Through the investigation of newspaper articles, private correspondence and unpublished works, this paper examines the formation of modern New Confucianist Ma Yifu’s (1883-1967) thought based on a historical approach. This research is conducted in three parts. First, while Ma’s writings in the early 20th century accentuate political critique and the discourses of political principle, this paper points out that Ma’s strong moral awareness ultimately led him away from politics’ intrinsic corruption. Second, this paper observes how Ma, between 1920 and 1930, dedicated himself to the supramundane nature of Sinitic Buddhism yet maintained the worldly engagement of his Neo-Confucian creeds. Third, this paper discerns a mature form of Ma’s Confucian thought in Ma’s lectures from 1938 to 1939, wherein he revealed the moral philosophy of self-cultivation in tandem with world-salvation. On the one hand, this research reveals the transformative thought process of Ma, a pioneering thinker of modern New Confucianism in China. On the other hand, this research demonstrates that a seemingly “spiritual” Confucian theory can also be concomitantly rooted in practical, socio-political concerns.
