China - The Political Philosophy of the Middle Kingdom The Middle Way of the Middle Kingdom

by Bai, Tongdong

• ISBN13: 9781780320755
• ISBN10: 1780320752
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-11-13
• Publisher: UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS

Summary

China is a rising economic and political power. But what is the message of this rise? Tongdong Bai addresses this increasingly pressing question by examining the rich history of political theories and practices from China's past, and showing how it impacts upon the present.Chinese political traditions are often viewed negatively as 'authoritarian' (in contrast with 'Western' democratic traditions), but the historical reality is much more complex and there is a need to understand the political values shaping China's rise. Going beyond this, Bai argues that the debates between China's two main political theories - Confucianism and Legalism - anticipate themes in modern political thought and hence offer valuable resources for thinking about contemporary political problems.Part of Zed's World Political Theories series, this groundbreaking work offers a remarkable insight into the political history and thought of a nation that is becoming increasingly powerful on the world stage.

Author Biography

Tongdong Bai is a professor at Fudan University in Shanghai. He holds a BS degree (nuclear physics) and an MA degree (philosophy of science) from Peking University, and a PhD degree (philosophy) from Boston University. He was an associate professor of philosophy at Xavier University in Cincinnati. His most recent books are (both in Chinese): A New Mission of an Old State: Classical Confucian Political Philosophy in a Contemporary and Comparative Context and Tension of Reality: Einstein, Bohr, and Pauli in the EPR Debates. His research is focused on the contemporary relevance of Confucian political philosophy.

Table of Contents

Introduction * 1. Modernity Before 'Its Time': The Historical Context of 'Classical' Chinese Political Thought * 2. The Middle Way of Confucianism, Part I: Humanity as the New Social Glue * 3. The Middle Way of Confucianism, Part II: Equality-Based Mobile Hierarchy * 4. Daoism: Return to the Age of Innocence * 5. The Legalists: Builders of Modern Bureaucracy and Institutions * 6. Later Developments: the Middle Way * 7. Concluding remarks: the Contemporary Relevance of Traditional Chinese Political Philosophy