The Self-Binding of Ulysses: Political Thought Notes

Author: Feng Keli
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: This book is a collection of essays by the renowned scholar Feng Keli. It includes over twenty of his academic notes from the past decade, some of which are prefaces to translations, while others were previously published in well-known journals such as Shudu and Shucheng. The book features both an analysis of the academic thoughts of contemporary Western thinkers like Max Weber, Raymond Aron, Lord Acton, Gustave Le Bon, and Friedrich Hayek, as well as the author's own discussions on freedom, equality, justice, and related ideological systems. Readers can gain insights into the framework of contemporary Western thought while also understanding current academic hot topics in China. The subtitle of the book is "Notes on Political Thought."
In the book, the author provides an in-depth analysis of the intellectual trajectory of Max Weber and the academic stances of British philosophers such as Benjamin Constant. The book is filled with insightful observations, such as the author's argument that democratic governments elected through universal suffrage often possess stronger fiscal capabilities compared to traditional authoritarian regimes. Because the ruling power derives from the free choice of the people, politicians who come to power through elections are willing to use this "legitimate" process to justify the collection of taxes that autocratic rulers would dare not impose.