林獻堂(1881-1956)是臺灣日治時期中部地區的士紳首要代表，他在推動創立臺中中學、六三撤廢運動、臺灣議會請願運動、成立臺灣文化協會、創設臺灣地方自治聯盟，甚至出刊《臺灣民報》等政治社會運動，都擔任領袖與財物資助的角色。其中以籌辦有教育性質的文化協會活動，表面上是以社會教育為手段的民族運動，但深入觀察林獻堂個人的儒家思想性格，以及文化協會會員中由地主、醫生、文化事業工作者佔有75%之社會菁英所參與的活動，其思想基礎以及論見智慧，絕非只是操作短期政治改革而已，而是從文化的主體性出發，強化道德與知識兼融的力量，並以此價值，供作建設新臺灣的方法。這般思維與策略，以今天各大學推動通識教育的理念與作法，來予相互對照觀察，實在是不謀而合。

Lin Sen‐tong(1881-1956) was a initial representative of the central Taiwan region during the period of Japanese occupation. He pushed to establish a Taichung High School, eliminate the 63 Laws, establish Taiwanese parliament, establish Taiwanese Cultural Association and establish a Taiwanese local self-government alliance. He even published the Taiwanese People Report, which waiting for a political and society revolution, Lin held the post of the role of the leader and wealth supporting. Subsidized the Taiwan Cultural Association, this activity superficially was taken as social education, but it went deep into Lin's personal Confucianism personality. The cultural association members were composed of landlord, doctors and the cultural businessmen who were the social elite of 75% participates. Their thought foundation and theory see as intelligence, but not just operating short-term political reform, and from culture main values, are enhancing the morals and knowledge, and with this strength, providing to make new Taiwan construction lately with good strategy. Each university pushed the principle and method of the general education today, come to checked against, really is agree to the previous Lin' thought.