Out of the Dawn of the Middle Ages (The Thought of Salvation and Enlightenment in the Late Ming and Early Qing)

Author: Ma Tao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: This book is an expanded and revised work based on the author's doctoral dissertation, serving as a specialized treatise on the late Ming and early Qing intellectual currents. Its distinctive features lie in its broad perspective and comprehensive coverage, encompassing the economic, philosophical, literary, and scientific thought of this period. The book is both extensive in its discussion and focused in its emphasis, forming a self-contained system. Its theoretical innovation lies in summarizing the characteristics of this intellectual movement as "salvation and enlightenment," arguing that it encompasses both salvation and enlightenment. The economic liberalist thought is the manifestation of this movement in the economic sphere. Its historical significance is twofold: on one hand, it completes the critique and summary of traditional Chinese thought, and on other hand, it nurtures certain elements of modern Chinese thought, serving as a bridge between traditional Chinese thought and modern new learning. The book also draws on modern new institutional economics theory to analyze why this movement failed to lead China toward modern industrial civilization, comparing it with Western social systems and drawing insightful conclusions.