DOCSLIB.ORG

Civil Society Networks in China and Vietnam

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Civil Society Networks in China and Vietnam INFORMAL PATHBREAKERS: CIVIL SOCIETY NETWORKS IN CHINA AND VIETNAM by ANDREW WELLS-DANG A thesis submitted to The University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Politics & International Studies School of Government and Society University of Birmingham March 2011 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT This thesis re-conceptualises civil society as a process of cross-sectoral networking and alliance building among individual activists and organisations. Civil society networks are built on personal connections and develop into flexible, often informal structures that engage in path-breaking advocacy with authorities and elites. In the challenging political contexts of China and Vietnam, civil society networks have brought about significant social change. The findings of extensive fieldwork in both countries demonstrate a wider range of advocacy techniques and strategies than previously documented in one-party authoritarian political systems. Four in-depth qualitative case studies are presented to illustrate a range of network structures, histories and advocacy strategies: the Bright Future Group of people with disabilities (Vietnam), Women’s Network against AIDS (China), the Reunification Park public space network (Vietnam), and the China Rivers Network. Research questions concern how civil society networks form, how they operate, and what strategies they select to influence and interact with state actors and other stakeholders, as well as how network members evaluate the effectiveness of their actions. The thesis concludes with comparative evaluations of the case studies and recommendations for donors and international partners to support networks that form organically. 我想：希望本是无所谓有，无所谓无的。这正如地上的路；其实地上本没 有路，走的人多了，也便成了路。 I thought: hope cannot be said to exist, nor can it be said not to exist. It is just like roads across the earth. For actually the earth had no roads to begin with, but when many people pass one way, a road is made. 鲁迅 (Lu Xun), 1921 In China you do things not because there is a legal channel to do them: you occupy the space before the government claims it, and the legal mechanisms all happen after the fact.... Use the space you have – don’t wait for policies and laws, because you have to create new ways of doing things. Women’s organisation leader, 2002 (cited in Bentley 2004) This thesis is dedicated to Giang, for her patience, support and inspiration, both for my long periods of research and writing away from our family, and for theoretical and practical reflections and discussion over the past four years. Without you, I could hold up only half the sky. TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE .............................................................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................... 4 The dynamic societies of China and Vietnam ................................................................................... 4 Research questions ..................................................................................................................................... 7 Research methodology .............................................................................................................................. 9 Arranging research in China and Vietnam ...................................................................................... 17 Chapter 1 A NETWORK-BASED THEORY OF CIVIL SOCIETY .......................................... 24 Civil society and its limitations ........................................................................................................... 24 Alternatives to civil society theories ................................................................................................. 28 Social movement theory and political opportunities ................................................................. 33 Network analysis ...................................................................................................................................... 38 Redefining civil society: networks and advocacy ........................................................................ 45 Disaggregating the state – and society ............................................................................................. 54 Comparing networks in China and Vietnam .................................................................................. 58 Chapter 2 CIVIL SOCIETY NETWORKS: AN OVERVIEW AND TYPOLOGY IN CHINA AND VIETNAM .................................................................................................................................. 66 Changing discourses of civil society .................................................................................................. 67 Networks in China and Vietnam ......................................................................................................... 78 A typology of civil society networks ................................................................................................. 88 Factors of network effectiveness........................................................................................................ 97 Chapter 3 THREE ADVOCACY STRATEGIES OF CIVIL SOCIETY NETWORKS ............ 100 Embedded advocacy ............................................................................................................................. 108 Media advocacy ...................................................................................................................................... 115 Community advocacy ........................................................................................................................... 120 Combined strategies: the “inside-outside” model and “jujitsu advocacy” ...................... 124 Tightrope acts ......................................................................................................................................... 129 Chapter 4 THE BRIGHT FUTURE GROUP AND THE STRUCTURING OF VIETNAMESE DISABILITY NETWORKS ............................................................................................................ 131 Network formation and history ....................................................................................................... 135 Network membership and structure ............................................................................................. 136 Advocacy strategies .............................................................................................................................. 141 International linkages .......................................................................................................................... 147 Network effectiveness: Policy change ........................................................................................... 150 Network effectiveness: Sustainability ........................................................................................... 154 Network effectiveness: Political space .......................................................................................... 159 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................ 161 Chapter 5 THE CHINA WOMEN’S NETWORK AGAINST AIDS, BETWEEN DONORS AND THE GRASSROOTS .............................................................................................................. 165 Network formation and history ....................................................................................................... 169 Network membership and structure ............................................................................................. 173 Advocacy strategies .............................................................................................................................. 178 International linkages .......................................................................................................................... 182 Network effectiveness: Policy change ........................................................................................... 186 Network effectiveness: Sustainability and political space .................................................... 188 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................ 192 Chapter 6: INSIDE-OUTSIDE ADVOCACY AND VIRTUAL NETWORKS IN PRESERVING REUNIFICATION PARK ............................................................................................................... 195 Network formation and history ....................................................................................................... 199 Network membership and structure ............................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • View Sample Pages
    This Book Is Dedicated to the Memory of John Knoblock 未敗墨子道 雖然歌而非歌哭而非哭樂而非樂 是果類乎 I would not fault the Way of Master Mo. And yet if you sang he condemned singing, if you cried he condemned crying, and if you made music he condemned music. What sort was he after all? —Zhuangzi, “In the World” A publication of the Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley. Although the institute is responsible for the selection and acceptance of manuscripts in this series, responsibility for the opinions expressed and for the accuracy of statements rests with their authors. The China Research Monograph series is one of the several publication series sponsored by the Institute of East Asian Studies in conjunction with its constituent units. The others include the Japan Research Monograph series, the Korea Research Monograph series, and the Research Papers and Policy Studies series. Send correspondence and manuscripts to Katherine Lawn Chouta, Managing Editor Institute of East Asian Studies 2223 Fulton Street, 6th Floor Berkeley, CA 94720-2318 [email protected] Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mo, Di, fl. 400 B.C. [Mozi. English. Selections] Mozi : a study and translation of the ethical and political writings / by John Knoblock and Jeffrey Riegel. pages cm. -- (China research monograph ; 68) English and Chinese. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-55729-103-9 (alk. paper) 1. Mo, Di, fl. 400 B.C. Mozi. I. Knoblock, John, translator, writer of added commentary. II. Riegel, Jeffrey K., 1945- translator, writer of added commentary. III. Title. B128.M79E5 2013 181'.115--dc23 2013001574 Copyright © 2013 by the Regents of the University of California.
    [Show full text]
  • Practical Immunodermatology Xing-Hua Gao • Hong-Duo Chen Editors
    Practical Immunodermatology Xing-Hua Gao • Hong-Duo Chen Editors Practical Immunodermatology Editors Xing-Hua Gao Hong-Duo Chen Dermatology Dermatology The first affiliated Hospital China Medical The first affiliated Hospital China Medical University University Shenyang Shenyang China China ISBN 978-94-024-0900-0 ISBN 978-94-024-0902-4 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-024-0902-4 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016960305 © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2017 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper This Springer imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
    [Show full text]
  • Selections from Mencius, Books I and II: Mencius's Travels Persuading
    MENCIUS Translation, Commentary, and Notes Robert Eno May 2016 Version 1.0 © 2016 Robert Eno This online translation is made freely available for use in not for profit educational settings and for personal use. For other purposes, apart from fair use, copyright is not waived. Open access to this translation, without charge, is provided at: http://hdl.handle.net/2022/23423 Also available as open access translations of the Four Books The Analects of Confucius: An Online Teaching Translation http://hdl.handle.net/2022/23420 Mencius: An Online Teaching Translation http://hdl.handle.net/2022/23421 The Great Learning and The Doctrine of the Mean: An Online Teaching Translation http://hdl.handle.net/2022/23422 The Great Learning and The Doctrine of the Mean: Translation, Notes, and Commentary http://hdl.handle.net/2022/23424 Cover illustration Mengzi zhushu jiejing 孟子註疏解經, passage 2A.6, Ming period woodblock edition CONTENTS Prefatory Note …………………………………………………………………………. ii Introduction …………………………………………………………………………….. 1 TEXT Book 1A ………………………………………………………………………………… 17 Book 1B ………………………………………………………………………………… 29 Book 2A ………………………………………………………………………………… 41 Book 2B ………………………………………………………………………………… 53 Book 3A ………………………………………………………………………………… 63 Book 3B ………………………………………………………………………………… 73 Book 4A ………………………………………………………………………………… 82 Book 4B ………………………………………………………………………………… 92 Book 5A ………………………………………………………………………………... 102 Book 5B ………………………………………………………………………………... 112 Book 6A ……………………………………………………………………………….. 121 Book 6B ……………………………………………………………………………….. 131 Book
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Annotated Bibliography of Liu Xiaobo's Texts in Chronological Order
    1 Annotated Bibliography of Liu Xiaobo’s Texts in Chronological Order Year Chinese Title English Title Category 04/1984 艺术直觉 On Artistic Intuition 关系学院 学 1 1984 庄子 On Zhuangzi 社科学战线 05/1985 和冲突 – 中西美意的差别 Harmony and Conflicts – Differences between Chinese 京师范大学 and Western Aesthetics 学 07/1985 味觉说 Theory of Taste 科知 Early 1986 种的美思潮 – 徐星陈村索拉的 A New Aesthetic Trend – Remarks Inspired by the Works 文学 2 部作谈起 of Xu Xing, Chen Cun and Liu Suola (1986:3) 04/1986 无法回避的思 – 几部关知子的小说 Unavoidable Reflection – Contemplating Stories on 中 / MA 谈起 Intellectuals (EN 94) Thesis 03/10/1986 机，时期文学面临机 Crisis! New Era’s Literature is Facing a Crisis (FR) 深圳青 10/1986 李厚对 – Dialogue with Li Zehou (1) 中 1986 On Solitude (EN) 家 1988:2 1 th Zhuangzi was a Chinese Daoist thinker who lived around the 4 century BC during the Warring States period, when the Hundred Schools of Thought flourished. 2 Shanghai writer Chen Cun (1954-) and Beijing writers Liu Suola (1955-) and Xu Xing (1956-) who expressed contempt for the formal education of the mid-1980s and its pretention. Liu Xiaobo responded to a conservative attack on 'superfluous people' by defending these three writers who were popular in 1985 and who would be also attacked in 1990 as “rebellious aristocrats” whose works displayed a “liumang mentality.” He wrote a positive interpretation of their way of “ridiculing the sacred, the lofty and commonly valued standards and traditional attitude.” He also drew a connection between traditional “individualists” such as Zhuangzi, the poet Tao Yuanming (365-427 CE) and the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove (竹林七) as related to this modem trend of irreverence.
    [Show full text]
  • Confucius and Lao Zi: Their Differing Social Foundations and Cultures
    SINO-PLATONIC PAPERS Number 211 May, 2011 Confucius and Lao Zi: Their Differing Social Foundations and Cultures by ZHOU Jixu Victor H. Mair, Editor Sino-Platonic Papers Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305 USA [email protected] www.sino-platonic.org SINO-PLATONIC PAPERS FOUNDED 1986 Editor-in-Chief VICTOR H. MAIR Associate Editors PAULA ROBERTS MARK SWOFFORD ISSN 2157-9679 (print) 2157-9687 (online) SINO-PLATONIC PAPERS is an occasional series dedicated to making available to specialists and the interested public the results of research that, because of its unconventional or controversial nature, might otherwise go unpublished. The editor-in-chief actively encourages younger, not yet well established, scholars and independent authors to submit manuscripts for consideration. Contributions in any of the major scholarly languages of the world, including romanized modern standard Mandarin (MSM) and Japanese, are acceptable. In special circumstances, papers written in one of the Sinitic topolects (fangyan) may be considered for publication. Although the chief focus of Sino-Platonic Papers is on the intercultural relations of China with other peoples, challenging and creative studies on a wide variety of philological subjects will be entertained. This series is not the place for safe, sober, and stodgy presentations. Sino- Platonic Papers prefers lively work that, while taking reasonable risks to advance the field, capitalizes on brilliant new insights into the development of civilization. Submissions are regularly sent out to be refereed, and extensive editorial suggestions for revision may be offered. Sino-Platonic Papers emphasizes substance over form. We do, however, strongly recommend that prospective authors consult our style guidelines at www.sino-platonic.org/stylesheet.doc.
    [Show full text]
  • The Global Implications of the Doctrine of Ren
    P:\ALLE\LITERAT\FREMDLIT\Eingelesen\Tu - Confucianism\The Global Implications of the Doctrine of Ren The Global Implications of the Doctrine of Ren: The Humanistic Spirit and Ecological Awareness of Confucianism Tir Wei-ming I am honored and delighted to have this opportunity to share my views with you on the issue of Chinese cultural identity and to highlight the global significance of the Renxue (Doctrine of Ren) at this elegant academy boasting ancient Han and Tang architectural style. My topic today is the global implications of the Doctrine "f@ the humanistic --spirit and ecological awareness. This is an issue I have been coniiãering for a period of time. I think that in the 2lst century studies of the Confucian tradiiion, we must emphasize the concept of ren Çen, bpnevelenæ). This year in March, I discussed the same topic at Shanghai fiao Tong University and Shanghai Wenhui Hall, though not quite as thoroughly. Today, what I would like to discuss will still be partial, not quite systematic, but I will explain how myview has evolved in the process, and will have thã opportunity to engage in some exchange with you. This is very valuable to me because it will help further clarifr my thoughts. First of all, I would like to provide a brief overview of the first English paper on philosophy I published, The Creative Tension between- len,and li, a wãrk Itegan in 1966,completedandpublishedin1968,inPhilosophyr,offit.Thereaso,,fo,-y reference to this paper is that among my published papers, this one is most frequently quoted and is much discussed.
    [Show full text]
  • (IJABE) Total Table of Contents
    November, 2016 Int J Agric & Biol Eng Open Access at http://www.ijabe.org Vol. 9 No.6 243 International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (IJABE) Open Access at http://www.ijabe.org Total Table of Contents Volume 9, Number 1-6, 2016 Title of the Paper Author No. Page Study on multi-size seed-metering device for vertical plate soybean precision planter ················································································ Liu Hongxin, Guo Lifeng, Fu Lulu, Tang Shifa 1 (1) Design and parameter optimization of flexible comb-type grass seed metering device ····· Yang Song, Zhang Shumin 1 (9) Dynamic characteristics of dwarf Chinese hickory trees under impact excitations for mechanical fruit harvesting ······································································· Du Xiaoqiang, Wu Chuanyu, He Leiying, Tong Junhua 1 (17) Invited Review/Research Article (IRRA) Carbon capture and sequestration: The role of agriculture and soils ·············· Bill Stout, Rattan Lal, Curtis Monger 1 (1) Global overview of research progress and development of precision maize planters ········································ Yang Li, Yan Bingxin, Yu Yiming, He Xiantao, Liu Quanwei, Liang Zhijie, et al. 1 (9) Power and Machinery System (PMS) Design of variable screw pitch rib snapping roller and residue cutter for corn harvesters ········································ Wang Gang, Jia Honglei, Tang Lie, Zhuang Jian, Jiang Xinming, Guo Mingzhuo 1 (27) Adsorption characteristics of droplets applied on non-smooth leaf surface of typical
    [Show full text]
  • Admonitions for Women. See Applico.Tion
    Index Note: Chinese names and terms are alphabetized by character. Admonitionsfor Women. See Ban Zhao Chen Zhen, 82, 85 Amazon.com, 131-133 Cheng Yi, 173n. 11 Analects (Lunyu) , 8, 14, 20, 30-31, 35, Cheng z.hi wen z.hi, 36, 52, 54, 57; and 49-50, 54, 102, 116-117, 167n. 34 other proposed titles, 17ln. 2. See Applico.tion of Equilibrium ( Zhongyong) , also Guodian manuscripts 14, 21, 117. See also Confucianism Chinese language, 3, 119, 210n. 4. SU archaeology, 3-5 also Old Chinese Aristotle. See Rhetoric Chu (state), 5, 26-27, 56, 66-67, 74, 80-87 passim, 101, 115n. 16 Bai Qi, 190n. 26 Chuci. SeeLyrics of Chu Baihu tong. See White Tiger Hall Chunqiu. See springs and Autumns Ban Gu, 114 Chunyu Kun, 7-8, 157n. 35 Ban Zhao: scholarly opinions of, 112- Chunyu fue, 70 114, 117-118; fu-shih Chen on, Cicero, 76, 86, 196n. 73 113-117 Collections of Sayings ( Yucong) , 36. See Bentham, Jeremy, 82 also Guodian manuscripts Bynner, Witter, 120-121, 125-127, Confucianism, 3, 32, 34-37, 53, 56, 130, 132 89, 131, 197n. 8; and Ban Zhao, 114; in Hu ainanz.i, 90-91, 102- Cangjie, 58-59 104, 111, 203n. 64; texts, 5, 71, Carnal Prayer Mat, 119, 194n. 52 121. See also Analects; Applico.tion Chan, Wing-tsit, 122-130 passim, of Equilibrium; Confucius; Erya; 212n. 32 Great LeaminfJ, Mencius; Ode.s; Changes (Yi), 5, 41, 82, 116, 170n. 69, Ritual &curds; Xunzi 175n. 30 Confucius, 14, 37, 49-50, 72, 84, Chao Gongwu, 191n.
    [Show full text]
  • After Confucius
    After Confucius After Confucius Studies in Early Chinese Philosophy Paul R. Goldin University of Hawai`i Press Honolulu ( 2005 University of Hawai`i Press All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America 10 09 0807 06 05 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Goldin, Paul Rakita. After Confucius : studies in early Chinese philosophy / Paul R. Goldin. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8248-2842-9 (alk. paper) 1. Philosophy, ChineseÐTo 221 b.c. 2. Philosophy, ChineseÐ221 b.c.±960 a.d. I. Title: Studies in early Chinese philosophy. II. Title. B126.G65 2005 1810.11Ðdc22 2004017241 University of Hawai`i Press books are printed on acid-free paper and meet the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Council on Library Resources. Designed by University of Hawai`i Press production staff Printed by IBT Global Gilbert L. Mattos (1939±2002) in memoriam Z«BUÊ (æ{ Év\è !(eºl Àj ãÝ ÄÃ¦ê ¨ò[ÃÈ #ý0Ì åÓ­UÁ YÄw ô»ÆA) °b G C9 Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction: Toward a Thick Description of Chinese Philosophy 1 1. The Reception of the Odes in the Warring States Era 19 2. Xunzi in the Light of the Guodian Manuscripts 36 3. Han Fei's Doctrine of Self-Interest 58 4. Li Si, Chancellor of the Universe 66 5. Rhetoric and Machination in Stratagems of the Warring States 76 6. Insidious Syncretism in the Political Philosophy of Huainanzi 90 7. BanZhaoinHerTimeandinOurs 112 8. Those Who Don't Know Speak: Translations of Laozi by PeopleWhoDoNotKnowChinese 119 Appendix: References to the Odes in Pre-Imperial Texts, Arranged by Mao Number 135 Notes 153 Bibliography 215 Index 261 vii Acknowledgments The debts that I have accumulated in the course of writing this book are numerous, but I owe the most to my parents and to my wife, Edilma.
    [Show full text]
  • Anarchism and Chinese Political Culture
    understanding of socialism, but it definitely treats anarchism as part of the rise of Chinese socialism and then of Marxism.86 The works outlined above represent considerable achievement, but the implicit teleological assumption of most of them—that Chi- nese thought culminates in Marxism—forces anarchism into a mod- Anarchism and Chinese ernizing role it actually did not fit. Nor, certainly, should the an- Political Culture archists be dismissed as millenarian dreamers. All true, but an- archism must also be understood as one of those usually under- ground streams that flow through all cultures.87 Emerging in the first decades of the twentieth century, anarchism provided anew Peter Zarrow and powerful language which intellectuals could use to understand better such modern and perennial phenomena as imperialism, class struggle, the nation-state, and the individual’s role in a shrinking world. One center of Chinese understanding of these issues lay in Tokyo. 86 See especially Bernal, “The Triumph of Anarchism over Marxism, 1906– 1907.” But in Tokyo the contest between Marxism (or, better, state socialism) and anarchism among Chinese was by no means as sharp as Bernal suggests. 87 More inner-directed approaches to the anarchists include Charlotte Furth, “Intellectual Change: From the Reform Movement to the May Fourth Movement, 1990 1895–1920.” See also Chang Hao, Chinese Intellectuals in Crisis, on Liu Shipei. 60 plays a modernizing role in backward societies. Anarchism also served to extend the scope of natural science in China and thereby provide a weapon for opposing fixed values. As Wu Zhihui pro- moted science, so Liu Shipei concretized the people as workers and tenant farmers.
    [Show full text]
  • ©Copyright 2004 Stuart V. Aque
    ©Copyright 2004 Stuart V. Aque Pi Xirui and Jingxue lishi Stuart V. Aque A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2004 Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Department of Asian Languages and Literature University of Washington Abstract Pi Xirui and Jingxue lishi Stuart V. Aque Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Professor David R. Knechtges Department of Asian Languages and Literature Jingxue lishi 經學歷史 (The History of Classical Scholarship) is a textbook that was written by a schoolteacher for the purpose of helping his students learn the subject that he taught. Pi Xirui 皮錫瑞 (1850-1908) was more than a schoolteacher. He was a son and a grandson, a father and a grandfather, a husband, a mentor, a friend, a patriot, a strong believer in reform and an activist, an accomplished poet, and a scholar of the Chinese Classics. And Jingxue lishi is more than a textbook--it is a rich repository that contains much valuable information about a very important part of Chinese culture and civilization, as well as insights into a traditional way of life. This dissertation contains a partial translation of Jingxue lishi along with Zhou Yutong’s annotations to the text, as well as a partial translation of Pi Xirui’s chronological biography. The purpose is to provide the reader with a vehicle for acquiring facility with the language and familiarity with the source materials, as well as gaining a greater understanding and appreciation of what it was like to be a traditional Confucian scholar at the end of the imperial era.
    [Show full text]
  • Mencius's Travels Persuading Rulers
    Indiana University, Early Chinese Thought [B/E/P374] – Fall 2010 (R. Eno) Mencius Introduction The Mencius (in Chinese, Mengzi 孟子, the book of Master Meng) may be the Classical Chinese philosophical text that most profoundly influenced traditional Chinese culture. Although never granted quite the explicit homage that was given to the Analects, among Confucian works, nor perhaps as personally popular as the two great Daoist texts, the Dao de jing and Zhuangzi, the ideas and arguments in the Mencius have a clarity and literary power that gave them extraordinary impact over time. Although the full force of that impact did not begin to reveal itself until the ninth century CE, ultimately the Mencius became the central canonical source for the animating ideas of the Neo-Confucian movement, which in its several forms dominated Chinese intellectual life from the thirteenth century through the nineteenth, and which has been in a period of revival in China for several decades. Mencius’s life The text of the Mencius represents the first major textual defense of the Confucian faith by a follower of the Master. While there were other Confucians of the fourth century, Mencius’s era, who developed significant doctrinal expansions, these did not exert a permanent influence on the contours of Confucianism; their works were largely lost and have only recently come to light through archaeological tomb excavations that uncovered manuscripts of their texts, written in ink on bamboo strips, the original medium in which all our texts evolved. Mencius’s teachings, however, were successfully transmitted and profoundly influenced the ongoing development of Confucianism.
    [Show full text]