▁root ed ▁in ▁Class ical ▁Conf u cian ism ▁( J ing x ue ), ▁Ne o - Conf u cian ism ▁( L ix ue ), ▁Buddh ism , ▁D ao ism , ▁and ▁X ix ue ▁( “ West ern ▁Learning ” ▁which ▁arose ▁during ▁the ▁late ▁M ing ▁D ynast y ). ▁ ▁The ▁O pi um ▁war ▁of ▁ 1 8 3 9 – 4 2 ▁saw ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁Western ▁and ▁Japanese ▁invas ions ▁and ▁explo itation ▁of ▁China ▁which ▁was ▁hum ili ating ▁to ▁Chinese ▁think ers . ▁The ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁and ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁saw ▁Chinese ▁think ers ▁such ▁as ▁Z hang ▁Zh id ong ▁looking ▁to ▁Western ▁practical ▁knowledge ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁preserve ▁traditional ▁Chinese ▁culture , ▁a ▁doctrine ▁that ▁he ▁defined ▁as ▁“ Ch inese ▁Learning ▁as ▁Sub st ance ▁and ▁Western ▁Learning ▁as ▁Function ” ▁( Z h ong ti ▁X iy ong ). ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁X in hai ▁Revolution ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁and ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Q ing ▁D ynast y , ▁the ▁May ▁Four th ▁Mov ement ▁sought ▁to ▁completely ▁abol ish ▁the ▁old ▁imperial ▁institutions ▁and ▁practices ▁of ▁China ▁( such ▁as ▁the ▁old ▁civil ▁service ▁system ). ▁There ▁were ▁two ▁major ▁philosoph ical ▁tr ends ▁during ▁this ▁period . ▁One ▁was ▁anti - trad itional ▁and ▁promoted ▁Western ▁learning ▁and ▁ideas . ▁A ▁key ▁figure ▁of ▁this ▁anti - trad itional ▁current ▁was ▁Yan ▁Fu ▁( 1