-chao,themostpowerfulwriteroftheage, IcametoknowalittleofsuchWesternthinkersasHobbes, Descartes, Rousseau, Bentham, Kant, , notablyemphasisonpublicmorality, nationalism, loveofadventure, theconceptionofpersonalrightsandtheeagernesstodefendthemagainstencroachment, loveoffreedom, abilityforself-control, beliefintheinfinitepossibilityofprogress, capacityforcorporateandorganizedeffort, , astohundredsofothers, anentirelynewvisionoftheworld.
’stranslationofJohnStuartMill’sOnLibertyandHuxley’’stranslationofHuxley’ （therebeingnocopyrightlawthen）， becauseitwasthoughtthattheDarwinianhypothesis, especiallyinitssocialandpoliticalapplication, wasawelcomestimulustoanationsufferingfromage-longinertiaandstagnation.
, therebyremindingthemselvesoftheperilsofeliminationinthestruggleforexistence, -mingcalledhimself “Ching-tsun” or “StrugglingforExistence.” Twoofmyschoolmatesborethenames “NaturalSelectionYang” and “StruggleforExistenceSun.”
’sreflection, hesaid, “Howaboutthewordshih [fitness] inthephrase ‘SurvivaloftheFittest’” ? Iagreedand, firsusingitasanomdeplume， finallyadopteditin1910asmyname.
* * * *
, itdelightedmyboyishhearttofindanequallyyouthfulcobelieverofover2，000yearsagointhefollowingstorytoldintheLieh-tze， aspuriousworkoftheTaoistschool:
“: ‘GreatisNature’skindnesstoman! Shehasproducedgrainandfishandbirdsfortheuseofman.’ , thesonoftheHouseofPao, whowasonlytwelveyearsold, steppedforwardandsaid: ‘Itisnotso, , too, ? Donotmosquitoessuckourbloodandtigersandwolveseatourflesh? ShallwesaythatNaturehasproducedmenforthebenefitofmosquitoesandtigersandwolves?’ ”
In1906afewofmyschoolmatesintheChinaNationalInstitutefoundedaperiodicalcalledTheStruggl—anotherinstanceofthepopularityoftheDarwiniantheory—which, beingprimarilyinterestedininstillingnewideasintotheuneducatedmasses, , , butalsotothinkout, inclearlanguageandlogicalorder, .
, teaching5hadayandreceivingamonthlypayof80silverdollars.In1910ItaughtChineseforafewmonths.
Thoseyears （1909–1910） , whichwasacenterofrevolutionaryactivities, , wrotepessimisticpoetry, talkeddayandnight, : “Howproudlydoesthewintryfrostscornthepowerlessraysofthesun!”
, foughtwithapolicemaninthestreet, , thislineinLiPo’sDrinkingSongcametomymind: “Someusemightyetbemadeofthismaterialborninme.” , .
