The Woodrow Wilson Center Press
Chinese Utopianism: A Comparative Study of Reformist Thought with Japan and Russia, 1898-1997
Chinese Utopianism offers a new explanation of extreme radicalism in Chinese reform movements from the late nineteenth century through the Cultural Revolution and into the post-Mao era. By studying comparable Japanese and Russian reforms that have, in contrast, pulled their societies back toward the center, Shiping Hua demonstrates how datong—an ancient concept that can be translated as "great harmony"—and other elements of Chinese thought have led China down a unique political path.
What People are Saying
"It is hard to imagine a reader who would not find stimulating both the ideas and the range of material cited in Chinese Utopianism. Shiping Hua should be congratulated for taking on the grand themes of continuity and cultural difference. The result is a unique examination of modern Chinese political culture and its traditional roots." —Brantly Womack, University of Virginia
"The value and novelty of Chinese Utopianism lie in it synthesis of the cases compared. Hua's overall thesis that there is a prospensity toward utopianism in Chinese political culture not shared by either Japan or Russia is an original take, and will likely provoke important discussion and debate." —Peter Moody, University of Notre Dame
Chapter List
Preface
Acknowledgments
1 Theory and Method
2 Utopianism: Japan, Russia, and China
3 Modernizing Reforms: Japan and China
4 Reforms within Communism: The Soviet Union
5 Reforms within Communism: China
6 Reforms Out of Communism: China and the Soviet Union
Conclusion: Human Hopefulness toward the Future as Natural, Supernatural, and the Product of Human Endeavor
Notes
Bibliography
Index