The Search for Modernity
Chinese Intellectuals and Cultural Discourse in the Post-Mao Era
Palgrave Macmillan (Publisher)
Published on 19. October 1999
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-0-333-80023-2 (ISBN)
Description
The post-Mao era has been one of the most important and exciting stages in the history of the People's Republic of China. The economic reforms instigated by Deng Xiaoping have brought about a remarkable degree of social transformation, creating the most liberal atmosphere China has witnessed since 1949. Over the last 15 years, Chinese intellectuals have actively participated in the re-construction of a new multi-dimensional intellectual discourse, generated from the complex interaction between intellectual ideas and social context. Virtually every major modern Western current of thought has exerted an impact on the development of this discourse, with Marxism even becoming the dominant official ideology. In "The Search for Modernity", Min Lin looks at the changing relationship between Chinese intellectuals and society, and examines the role of Chinese intellectuals in the turbulent process of modernization, comparing them to their Western counterparts. Intellectuals in China are facing a period of confusion and uncertainty during this time of transition, and now more than ever, they are drawing intellectual inspiration from both the West and the changing Chinese reality.
The book is an attempt to understand the philosophical dilemmas and challenges facing Chinese intellectuals as they define themselves and their role in their own society, as well as their role in the global culture.
The book is an attempt to understand the philosophical dilemmas and challenges facing Chinese intellectuals as they define themselves and their role in their own society, as well as their role in the global culture.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Basingstoke
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 141 mm
Weight
440 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-333-80023-2 (9780333800232)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Author
Lecturer, Department of East Asian Studies, University of Waikato, New Zealand
Content
Part I Introduction: from the re-interpretation of humanistic Marxism to pragmatic neo-conservatism - Chinese intellectuals' pluralistic exploration of modernity. Part II Legitimation versus transcendence - the dilemmas facing China's neo-rationalists: Li Zehou and his enlightenment philosophy; Wang Meng's hard porridge and the paradox of reform in China. Part III The avant garde and cultural iconoclasts - radical challenges to the official ideological and cultural order: Bei Dao's "13 Happiness Street" and the young generation's quest for the "Unknowable"; absurdity, senselessness and alienation - Xu Xing's literary reflections on the contemporary human condition. Part IV Moral crusaders and idealists - the struggle for spiritual salvation: Liang Xiaosheng's moral critique of China's modernization process; individual salvation and ultimate concerns - Liu Xiaofeng's pursuit of transcendent human universality. Part V Neo-nationalism a pragmatic new national ideology? from "River Elegy" to "China Can Say No" - China's neo-nationalism and the search for a collective national identity. Part VI Conclusion: from the center to the periphery - the development of Chinese intellectuals' "New Identity" and "Self awareness".