The Development, Evolution and Characteristics of Evolutionism in China in the Early 20th Century

Abstract

Since modern times, the feudal autocratic Qing government and the advanced western capitalist countries have been defeated many times in the battle, and the reflection on the defeat provides the background for the spread of evolution. Under the birth of the theory of evolution, the Chinese national bourgeoisie actively explored the road of China's independence and prosperity. Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao and Yan Fu spread the theory of evolution to provide public opinion support for the Reform. After the failure of the Hundred Days' Reform, more reformers were forced to join the camp of bourgeois revolutionaries. A group of bourgeois revolutionaries, such as Sun Yat-sen and Zhang Taiyan, vigorously propagated the revolutionary evolution theory, and the emergence of modern nationalism, especially in the debate on evolution between revolutionaries and reformists, highlighted the characteristics of revolutionary evolution. The development of evolutionism in China at the end of Qing Dynasty and the beginning of Republic was not only influenced by western science and culture, but also restricted by Chinese traditional culture. The spread and development of the theory of evolution not only promoted the development of China's Enlightenment movement, but also led to the vigorous revolution of 1911 in the early 20th century.