The Eastern Learning Background of Liang Qichao's Enlightenment Thought

Erscheinungsjahr 2025
ISBN: 978-981-963344-9
Verlag: Springer

Buch, Englisch, 391 Seiten, Format (B × H): 153 mm x 216 mm, Gewicht: 641 g

This book provides an in-depth exploration of how Liang Qichao's political and intellectual thought was shaped by Japanese influences during his exile, offering a fresh perspective on modern Chinese intellectual history. It examines Liang’s engagement with Japan’s enlightenment thinkers, such as Fukuzawa Yukichi and Nakamura Masanao, and explores how their concepts of individual independence, civil rights, and nationalism informed Liang’s ideas on modernization, “renewing the people", and building a nation-state.

The book adopts a comparative and interdisciplinary approach, combining historical analysis with intellectual history, which brings a new dimension to understanding the cross-cultural exchange between China and Japan. By tracing Liang’s adoption and reinterpretation of key ideas, such as the distinction between the form and spirit of civilization and the organic theory of the state, this study highlights his unique synthesis of traditional Chinese thought with modern global ideologies.

Key features include its focus on underexplored Japanese influences on Liang Qichao and its detailed examination of the intellectual exchange between East Asian modernities. Rich in original sources and comparative insights, the book sheds light on Liang’s pivotal role in shaping modern Chinese thought.

This book is intended for scholars, students, and general readers interested in East Asian studies, modern Chinese history, and intellectual history. Its accessible content level and interdisciplinary focus make it an essential resource for understanding the cultural and intellectual currents that defined modern East Asia.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Zheng, Kuangmin

Weitere Mitwirkende

Li, Fang

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Geschichte der Westlichen Philosophie
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Mentalitäts- und Sozialgeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Asiatische Geschichte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Liang Qichao’s View of Japan during the Hundred Days’ Reform Period and the Situation after Exile in Japan.- 2. Fukuzawa Yukichi's Enlightenment Thought and Liang Qichao.- 3. Nakamura Masanao's Self Help and On Liberty and Liang Qichao's Thought of “Renewing the People”.- 4. Japanese Civil Rights Thought and Liang Qichao.- 5. Japanese Nationalism and Liang Qichao.- 6. The Theory of the State as an Organic Entity and Liang Qichao.- 7. Conclusion.

Über Autor(innen)

Kuangmin Zheng, a Ph.D. in literature, is a researcher in the Institute of Modern History CASS. He studies the Sino-Japan political history in the end of the Qing dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, the academic history, and the intellectual and cultural history. He graduated from Renmin University of China, and then he went to Japan for study and was awarded the Ph.D. in literature in the Daito Bunka University.

Dr. Fang Li is currently Advisor of Master of Translation and Interpreting (MTI) program at Xi'an International Studies University (China). He received his Ph.D. in Education from the University of Alabama, and M.Ed. in Education from the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Li’s translated works include ;  (selected chapters);  (selected chapters); and  (80 volumes). He has also co-authored five reference books for CATTI and ETIC examinations.