“The prize is awarded to Yu Ying-shih for his mastery of and insight into Chinese cultural, intellectual and political history with an emphasis on his extensive research into the history of public intellectuals in China,” said presenter Lee Yuan-tseh, Taiwan’s winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in chemistry.
Yu is also an emeritus professor of East Asian Studies and History at Princeton University. His research traces the tradition of public intellectuals in China and the evolution of their identity and status. Yu’s research has shown that Buddhist monks of the Northern and Southern, Sui and Tang dynasties (386-907) can be considered public intellectuals as well.
“Yu’s original research and profound insight into the tradition of Chinese thought have revived the importance of intellectual history through his illuminating interpretation of the value and richness of Chinese culture, a remarkable contribution that bridges our understanding of the entire span of Chinese history, from early times to the present,” Lee said.
Initially publishing in English, Yu was an accomplished scholar in the West before he decided to write and publish in Chinese so as to reach a wider audience in the East. In 1976, he published his first collection of essays “History and Thought” in Taiwan, which became one of his most globally influential works.
This book conveys Yu’s academic stance, emphasizing the interrelated nature of Chinese literature, history and philosophy. In addition, it presents his individual reflections on the similarities and differences between Western and Eastern culture and thought, as well as the importance of thought in the study of history.
“Beyond Yu’s academic contributions are his humanitarian efforts and commentary,” Lee said. Yu continues to write prolifically after he retired from Princeton in 2001. Many of his works touch on the contemporary political situation in mainland China and cross-strait issues.
“In the world of scholarship, one would be hard pressed to find another Yu Ying-shih—a scholar who sees himself as a public intellectual in the traditional Chinese sense, taking on the responsibility of making the world a better place,” Lee stressed.
Established by Taiwan entrepreneur Samuel Yin in December 2012, the biennial Tang Prize provides a cash award of NT$40 million (US$1.3 million) and research grant of NT$10 million in each of its four categories.
Former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland was named winner of the Tang Prize in sustainable development June 18. Tasuku Honjo of Japan’s Kyoto University and U.S. immunologist James P. Allison were announced as joint winners in biopharmaceutical science the next day.
The winner for rule of law will be announced June 21 by Academia Sinica, Taiwan’s top research institution and the body responsible for overseeing the selection process. An awards ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 18 in Taipei. (YHC-SDH)
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