Abstract

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Abstract:: The“ great unity” has long been a Chinese dream，and people in different times have very differentideas of“ great unity”. If the utopian society envisioned by the idea of great unity in ancient China was part ofthe pursuit of waiwang 外王（ literally，to be a wise ruler outside），then the idea of great unity in modern Chinawas shaped by China’s political reality，i.e. its struggle for survival among the threats posed by foreign powers.In the light of its historical context，the idea of great unity in modern China，championed by Kang Youweiand Tan Sitong，differed greatly in meaning，vision and purpose from its counterparts of the ancient times andclearly showed the characteristics of that time. As the modern form of the Confucius ideology，Kang and Tan’sideas of great unity have unprecedented significance and value，which can be approached by examining theirhistorical background，their core contents and features and their historical value and implications.