Acknowledgements
The book originated from my doctoral dissertation, Ma Yifuâs New Confucian Thought and Its Context. Its developmentâfrom the initial choice of topic, through the drafting process, to subsequent revision and expansion into the present volumeâowes a great deal to the guidance from my mentor Prof. John Makeham. I am also deeply grateful to Dr. Peter Yih Jiun Wong for his advice, and to Prof. John Jorgensen, Prof. Ruth Gamble, Prof. Liu Leheng, and Dr. Ady van den Stock for their valuable critiques. The suggestions provided by the two external reviewers of the Modern Chinese Philosophy Series were equally indispensable to the final work. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the editorial board of the MCP Series for accepting this book into the series. I would also like to express my appreciation to the editorial team at Brill, particularly Iulia Ivana and Manon Vrolijk. This book owes its timely publication to their support.
Additionally, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the scholars who supported me during my visit to Hunan University in 2019. I am particularly grateful to Prof. Xiao Yongming for generously hosting my visit, and to Prof. Yin Hui and Prof. Zhan Beibei for their invaluable assistance in organizing my schedule and seminars. My heartfelt thanks also go to my friends, whose support has been a constant throughout my doctoral studies. To Shi Wei, Sang Yu, Pan Chunmei, Chan Yimfong, and many othersâyour encouragement has meant a great deal to me.
This year marks my fifth year in the workforce. âRemaining loyal in interactions with others and dedicated in fulfilling responsibilitiesâ (èäººå¿ ï¼å·äºæ¬) is particularly difficult in a complex world (æ¿ä¸)âThis remains the timeless lesson from John and Peter.