Gao Yihan (高一涵, P: ''Gāo Yīhán'', W: ''Kao I-han'', 1884–1968) was a Chinese

intellectual An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the reality of society, and who proposes solutions for the normative problems of society. Coming from the world of culture, either as a creator or a ...

and

political scientist Political science is the science, scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of politics, political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated c ...

. In addition to holding both educational and governmental positions, he contributed often to the publications '' The Tiger'' and ''

New Youth (Xin Qingnian) ''New Youth'' (french: La Jeunesse, lit=The Youth; ) was a Chinese literary magazine founded by Chen Duxiu and published between 1915 and 1926. It strongly influenced both the New Culture Movement and the later May Fourth Movement. Publish ...

'' and is thereby associated with the New Culture Movement.

Biography

In 1916, Gao Yihan graduated from

Meiji University , abbreviated as Meiji (明治) or Meidai (明大'')'', is a private research university located in Chiyoda City, the heart of Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1881 as Meiji Law School (明治法律学校, ''Meiji Hōritsu Gakkō'') by three Meiji-er ...

. Afterward he served as editor for the publications Morning Bell and Weekly Commentary. In addition to teaching political science at

Peking University Peking University (PKU; ) is a public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education. Peking University was established as the Imperial University of Peking in 1898 when it received its royal charter ...

, he was a professor at

Beijing University Peking University (PKU; ) is a public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education. Peking University was established as the Imperial University of Peking in 1898 when it received its royal chart ...

and a Law School dean at

Nanjing University Nanjing University (NJU; ) is a national public research university in Nanjing, Jiangsu. It is a member of C9 League and a Class A Double First Class University designated by the Chinese central government. NJU has two main campuses: the Xianl ...

. His writing was often concerned with the nature of the state. He felt that a state should not be considered an inevitability and instead should be recognized as a construction of the people. He was disappointed in the nature of the state in China at the time, notably the rampant

warlordism A warlord is a person who exercises military, economic, and political control over a region in a country without a strong national government; largely because of coercive control over the armed forces. Warlords have existed throughout much of h ...

. The ultimate goal of the state, Gao Yihan thought, should be to secure and protect individual rights. He greatly admired certain philosophies and politics of the west, notably Utilitarianism, and was also an individualist. His work for the Bureau of Translation in the Ministry of the Interior allowed him to compare governments in Britain, the United States, France, and Japan. In 1930 he published a comparative political textbook which included material from his past lectures. Gao Yihan was a respected member of ''The Tiger'' for his contributionsWeston 2005, p. 263. and he contributed a large number of them while the journal was still in its early stages. Gao Yihan's leanings were decidedly socialistic and he was in fact one of the first Chinese intellectuals to encourage the proliferation of economic rights. After the dissolution of The Tiger, Gao Yihan, like many of contemporaries, went on to write similarly for ''La Jeunesse.''

Notes

References

*Weston, Timothy B. "The Formation and Positioning of the New Culture Community, 1913-1917." '' Fire Technology'' 24.3 (1998): 255-284. Print. *Angle, Stephen C., and Marina Svensson, ed. ''The Chinese Human Rights Reader: Documents and Commentary, 1900-2000.'' London: M. E. Sharpe, 2001. Print. *Lin, Xiaoqing Diana. ''Peking University: Chinese Scholarship and Intellectuals, 1898-1937.'' Albany:

State University of New York Press The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...

, 2005. Print. *Ogden, Suzanne. ''Inklings of Democracy in China.'' Cambridge:

Harvard University Asia Center The Harvard University Asia Center is an interdisciplinary research and education unit of Harvard University, established on July 1, 1997, with the goal of "driving varied programs focusing on international relations in Asia and comparative studi ...

, 2002. Print. *Waldron, Arthur. "Warlordism versus Federalism: The Revival of a Debate?" ''

The China Quarterly ''The China Quarterly'' (CQ) is a British double-blind peer-reviewed academic journal established in 1960 on contemporary China and Taiwan. It is considered the most important research journal about China in the world and is published by the Cam ...

'' 121 (1990): 116-128. Web. 25 April 2010. *Waldron, Arthur. "The Warlord: Twentieth-Century Chinese Understandings of Violence, Militarism, and Imperialism." ''

The American Historical Review ''The American Historical Review'' is a quarterly academic history journal and the official publication of the American Historical Association. It targets readers interested in all periods and facets of history and has often been described as the ...

'' 96.4 (1991): 116-128. Web. 25 April 2010. {{DEFAULTSORT:Gao, Yihan 1884 births 1968 deaths Chinese political scientists Peking University faculty Nanjing University faculty Meiji University alumni 20th-century political scientists