Questioning History -- Challenging and Subverting Historical Common Knowledge: Challenging and Subverting Historical Common Knowledge

Author: Liu Xingyu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: This book is another profound reflection on Chinese history following Huang Renyu's Fifteen Years of the Ming Dynasty, Mao Haijian's The Collapse of the Qing Dynasty, Wu Si's Unwritten Rules and The Law of Blood Compensation. Mr. Liu Xingyu's work comprises one hundred articles, yet not a single line is devoted to depicting the class struggle between landlords and peasants. He writes about officials, emperors, commoners, and those who governed on behalf of heaven or the emperor, exploring the interests and psychology of these agents. He portrays a society dominated by officials, characterized by endless "sorrows of ages." Good deeds go unrewarded, and evil deeds go unpunished. The misalignment of retribution stems from the misalignment of interests. Those who give orders with arrogance are always the agents—representing others, squandering others' resources, and pursuing personal gain at others' expense.