Abstract:

The rising of the “New Cultural Movement” was closely related to some figures, each of which was both a thinker and an activist. At the atmosphere that the whole nation was pursuing novelty in China after the war in Europe, JIANG Meng-lin, together with his fellows in Jiangsu Education Association, set up New Education Co-advance Association in Shanghai and connected the south and the north to promote the rising of a new trend of cultural education nationwide. Pertaining to “what is the new trend”, JIANG defined it as “populism”; influenced by this doctrine and related stance, JIANG connected the new trend of cultural education with the unexpected political May Fourth patriotic trend, and hence helped promote the rising of the “New Cultural Movement” after the May Fourth Movement in a way different from that of CAI Yuan-pei, HU Shi and others. After JIANG’s appointment in Peking University, however, the awareness of the definition of the “New Culture” and that of power in the Southeast became even weaker. By regarding JIANG’s words and deeds as the main clue and combining his logic of behaviors before and after the May Fourth Movement, we can reveal another important aspect besides the main narrative of Peking University and New Youth in the history of the rising of the “New Cultural Movement”.

Key words: JIANG Meng-lin, pre-May Fourth history, New Cultural Movement, New Education Co-advance Association, Jiangsu Education Association