The last sentence: The independent spirit and free thought have lasted for thousands of years, and they are the same fire as the sky and the earth, and the three lights are eternal. It accurately summarizes what Chen Yinke thinks Wang Guowei is, advocating freedom, willing to fight to the death, and a model of Chinese studies.
As both a master of Chinese studies, Chen Yinke affirmed and praised Wang Guowei’s spirit, which best explains how contemporary academics should be done.
At the same time, from an objective perspective, Chen Yinke made an extremely accurate judgment on Wang Guowei's life. At the same time, it also warns future generations that the pursuit of independent spirit and free will must be fought for, and they must be fought for life and death.
Extended information:
On June 2, 1927, Wang Guowei was driven by the thought that "in fifty years, all that is left is death. After the changes in this world, there is no more humiliation." Down, he threw himself into Kunming Lake in Wanshou Mountain.
In the summer of 1929, Tsinghua University’s School of Chinese Studies was closed. In memory of this outstanding scholar, the teachers and students of the school raised funds to build this monument. The inscription was written by Professor Chen Yinke, and the format of the stele was drafted by Liang Sicheng. Lin Zhijun (Zaiping) of Min County wrote elixirs, and Ma Heng of Guo County wrote seal scripts.
I was a tutor at the Tsinghua Research Institute at the time. I believed that Wang Guowei was the most important figure in modern academic circles, so I wrote an article to inform future generations of scholars in the world.
...To study academics, the most important thing is to have free will and an independent spirit.
...I think Wang Guowei's death has nothing to do with his grudges against Luo Zhenyu or the demise of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. His death is to show his independent and free will.
...Independent spirit and free will must be fought for, and they must be fought for life and death.
......Everything is a small thing, but this is a big thing. The purpose stated in the inscription has not changed to this day.
——Quoted from Chen Yinke’s dictation in 1953 and Wang Jian’s transcription.
Baidu Encyclopedia—Monument to Wang Guowei