Modern Chinese intellectuals and civilization

Author: Shunsuke Sato
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: This book takes China from the second half of the 19th century to the early 20th century, spanning about half a century, as its main stage, with the intellectual trajectory and spiritual world of this period as its primary subject. During these half a century, China's foreign relations shifted from the tributary system to the treaty system, and it faced the threat of being partitioned. At the same time, this period was also when China's political system transitioned from the imperial system to the republican system. The political and social changes in China during this period were profound and extensive, not difficult to imagine. The Chinese intellectuals living in this turbulent vortex—how they perceived the changes in their environment and how they envisioned transforming China—are the themes this book seeks to address. With concise writing and a unique perspective, the book analyzes the transformation process of modern Chinese intellectuals' understanding of the world and their distinct spiritual journeys from different angles, including "Changes in the View of International Law," "Changes in the View of the French Revolution," and "System Selection."