The Anti-Kidnapping Society (AKS, Zhongguo jiuji juru hui) was a charity organization in Shanghai founded in 1912 by the business elite of Zhejiang. The AKS investigated the abduction of women and children, took care of the victims, and handed them over to their families. Based mainly on the letters and reports of AKS, this essay studies activity and philosophy of merchants regarding the relief of women and children. First, compared with pre-modern goodwill organizations, AKS shows some new developments in the early-twentieth century, including assimilation of the Western idea of philanthropy, voting to elect trustees, revision and embodiment of regulations, reports of accounts and conferences, raffles to raise funds, fixed salaries for staff, and vocational education for asylum inmates. Secondly, the membership of AKS was not only business elite and VIPs in the government, but also included ordinary merchants, groups of employees, recluses, anonymous contributors, groups of employees, recluses, anonymous contributors, women and gentlemen from western countries. In addition, the philanthropists of AKS preached Confucian ethics to women and children in the asylum in order to help them achieve emotional and practical autonomy (zlil). Viewed in this light, one may say that the merchants of Republican Shanghai intended to run their charitable organizations democratically. Thirdly, attention is drawn to the gap between the ideals and actual activities of AKS. It had an altruistic and enthusiastic philosophy, while its asylum received warnings from the Municipal Social Affairs Bureaus for lack of hygiene and education. The reason for this gap is the members' double motives for performing acts of charity. They hoped to establish good reputations in local society, as well as work as a united body to provided relieve to the people of China (Zhongguo-guomin). Furthermore, becouse of the government's negative view concerning the particularistic motive behind AKS' philosophy, private philanthropists came to sense contradictions between the state and local society.
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