A Basic Reader on Western Social Science Knowledge: Revolution and Counter-Revolution

Author: (English) Carl Fort / Zhang Changdong et al
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: This series is jointly launched by Jilin People's Publishing House and McGraw-Hill, a global giant in educational publishing. It aims to provide the most straightforward and convenient way for the general public to quickly grasp the basic knowledge of Western social sciences, serving as a "reading primer" in the fields of philosophy and social sciences. As a fundamental textbook in Western universities, the series has been popular for 20 years, written entirely by leading scholars from various Western disciplines, and continuously updated to keep pace with the times. It has become one of the most authoritative basic social science readers recognized in the West, serving as the first step for young scholars to enter the of social sciences. Some of its books, such as Liberalism and Postmodernism, have achieved astonishing sales, gaining both the acclaim of Western academia and public favor.
We eagerly hope that this series can also win the same praise in China as it did in the West. Today, in the 21st century, the term "revolution" is used so widely that even a cleaning activity can be called revolutionary, making its original meaning blurred and irrelevant. However, in the era where systematic understanding of social sciences is necessary, it is still essential to critically analyze some common social science terms. This is a course we must take when studying social sciences. Like other social science terms, differences in knowledge backgrounds lead to vastly different interpretations. Regarding "revolution" and its companion term "counter-revolution," Western scholars and Marxist theory diverge in their definitions. Clearly, many of the author's ideas draw from Marxist revolutionary theory, but there are significant errors in his understanding, which in turn lead to flaws in his other explanations of revolutionary theory. Additionally, the author holds some incorrect views and insights on certain revolutionary practices, particularly the Chinese Revolution and the October Revolution in Russia, with some comments and descriptions being inappropriate. To respect the integrity of the work, we have made minimal edits and largely preserved its original form. Readers are advised to approach it with a critical mindset, maintaining a balanced perspective.
From an academic standpoint, it is a rare Western revolutionary theory work that is not Trotskist, offering great value for comparison and reference. It helps enrich our research on revolutionary theory, making its immense. When dealing with this book, we should adopt the same attitude toward Western studies as always—discard errors and retain the essence, read rationally, and make appropriate choices.