Read the Biology Notes of Qi Ji

Author: Zheng Yefu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: China Youth Press has recently published four works of Zheng Yefu under the general title "Series of Sociologist Zheng Yefu's Works." Except for the reprinted classic Out of the Prisoner's Dilemma, the other three works—Notes on Reading Biology, Research on Intellectuals, and Voices of Passive Smokers—are published for the first time. These collections clearly present the expansion and evolution of the author's academic research fields: from early studies on intellectuals to explorations of trust issues, to recent readings in biology. The major feature of these series articles is their strong critical tone toward society. For example, in the article Critique of Car Civilization, the author poses such questions: "Is car civilization truly a blessing for human transportation?" "Are those pursuing cars driven by vanity or the convenience of social life?" The author argues that the wave of private car ownership brings increasingly severe traffic congestion and that car civilization is a rare historical disaster "brewed by merchants and the wealthy for profit and display of wealth." The article Reflect on Happiness, Critique Consumption, included in the book, is a speech delivered by the author at Renmin University, where he criticizes the widespread "exhibitionist" consumption in society. The content of these works also addresses concerns about China's trust crisis, skepticism toward the housing system and social science fund system, and reflects the author's humanistic care for social progress. Currently, globally, works by biologists are sweeping through intellectual and reading circles with great force. Alongside this, foreign sociologists have moved from learning, digesting, and integrating biological thought to innovation and creativity. In recent years, both types of works have been massively introduced into the Chinese reading world, yet our sociologists have shown an inexplicable silence. This book finally breaks this silence.