Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2005

The 62nd Congregation for the Confermen t OFDegree s Citation Doctor o f Social Science, honoris causa Prof. Li Yihyuan W here d i d w e come f r om ? W h y ar e w e here? H o w d i d o u r forebears come t o k n o w nature? H o w were h u m a n relationships established? H o w d i d clans a n d c ommu n i t i es c ome i n t o being? G i v e n t h a t e v e ry c u l t u r e d i f f e rs f r o m t h e o t h e r, w h y d o s i m i l a r i t i e s w i t h i n those differences persist acros s t i me a n d p l a c e ? F o r t h o u s a n ds o f y e a r s , t h e benevolent a n d the wise have p o n d e r e d these questions. Religion wa s born o f this pondering; p h i l o s o p hy s p r a ng f r o m i t . B u t it i s anthropology that has shaped a u n i q ue discipline o f study, examining patterns o f h u m a n existence a nd d e v e l o pme n t f r o m ancien t t i me s to the present. I t cuts across the academic boundaries w i t h history, archaeology, sociology, language a nd psychology, a n d claims it s o w n g r o u n d. Yet, d e s p i t e i t s i n t i m a t e c o n c e r n w i t h a l l h uma n s, a n t h r o p o l o g y d i d not emerge as an i n d e p e n d e nt field o f studies i n th e West u n t il the latter part o f th e 18t h century. I n China,i t was i n th e early 20th century that anthropolog y f i r s t became a n e w subject t o s t u dy a n d to teach, a n ew field to cultivate. Prof . L i Y i h y u an wa s one o f the pioneers i n o p e n i n g u p this n e w f i e l d a n d f or mo re t h an 50 years h e ha s t r a i n ed a great m a n y o u t s t a n d i n g scholars. T h a t a n t h r o p o l o gy f l o u r i s h e s as i t does i n Ch i n a t o d ay is d u e in large part t o th e g o od w o r k o f Prof. L i . Prof. L i Y i h y u a n w a s b o r n i n 193 1 i n Q u a n z h o u , F u j i a n. O n g r a d u a t i n g f r om m i d d l e s c h o ol i n 1948 , he w e n t t o T a i w an where he studied history at Taiwan University . H e later transferred to the n e w l y established Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, where h e studied w i t h such famous professors as L i Ji a n d L i ng Chunsheng. I n 1958, he w e n t abroad t o p u r s ue f u r t h er studies a t H a r v a rd University. I n 1960, h e returned to Taiwan a n d b e g an h i s l i f e - l o ng t e a c h i ng a n d research career i n a n t h r o p o l o g y . H e r e t i r ed i n 1998 . O v e r t h e y e a r s , Prof. L i has p u b l i s h ed 18 books a n d close to 200 articles. H i s research i n t e r e s ts c o v er a w i d e r a n g e o f areas, including the t h e o r y o f culture, clan structure, c o m p a r a t i ve r e l i g i o n , m y t h o l o g y . Prof. L i himself wa s instrumental i n opening u p ma ny of these fields, w h i c h h a d remained relatively u n c u l t i v a t e d u n t i l t h e n . B e c a u s e o f h i s e r u d i t i o n a n d r i g or as a scholar, wh a t e v e r he lent his h a n d to d u r i n g field w o r k flourished. The impact o f hi s efforts o n the academic field then a n d n o w has been immense. P r o f. L i ' s r e s e a r ch c a n be v i e w e d i n several stages. D u r i n g his early years at the A c a d e m i a Sinica, he d i r e c t ed projects t h at c o n c e n t r a t e d o n t h e a b o r i g i n al t r i b e s i n T a i wa n. H e u n d e r t o ok i n v e s t i g a t i on o f t h e h i g h l a nd cultures, some o f w h i c h we r e o n th e 3 0 Chinese University Bulletin Autumn • Winter 2005