【Abstract】Hu Pu--an (1878-1947) was an active and well-known famous scholar in Shanghai between the 1900s and 1940s. His works: The History of Chinese Word Study and Etymology and The History of Chinese Scholium are most influential and fundamental for the same subjects. However, the studies concerning his biography and academic achievements are really lacking. The present dissertation is a pilot and comprehensive study on his biographical sketch, Chinese word study and the Book of Changes.
First, I have collected his writings and related data in Taiwan and Mainland China, which include his diary, letters and interviews of his family. And then I get a better understanding of his life as well as his relationship with people. The second chapter , “Hu Pu-an’s Family Background and Biography” outlines his family background, schooling years, learning boxing, farming, and moving to Shanghai, in which he participated in the Association of Chinese Classics, worked as an editor of The Journal of Chinese Classics, attending the Nan Sher (The Southern Society), a revolutionary and literary group, and Tung Meng Hui, a revolutionary organization. In the meantime, he entered the press circle, struggling for revolutionary purposes. He also worked as a committee member of the Examination Yuan and held the post of the head of Department of Civil Affairs in Kiangshu Province. Besides, he taught in several universities in Shanghai and published a great number of books, setting up his professional goal of academic studies for saving his own country. Furthermore, the third chapter focuses on “Prof. Hu’s Social Relations”, a sketch of his association with the Southern Society, the press circle, the political circle, and the academic circle. Indeed, Hu Pu-an’s publication is bountiful. The fourth chapter is a study on his over 260 items of his works and publications. His academic writings include more than 100 items of studies on an old classification of ancient Chinese books. He compiled and translated nineteen books. And he also published ten collections of poetry, 141 academic essays and thirty-three titles of other writings. The fifth chapter, “Hu Pu-an’s Studies on the Book of Changes” focuses on the three books: The Study of the Book of Changes, the Historical View of the Book of Changes in Chou Dynasty, and the Life View of the Book of changes in Chou Dynasty. Among these three books, the Historical View of the Book of changes in Chou Dynasty are considered the most pioneering and groundbreaking. He interpreted the Book of Changes in terms of ancient Chinese history. He considered the Chien and Kuen diagrams are the introduction, the Twen up to Li diagrams are presenting the period from the primitive era up to the end of the Shang Dynasty; the diagrams from the Shyan to Xiao-guo show the history of Wen, Wu and Cheng period during the beginning of the Chou Dynasty. Ji-ji and Wei-ji diagrams are the concluding parts. In short, he studied the old learning through a new way , and transplanting new thoughts into old subjects, and trying to find new directions for the academic studies. Therefore, he has been considered the first scholar who .formed a systematic and historical view of I Ching (The Book of Changes) against the background of the Chou Dynasty for the last 2000 years. The sixth chapter is on “Prof Hu’s Chinese Word Study and Etymology”, in which it explicates the fundamental view on etymology, including the origin of Chinese words, the classification of Liu Shu (six aspects for understanding the Chinese words), applied study of etymology i.e. a study of ancient Chinese books and culture in terms of etymology, the History of Chinese Etymology and a Dictionary of Proverbs. He studied ancient history by means of a book called Shuo Wen (the Explanation of Words), which is groundbreaking in the cultural study of Chinese words. Meanwhile, the seventh chapter “Hu Pu-an’s Phonology” is a brief summary of Hu’s phonological studies and historical view. And the eighth chapter “On the History of Chinese Scholium” discusses the historical view, periods, genres, comments and values of The History of Chinese Scholium. The ninth chapter “Conclusion” summarizes the great achievements in the study and research on I Ching and Chinese Word Study and Etymology. The cause of success is attributed to the rich resources of books and accumulation of materials for his studies.