Background

      In line with the National Chengchi University's ((NCCU) academic research priorities and the advancement of digital humanities, the NCCU Libraries (the library) continue to expand and deepen the digitization of special collections. Through the annual "Digital Archives and Research Forum", the Libraries foster interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration.

      The 13th Forum and its accompanying special exhibition in 2025, titled "The Thought of Chang Chun-mai  and the Development of Constitutionalism", brings together precious archival materials and recent research findings. The exhibition highlights the profound influence of Chang Chun-mai—a thinker and statesman—on constitutionalism, socialism, and cultural reflection.

About Chang Chun-mai

      Chang Chun-mai (1887–1969) was a prominent modern Chinese thinker, politician, and jurist. In 1946, he presided over the drafting of the "Constitution of the Republic of China" and was widely honored as the "Father of the ROC Constitution" for his role in promoting democratic constitutionalism.Influenced by the Enlightenment early in his life, Chang studied in Japan and Germany, where he absorbed liberal and social democratic ideas that shaped his firm belief in constitutionalism and human rights. After the founding of the Republic of China, he sought to replace rule by man with rule of law and endeavored to open a "third path" beyond the opposition between the Nationalists and the Communists.Politically, he founded both the National Socialist Party and the Chinese Democratic Socialist Party, actively pursuing his vision of democracy. Intellectually, in 1958, he co-authored the "A Manifesto for a Re-appraisal of Sinology and Reconstruction of Chinese Culture" with T'ang Chun-i and other scholars—an expression of the Neo-Confucian concern for China's cultural destiny and a reflection on political ideals. For this, he was recognized as one of the major figures of Contemporary Neo-Confucianism.Chang's life was one of reason and conviction, in which Eastern traditions and Western thought intertwined. Straddling the worlds of politics and scholarship, he exemplified an unremitting pursuit of constitutional ideals through both practical engagement and intellectual exploration.

Exhibition Sections

📍 Historical Coordinates in Times of Change — Chang Chun-mai's Thought and Action
📍 Cross-Cultural Enlightenment — The Origins of Chang's Constitutional Vision
📍 From Constitutional Ideal to Spiritual Renewal — Chang's European Turn
📍 Constructing the Ideal of Constitutionalism —Chang Chun-mai and the Birth of the ROC Constitution
📍 Seeking a Third Path — Political Practice and the Ideal of a Middle Way between the Nationalists and Communists
📍 The Dialectic of Reason and Culture —Chang Chun-mai's Journey toward Neo-Confucianism

Exhibition Information

Title: The Thought of Chang Chun-mai and the Development of Constitutionalism
Dates: November 4, 2025 (Tue) – March 2, 2026 (Mon)
Opening Hours: Monday–Friday, 09:00–17:00
Venue: Special Collection Center, 2F, Dah Hsian Seetoo Library, National Chengchi University
Organizers: National Chengchi University Libraries; Lei Chen Memorial Hall and Lei Chen Research Center