The Faculty of Liberal Arts of National Taiwan University has established the "Lin Maosheng Memorial Conference Room" to commemorate and inherit his humanistic spirit. (Provided by the Student Union of the Faculty of Arts, National Taiwan University)
[Reporter Lin Xiaoyun/Report from Taipei] 228 victim, Taiwanese philosophy educator Lin Maosheng, was taken away on March 11, 1947 and disappeared. He was not officially declared dead by the Taipei District Court until June last year (2025). After nearly 80 years, the College of Liberal Arts of National Taiwan University yesterday established the "Lin Maosheng Memorial Conference Room" in the hope that this senior's humanistic spirit and educational philosophy will continue to be passed down on campus.
Lin Maosheng graduated from Tokyo Imperial University and later went to Columbia University to study educational philosophy. He was the first publicly funded student from Taiwan to study in the United States and the second doctor of philosophy. After the war, he was invited by the then president of National Taiwan University, Luo Zongluo, to return to the school to teach. He was responsible for taking over the Department of Liberal Arts and Political Science of Taipei Imperial University and presiding over the affairs of the Faculty of Arts as a member of the school board.
In addition to investing in academic research, Lin Maosheng also cared about social and public affairs. He founded the "Min Bao" and published many editorials to comment on current affairs and speak for the people of Taiwan. However, he was taken away on March 11, 1947 and disappeared.
Cheng Yu-yu, dean of the School of Liberal Arts at National Taiwan University, said that the human body will eventually disappear, but the spirit can last forever. The School of Liberal Arts has decided to name the conference room the Lin Maosheng Memorial Conference Room after a meeting of the Faculty, hoping to express gratitude for his dedication and dedication, and to make his spirit an important asset of the School of Liberal Arts.
The Faculty of Liberal Arts of National Taiwan University has established the "Lin Maosheng Memorial Conference Room" to inherit his humanistic spirit and educational philosophy. (Provided by the Student Union of the Faculty of Arts, National Taiwan University)
Lin Ming-chiu, chairman of the Department of Philosophy at National Taiwan University, said that Lin Maosheng was not only an important pioneer of Taiwanese philosophy, but also integrated Western educational philosophy and Eastern Yangming theory. The commemorative space has three meanings. The first is to commemorate the humanities and philosophical traditions of the Faculty of Arts; the second is to remind the faculty to persist in its philosophy even in the face of difficulties; the third is to think about how to combine Taiwan's local philosophy and humanistic resources to continue to promote the relevant spirit to society and the world.
Zhou Wanyao, emeritus professor of the Department of History at National Taiwan University, recalled that on February 28, 1989, National Taiwan University students held the first memorial service for the 228 Incident in the open space behind the Faculty of Arts, and Lin Maosheng’s children also participated. 37 years later, with the joint efforts of students, teachers and the school, the conference room was finally named after Lin Maosheng, which is particularly historic.
Lin Maosheng's daughter Lin Yongmei lived in the United States, and Zhou Wanyao read the speech on her behalf. She recalled that when she was a child, she often went to her father's office at the School of Liberal Arts to wait for classes to end. That time always remained in her memory. She thanked the Faculty of Liberal Arts of National Taiwan University for their continued efforts over the years to complete the memorial space, and hoped that more people would be able to understand the history of the 228 Incident and her father’s spirit in the future.
Lin Maosheng's grandson, Lin Chengzhi, quoted his grandfather's speech at the Taiwanese Liberation Celebration Ceremony on October 25, 1945, and expressed his gratitude to Taiwanese teachers and students for promoting the establishment of the commemorative conference room from the bottom up, not because of official requirements, but through campus independence and long-term efforts.
Lin Zhiying, President of the Student Union of the Faculty of Arts, said that the unveiling is not the end. What is really important is that there will still be people who enter this space in the future and are willing to ask the stories behind the names so that historical memories can continue to be passed on. This conference room will serve as the core meeting, academic seminar and cultural activity space of the Faculty of Arts, allowing Lin Maosheng’s humanistic spirit to continue to accompany generations of teachers and students.
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