=
ence
Host and Department Chairman, openly declared, “I never know, until n=
ow,
who the greatest philosopher of China is!”
Visiting Professor=
, Awarded “Med=
al
of Distinguished Service Professor for over Forty Years,” Ministry of
Education, Nationalist Government, Taiwan. 1965, aged 66 =
At
the request of Michigan State University, his tenure of Visiting Professors=
hip
extended for one more years until 1966. &=
nbsp; 2nd reprinting of =
Science, Philosophy, and the Significa=
nce of
Human Life, the Rainbow Books Co., Off-Campus Examine=
r. 1966, aged 67 =
Awarded
“the Most Distinguished Visiting Professor” by President of
Michigan State University at Farewell Reception Offer as Visiting
Professor from State University of New York at Buffalo, NY (for over $20,00=
0.00
per year). Declined. Determined to return to his home
institution NTU. Beginning with
October, offered a series of special courses in Chinese Philosophy at NTW,
e.g., “Metaphysical Studies of the Wei-Jin
Period” “Buddhist Philosophy of the Sui-Tang
Period”; “Neo-Confucianism of the Song-Ming-Qing
Period”; “Chinese Mahayana Buddhist Philosophy,” etc. unt=
il
his retirement in 1973. 1967, aged 68 =
Launched
the writing project in English, beginning with “Primordial
Confucianism,” mostly at night. Address on “=
The
World and the Individual in Chinese Metaphysics” selected in Chinese Mind, Honolulu, HI, Univer=
sity
of Hawaii Press 1969, aged 70 &=
nbsp; Composed
the poem “Wintry Plums without Blossoming” on the 70th
birthday anniversary. Address to the Sec=
tion
of Metaphysics, the 5th East and West Philosophers’ Confer=
ence,
June 22, on “The Alienation of Man in Philosophy, Religion, and
Philosophical Anthropology”; published by Taipei Cultural Products
Supplies the year following. Rejected unreasona=
ble
request from Professor Abraham Kaplan, Director for the 5th East=
and
West Philosophers’ Conference: At the first session, Section of
Metaphysics, Kaplan asked if the speaker would consider skipping over the formal presentat=
ion
and moving directly to discussion. Fang replied, “Yours is a procedur=
al
question. This session has be=
en
assigned to me. How to presen=
t is
my business. Discussion without presentation is against my style. I refer y=
our
motion to Section Chairman, Dr. Paul Weiss (a great disciple of Whitehead) =
for
decision. If your motion is
accepted, I quit!” Paul Weiss at once gave Fang full support. 1970, aged 71 =
Address
to the Confucius and Mencius Society,
1971, aged 72 =
lecture
on “The General and Special Characteristics of Chinese Philosophy,=
221;
October 15, 20, Classroom #17, College of Liberal Arts, NTW. Edited with
annotation by Uen-fu Kuo,
later published in Speeches of Thomé H. Fang, the Liming Cultural Enterpr=
ise
Co., Ltd., 1978,
Lecture on a synop=
tic
relegation of the various strains of Indian philosophy in terms of the form=
ula
“11236” -- “One Source, One Stream, Two Books, Three Scho=
ols,
and Six Systems.”
1972, aged 73 &=
nbsp; Address
to 5th Centennial Symposium on Wang Yang-mi=
ng,
University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, on “The Essence of Wang Yangming’s Philosophy in a Historical
Perspective,” later published in Philosophy
East and West, 1973, Vol. 23, Nos. 1-2.
Gave a Farewell Di=
nner
Reception inviting all participating Chinese scholars: Professors Tang Junyi, Mou Zongsan,
Li Fanggui, Nelson Wu, Zhang Zhongyuan,
Wing-tsit Chan (absent), Z=
heng
Zhongying, Du Weiming, Suncrates, and his son Fang Tianni,
etc.
1973, aged 74 =
Retired
as Research Professor of Philosophy from NTW, June 8, exactly on the 50th
Anniversary of his teaching career since 1924; A Candlelight Farewell Tea
Reception given in his honor by groups of students of various stages at
Cardinal Tian Gengxin
Memorial Hall, Taipei; each participant with a candle light in hand, listen=
ing
to his Farewell Speech “Deep Meaning of the Transmission of
Lanterns” concluding, “I have none of my own children to pass o=
n to
the torch of wisdom that is in my hand; I have only my intellectual
heirs!” featured by interflow of candle-lights with lights of tears.
Selected in Speeches of Thomé H. Fang, 1978.
Chair Professor of
Philosophy, Fu Jen Catholic University, Xinzhuang,
Address on
“Chinese Philosophy and Its Impacts on the World to Come“ Novem=
ber
2, at Cardinal Tian Gengxi=
n
Memorial Hall, “Introductory Remarks” by Suncrates; edited with
annotation by Uen-fu Kuo,
selected in Ibid.
Address to the 2
1974, aged 75 =
Lecture
Notes on “Confucius’ Creative Spirit in the light of The Zhou Book of Change”; a
student had it published on The Cen=
tral
Daily News, Supplements, January 21-22; it called for studies of
Confucius’ thought as not confined to The
Analects alone; provoked harsh criticism from orthodoxy Confucians in <=
/span>
Address
to the Chinese Classical Studies Society,
1976, aged 77 =
Completed
the entire work of Chinese
Philosophy: Its Spirit and Its
Development, typed manuscripts totaling to 800 pages in 8 volumes ̵=
1;
the outcome of a lifetime scholarship for conception and ten years of dedic=
ated
workmanship for execution! Professor Lewis E. Hahn of SIUC and Professor
Kenneth K. Inada of SUNY at Buffalo expected for his arrival for a colloqui=
um
presentation; the work originally intended for publication in the U.S. bein=
g in
process of consideration by Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jers=
ey,
submitted through Suncrates. =
Physical examinati=
on before
departure (December) confirmed of symptoms for cancer spread from the left =
lung
to the lymphatic gland areas; the whole visiting plan to U. S. forced to ab=
ort.
1977, aged 78 =
Converted
to Buddhism in late March, initiated by Chan Monk Rev. Guang
Qin, Tucheng,
March 1977, compos=
ed
“To Visitors -- in appreciation of all relatives and friends for their
kindness”:
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp;
&=
nbsp; Here now I fall ill
&=
nbsp; Because
all the sentient beings do
&=
nbsp; And
yet without being aware of illness as illness![3]
&=
nbsp;
&=
nbsp; Thus
try I will,
&=
nbsp; With
my own illness, to
&=
nbsp; Wish
them all to get well, nonetheless.
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p;
&=
nbsp; For
only with true freedom from ill-
&=
nbsp;
&=
nbsp; Be
capable of such a self-awareness.[4]
&=
nbsp;
&=
nbsp; The
mysteriously mysterious
&=
nbsp; (Dao) and the wondrously wondrous
&=
nbsp; Dharma accord =
perfectlt
with Heaven
&=
nbsp; And
Spontaneous Nature.
On April 3 designa=
ted
Suncrates as authorized translator for his last opous<=
/span>
magnum Chinese Philosophy: Its Spirit and Its Development.
On May 4, composed
“From Śūnyatā Have I come&=
#8221;:
&=
nbsp; From Śū=
nyatā
have I come,
&=
nbsp; Whereto
am I returning.
&=
nbsp; What
can be possessed from
&=
nbsp; Śūny=
atā
to Śūnyatā? Wherein
&=
nbsp; The
loci to find
&=
nbsp; For
the“Attaching Mind”?
&=
nbsp;
Both published as =
his
final works in Universitas: A Monthly Review of Philosophy and
Culture, Vol. IV, No. 5.
Passed on July 13,
after seven months of suffering from cancer.
Testament: All his
private library collections donated to the state, opening to the public. Now
catalogued in Professor Thomé H. Fang Ro=
om at
the Dr. Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall,
Declined any offic=
ial
obituary service; but memorial service still held with solemn simplicity, J=
uly
19, by groups of his friends, students, and admirers; attended by such
celebrities as Cardinal Paul Yupin, the great
historian Qian Mu, =
the
senior economist Wang Zuorong, the senior physi=
cist
Dai Yungui, etc; over thousands gathered togeth=
er to
see him off for cremation.
Distinguished
Neo-Confucian authority Professor Tang Junyi in=
Hong Kongcomposed “Memoriam” in the form of a
Chinese couplet of antithetical structure:
=
;
To Master Thom&eac=
ute;
H. Fang on His Way to Eternity:
With my fifty years of learning experie=
nce
as a disciple, I often remember your profound utterances on Dao as if they =
were
all issued from Heaven!
Sharing the same illness with Virma for over half a year, I always cherish your rad=
iances
as a Wisdom-Sun; why dessert me with so early a sunset?
Reverentially, =
&=
nbsp; Tang
Junyi
On July 22, in acc=
ordance
with his Will, sea-buried as close as possible to Mainland China; ceremony =
held
in Jinmen, Fujian; =
A marble
urn containing his ashes sunk down to the deep waters of the Liaoluo Gulf of Taiwan Strait; attended by his eldest=
son
Dr. Fang Tianhua, his wartime disciple Army Gen=
eral
Wang Sheng, and the student representatives
Professors Huang Zhenhua and Liu Fu-kuen, etc.
*
* * *=
*
Posthumorous Events:
1978<=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-famil=
y:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN'> In commemoration of the=
1st
anniversary of his passing, a Memorial Pavilion in his honor erected by loc=
al
people in Jind=
ong
and Shamei=
,
Jinmen, Fujian Prov=
ince
– notice what a perfect linguistic coincidence (for dong-mei)! a Tablet calligraphed in
the handwriting of his grand pupil President Chiang Ch=
ing-guo
(Jiang Jingguo); a =
marble
monument inscribed by his wartime disciple Army General Wang Sheng.
Complete Works in Chinese
published in 11 volumes, the Liming Cultural Enterprise Co. Ltd.,
1980 August, Mrs. Lil=
lian
K. Fang visited the Liaoluo Guld,
Jinmen, gazing silently and affectionately at t=
he
deep waters as the resting place for her philosopher-husband, accompanied by her lifelong fri=
end
Professor Chen Yusheng of NTW and a few student=
s,
e.g., Professor and Mrs. Elmer H. H. Fung, Prof=
essor
Edward Shih-I Wang, and Suncrates, etc.
Complete Works in English
published in three volumes, the Linking Publishing Co., Ltd.,
1983<=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-famil=
y:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN'> Suncrates (tr.), Thomé H. Fang, Chinese
Philosophy: Its Spirit and its Development, Vol. I, published, Universi=
ty (Chengjun) Press,
1985<=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-famil=
y:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN'> The idea of founding a =
Thomé H. Fang Institute in
Professor Paul A. Schil=
pp,
Charles Hartshorne, Professor Ludwig C. H. Chen and Professor Tsung-I Dow, etc., approached as Advisors. Professor Dow, a recipient of the
Government Fellowship for advanced studies in the
Two projects being discussed: (1) publicatio=
n in
Fang’s honor of an international journal or bulletin in comparative
philosophy and culture, and (2) promotion of Fang’s works in translat=
ion.
1986<=
/span> August, the same idea and
project further discussed with Professors Rose-Mary Ba=
rral,
Sandra A. Wawrytko, James =
Sellmann,
James W. Kidd, and Mrs. Sunnie A. Kidd at the
International Symposium of Philosophy and Psychology, University of Las Veg=
as,
Las Vegas, Nevada.
1987<=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-famil=
y:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN'> The 1st
International Symposium on the Philosophy of Thom&eacu=
te;
H. Fang held in Taipei, Taiwan, July 15-17, participated by over forty scho=
lars
all over the world; mostly the Master’s former students and friends;
Proceedings published under the=
title
The Philosophy of Thomé
H. Fang, the Youth Press,
Taipei, 1989.
Keynote Address by Professor Lewis E. Ha=
hn
on “Thomé H. Fang and the Spirit of
Chinese Philosophy,” published in Ibid, pp 9-22.
Distinguished literary critic Qian Zhongshu of <=
st1:place>
1991 Professor and Mr=
s. Lilliam K. Fang passed at the
1999 =
The Centennial International
Symposium on the Philosophy of thomé H. =
Fang
held in
2003<=
span
lang=3DEN-US style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-famil=
y:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:SimSun;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN'> The first Thomé
H. Fang Institute, Inc., installed in
2004 = Suncrates (tr.= ), Thomé H. Fang Chinese Philosophy: Its Spirit and Its Development, Vol. II, finished, August.<= o:p>
2005 Complete
Works of Thomé H. Fang in Chinese, R=
evised
Edition, totaling to 13 volumes, published by the Liming Cultural Enterpris=
e,
Co., Ltd.; A New Books Exhibition Reception given at the NTU Alumni
Association, Building,
2007 Mr. Chen Jing,
Editor-in-Chief, History and the Huamnities Col=
umn, Zongyang Web Site,
2008 The first Institute for T=
homé
H. Fang Studies established with official “Unveil Ceremony,”
October 14, at the
2009 =
Suncrates a=
nd
Sandra A. Wawrytko (trs.), Thomé H. Fang, “Three Types of Philosoph=
ical
Wisdom”; “Hegel’s Philosophy: Its Present-Day Predicament=
and
Its Historical Background,” Part I; and “The <=
/span>Spirit of Chinese Philosophy –
Inaugural Address as Chair Professor at the Fu Jen Catholic University̶=
1;
(1973) first published in Comprhensive Har=
mony:
A Bulletin of Comparative Philosophy and Culture, Alibris, Philadelphia, PA., Septemb=
er, as
part of the Kumārājiva Project, Thomé H. Fang Institute, Inc., Mobile, AL., U.=
S.A.
[*] For the f= irst accurate geneological account of our subject, w= e are all deeply indebted to the fr= uitful research work of Mr. Chen Jing (陈靖= ): “A study of the Genesis of <= span class=3DSpellE>Thomé H. Fang, the Great Philosopher of Our Time,” Z= ongyang News--Anqing Daily, Supplements (in the 4th Column), Anqing, Anhui, China, Sep= tember 22, 2007. For further relevan= t details, see endnotes.
=
Notes
[1]=
The title “Guilin
Fang” is a great honor officially conferred upon the familyhead
Fang Mao for five of his sons having all passed successfully the state
examination, acclaimed as “the five dragons” of the Fang
family. For all this Fang You
(1418-1483) is crucially important as the first one of his whole family to =
win
the honorable status of “Jinshi”
--Advanced Candidate for Official Service.
[3]=
A classic allusion to The Virmalakirti-Nedesa-Sūtra,
Chapter V. “Mañjūśrī Sent
to Ask after Layman Vimalakirti in Illness. The
latter replies, “I fall ill because all the sentient beings do (yet
without being aware of illness as illness).”
[5]=
We learn from Chen Jing’s
most updated genealogical research (2007) that our subject Thomé H. Fang is=
truly
the 23th generation descendant of the Guilin Fang (Great Fang) Clan; the 16th
generation descendant of Fang You (1418-1483),
Imperial Inspecting General of the Ming Dynasty -- Fang Yizhi
(1611-1671) being his 14th, and Fang Bao (1668-=
1749)
his 16th, generation ancestral uncle, respectively. Their 7th
generation ancestors Fang Lin, Fang You, and Fang Guan being brothers of the
same family. This discover is
enlightening in that it perfectly clarifies Thom&eacut=
e;
H. Fang’s ancestral relationship with Fang Yizhi=
and Fang Bao -- two towering figures in the glo=
rious Tongcheng cultural tradition. The former is revered a=
s the
Enlightenment Philosopher of 17th Century
|
- 18
-=
|
Comprehensive Harmony: A
Bulletin of Comparative Philosophy and Culture, No=
. I,
2009
|
- 17
- |
Suncrates,&nbs=
p;
A Brief Chronology:&=
nbsp;
the Life of Thomé H. Fang: