Ma Yifu

Ma Yifu (1883-1967), born Fu, courtesy name Yifo, was a Chinese philosopher, poet, and calligrapher. He is regarded as one of the leading scholars of modern New Confucianism, alongside Liang Shuming and Xiong Shili, and they are collectively known as the "Three Sages of New Confucianism." Ma Yifu was highly skilled in poetry and literature, proficient in calligraphy, and deeply versed in philosophy and Buddhism, leading to his recognition as the 'Supreme Master of Confucianism, Buddhism, and philosophy'. Born on April 2, 1883, in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Ma Yifu was the fourth child in his family. His father, Ma Tingpei, had served as the magistrate of Renshou County in Sichuan. At the age of five, Ma Yifu returned to his ancestral home in Shaoxing. He began his education at the age of four, studying classic texts in private school. In 1898, at 15, he achieved the top rank in the provincial-level imperial examination, among candidates including the distinguished writers Lu Xun and Zhou Zuoren. Feng Zikai noted Ma Yifu's remarkable ability to quote and recite classical texts with precision, and Hongyi praised him as "naturally endowed with knowledge and wisdom." In 1901, he co-founded "Translation World" with several other scholars. In 1903, he traveled to the United States to study European literature, and later visited Germany and Japan to explore Western philosophy. Upon his return to China in 1911, he lent his support to the 1911 Revolution led by Sun Yat-sen. Subsequently, he dedicated himself to the study of traditional Chinese culture. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, he held a professorship at National Zhejiang University. In 1939, Ma Yifu established the Fuxing Institute (复性学院) in Sichuan, an independent educational institution committed to teaching and promoting traditional Chinese culture, with a special emphasis on the Six Arts. In 1953, he assumed the position of director at the Zhejiang Museum of Literature and History. Despite his lifelong integrity, Ma Yifu faced hardship during the Cultural Revolution. In his old age, he bowed to the Red Guards, and when his home was searched, his plea to keep an inkstone for writing was met with a physical blow. Overwhelmed by grief and indignation, he passed away shortly thereafter. Ma Yifu's philosophy centered on the idea that the Six Arts, as originally taught by Confucius, form the bedrock of academic studies in Chinese cultural learning. He proposed that the Six Arts could serve as a guide for all learning, arguing that they remained relevant and capable of cultivating well-rounded individuals with sound judgment and virtue, equipped to handle real-life challenges.