From the Soil

This text by Fei Xiaotong, one of China's finest social scientists, was first published in 1947 and is Fei's chief theoretical statement about the distinctive characteristics of Chinese society. "From the Soil" describes the contrasting organizational principles of Chinese and Western societies, thereby conveying the essential features of both. Fei shows how these unique features reflect and are reflected in the moral and ethical characters of people in these societies. This book aims to be both succinct and accessible. Now in an English-language edition, it could have a wide impact on Western social theorists. Gary G. Hamilton and Wang Zheng's translation captures Fei's straightforward style of writing. Their introduction describes Fei's education and career as a sociologist, the fate of his writings on and off the Mainland, and the sociological significance of his analysis. The translators' epilogue highlights the social reforms for China that Fei drew from his analysis and advocated in a companion text written in the same period.