Taiwan in Transformation 1895-2005: The Challenge of a New Democracy to an Old Civilization

by Huang,Chun-chieh

• ISBN13: 9781412807272
• ISBN10: 1412807271
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2007-08-30
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

The last decade of the twentieth century witnessed rapid changes not only in global politics but also in Taiwan's quests for new identities. The notorious martial law was lifted in July 1987, and long-repressed calls for democratization began to be heard that caught worldwide attention. In tandem with economic transformation, the entire world of thought in Taiwan underwent significant changes. Both economic and ideological restructuring have been basic elements of transformation in postwar Taiwan. However, rapid democratization has opened a Pandora's box, and stirred a whirlwind of discord. This volume elaborates on the "where from" and the "where to" of the Taiwan transformation and attempts to answer such questions as: Is the old Taiwanese work ethic just a relic of the past? Is Taiwan going to become an Armageddon of ideological wars? Chapters deal with the vicissitudes of Taiwanese nostalgia for cultural China; postwar Taiwan in historical perspective, in particular the rise and fall of the agrarian culture; the transformation of farmers' social consciousness in the period 1950-1970; Confucianism in postwar Taiwan: historical, philosophical, and sociological; the case of Hsu Fu-kuan, which provides an epic case of the intertwining of cultural crisis with personal crisis; the development and metamorphoses of Taiwanese consciousness in the unfolding political context, the awakening of the "self"; and finally "mutual historical understanding" as the basis for Taiwan-Mainland relations in the twenty-first century. Taiwan in Transformation seeks to show that historical insights extrapolated from an understanding of history are essential for grasping and solving the basic problems facing Taiwan at present, including the Taiwan-Mainland relationship in the twenty-first century. It will be of interest to Chinese area specialists, sociologists, and historians. Chun-chieh Huang is a professor of history at National Taiwan University and research fellow at Academia Sinica, Taipei. His recent works include Mencian Hermeneutics: A History of Interpretations in China, available from Transaction.

Author Biography

Chun-chieh Huang is a professor of history at National Taiwan University and research fellow at Academia Sinica, Taipei

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Prologue	p. xv
Retrospect	p. 1
The Taiwanese Nostalgia for Cultural China (1895-1950)	p. 3
The Rise and Formation of Cultural Nostalgia, 1895-1945	p. 3
The Fall and Dissipation of the Nostalgia, 1945-1950	p. 14
Implications and Lessons	p. 24
Postwar Taiwan in Historical Perspective	p. 29
Introduction	p. 29
The Rise and Fall of Agrarian Culture in Postwar Taiwan	p. 31
The Prewar Background and Its Problems	p. 39
The JCRR and Its Role in History	p. 46
Conclusion	p. 51
Transformation of Farmers' Social Consciousness (1950-1970)	p. 53
Introduction	p. 53
Farmers' Social Consciousness in the Early Period of Retrocession	p. 57
Farmers' Social Consciousness in the 1970s	p. 78
Conclusion	p. 85
Transformation of Confucianism (1950-1980)	p. 89
The Characteristics	p. 89
The Approaches	p. 94
The Propagation	p. 117
Conclusion	p. 122
A Contemporary Confucianist's Postwar Taiwan Experience: The Case of Hsu Fu-kuan (1902-1982)	p. 127
Cultural Impacts on People	p. 128
Personal Formation of Culture	p. 139
The Distinctiveness of Chinese Culture	p. 144
Appendix	p. 146
Prospect	p. 151
The Development of Taiwanese Consciousness: Retrospect and Prospect	p. 153
Introduction	p. 153
Stages of Development of "Taiwanese Consciousness"	p. 153
Characteristics of Taiwanese Consciousness	p. 182
Conclusion	p. 185
"Mutual Historical Understanding": The Basis for "Taiwan- Mainland Relations in the Twenty-First Century	p. 189
Introduction	p. 189
The Importance of Historical Understanding	p. 190
Taiwan's Historicity: The Centripetal-Centrifugal Spirit	p. 196
Mainland's Historicity: Zealous Nationalism	p. 212
Historical Understanding: The Hope of the Relationship	p. 216
Epilogue	p. 219
Works Cited	p. 231
Index of Names	p. 249
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