ABSTRACT
Traditional Chinese thought is replete with divergent concepts of freedom, whether these are ideas or merely notions. However, the ideal of freedom has not been credited as a positive value in the tradition of humane civilization. Especially in old monarchical societies, freedom is treated as opposed to order. Since humane civilization has always regarded order well, freedom often fails to get its deserved recognition. Freedom was not noticed as an affirmative intellectual value by Chinese society until Yan Fu, Liang Qichao, and others spread the political ideals of modern Western systems. Actually, the ideal of freedom has only been advocated by a few intellectuals who believed in Western democracy during part of the 20th century. Examples are the Chinese Communists who made use of the idea of democracy as a positive value while fighting against the tyranny of the Beiyang warlords and the Nationalist Party. Often the idea of freedom is an obscure one, while its positive value and significance are expressed by examples (such as the design of the modern constitutional system). Until now, Chinese people have been afraid of discussing the problem of freedom publicly and deeply in the official media and press, and also still reject the ideal of freedom in the construction of many political systems.
