One extremely important feature of ancient Chinese society was that administrative power dominated society, as Marx put it. Professor Liu Zehua distilled the fundamental characteristic of ancient Chinese society into the central idea that royal power dominated society. This royal power was a special force rooted in the economy yet transcending it...
In a society ruled by royal power founded on military force, economic power did not, in general, determine the distribution of political power. Instead, the distribution of power determined how social and economic resources were allocated, and the key relationships in the economy and society were products of that distribution. Among the many elements of the social structure, the system of royal power was itself a social structure and occupied a leading position among the various structures of society.
This reality was reflected in people's thinking: administrative power was regarded as supreme and as the ultimate end of everything. As a result, political thought held a particularly prominent place in the ideological sphere, becoming its central component. Philosophical, economic, educational, and ethical thought could not be separated from politics, and by different paths, nearly all ultimately led back to politics. The Pre-Qin volume of this series explains and analyzes the basic features of theories of autocratic royal power in the Pre-Qin period. The Qin, Han, Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties volume, and the Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing volume, reveal from different perspectives how these theories continued to develop, mature, and deepen throughout ancient Chinese history. The books show that autocratic monarchy runs throughout the history of Chinese political thought and is one of the fundamental themes of traditional political thought and political culture.
Wow, this book is so amazing! It tells the history of Chinese political thought and allowed me to understand the characteristics of royal autocracy in the pre-Qin period, as well as the development of subsequent dynasties. My favorite part of the book is about the Qin, Han, Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. It made me understand how royal power continued to change in history. Although some of the content was a bit difficult for me, I still enjoyed reading this book. It gave me a deeper understanding of history. You can also read this book, you will definitely gain a lot!
Among history books, it is very suitable for novices. The language is very modern, and the ancient texts cited in it are also explained. The context of the article is also very clear. People with a little basic knowledge can read it very well. There is basically no feeling of jerkiness. Unfortunately, few people have read it. I highly recommend it! However, the beginning of the book still made me feel a lot. Even in the face of doubts, I often think about what history studies, and many people have some prejudices about this. In my humble opinion, it is very important to learn how to think. This book will give you a good experience.
A good book that explains in detail the formation and context of political philosophy since ancient China.
Expanded certain political literacy.