My country's war with Japan broke out in 1937. Since that time，I have given a good part of my time to a series of books，which I have called a “series written at a time of national rebirth”. In these writings，it seems to me，there has taken shape more solidly than was the case in my mind previously——a system of thought to which I have given the name of The New Li Hsüeh. The significance of this name will become dear to the reader as he peruses this book.
In this series，four of the books are particularly relevant to this system of thought in its philosophical aspect：the first，Hsin Li Hsüeh （Commercial Press，Shanghai，1939），which deals with the metaphysical aspects of the system；the second，Hsin Yüan Jen （Commercial Press，1943），referred to in this book also as A New Treatise on the Nature of Man，which deals with the ethical implications of the system；the third，this present book，entitled Hsin Yüan Tao，which deals with the historical background to the system. The fourth one，now in preparation，will be entitled Hsin Chih Yen，and will deal with the methodology of the system.
The Hsin Yüan Tao，treating as it does of the developments in the main stream of Chinese philosophy，may be taken as a concise history of Chinese philosophy，though not in the strict sense. At any rate，it certainly can be taken as a supplement to my two-volume History of Chinese Philosophy，the first volume of which has been translated by Dr. Derk Bodde of Pennsylvania University （Henry Vetch，Peiping，1937：Allen and Unwin，London）. I have put in this book all my new ideas in regard to Chinese philosophy which have arisen since the publication of my History ten years ago.
I wish to take this opportunity of expressing my thanks to my friend，Mr，E. R. Hughes，of Oxford University，for the pains which he has taken in making this English rendering. In this connection it should be noted that whilst in many passages the resources of the English language have proved fairly adequate to the demands made on them，yet in other passages the translator and I sadly agreed that there seemed no way of rendering the full sense of the original. This applies particularly to passages quoted from the ancient writers，and is an inevitable drawback to a translation，whatever the languages concerned.
My thanks are also due to the China Philosophy Society，and to the Translation and Compilation Bureau，in Chungking，for the interest，encouragement and support which they gave so that my book might appear in an English form，and particularly to the China Philosophy Society for the honour which it has done me in making this book the first of its Library of Chinese Philosophy，and the first to be put before the English reading public.
FUNG YU-LAN
KUNMING，September，1944.
Reprinted from The Spirit of Chinese Philosophy，London：Routlege & kegan Paul，1947