Gu Yanwu was a famous thinker, patriot, historian and linguist in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. Gu Yanwu, a native of Kunshan, Jiangsu, was born as Gu Jiang. His style name was Ningren and his pseudonym was Tinglin. He also called himself Jiang Shanyong.
Background
Gu Yanwu's family was a big and wealthy family in Jiangnan. His grandfather far-sighted and believed that education should be based on practical research. He was greatly influenced by his grandfather. Gu Yanwu spent more than 20 years travelling in the north, covering Henan, Shandong, Shanxi and Shaanxi. He used two horses and four donkeys to carry his books.
Education
Gu Yanwu was learned in the Confucian classics, history, astronomy, geography, phonology, inscriptions on ancient bronzes and stone tablets, and other areas besides.
Career
Gu began his schooling at the age of 14. In the spring of 1645, Gu was recommended to be the position of Bingbu Siwu in the royal court at Nanjing. There he proposed many ideas. Gu Yanwu advocated knowledge “of practical use to society”, and proposed the use of empirical research as a method of exploration. His advocacy ended the trend of empty talk that had prevailed in the late Ming Dynasty, opening up a new school of practical study which had a huge influence on later scholars. Gu Yanwu asserted that government should manage the country and enrich the people. He questioned the rulers fearlessly and proposed the idea of public governance, which has been likened to the initial idea of democracy. His aphorism, “everybody is responsible for the fate of his country", has had a deep impact on the Chinese nation.