Cai Yuanpei’s Knowledge Taxonomy and the Divide Between Science and Metaphysics in Modern China

Cai Yuanpei was a renowned 20th century Chinese educator. He is best known for his role as the chancellor of Peking University and his belief in “inclusiveness and tolerance (jianrong bingbao).” This essay examines Cai Yuanpei’s knowledge taxonomy both in his early 20th century writings and in his academic policies as Chancellor of National Peking University (1917–1923). As chancellor, Cai made a conscious effort to recruit faculty members who aimed to bring about revolutionary changes to Chinese culture. While his original vision was to integrate scientific methodologies with the intuitive philosophies of xuanxue (玄学), the dominant trend in Chinese scholarship became heavily focused on science. This essay delves into Cai’s exposure to Japanese intellectual influences around 1900, and how it influenced Cai’s initial knowledge taxonomy and its connection to Cai’s definition of science disciplines in modern Chinese education. Cai’s view toward science and philosophy evolved from an emphasis on a continuum between the two in the early 1900s to their separation, as science gained momentum and philosophy became increasingly subordinate to science. The essay shows how Cai’s efforts to create a modern educational system in China where science would be balanced with intuitive learning played out to a predominance of science in Chinese learning.