A Cultural History of the Late Qing Dynasty (Revised Edition)

Name: A Cultural History of the Late Qing Dynasty (Revised Edition)
ISBN: 9787539657394

汪林茂Anhui Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaDec 2021

4.0

Word count: 297K words
Chapters: 98
ISBN: 9787539657394

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Summary

This book, part of the "History of Chinese Culture" series, presents the cultural history of the Qing dynasty. It offers an in-depth study and comprehensive introduction to the full panorama of Qing culture, with particular attention to the late Qing transition from tradition to modernity and from isolation to engagement with the world, reflecting the latest scholarship in the field. Substantial in content, rich in historical sources, and rigorous in analysis, it is a valuable reference for historians.

Editor's review

This is a solid work that approaches the upheavals of the late Qing through the lens of cultural history. The author places late Qing culture within the arc of transition from tradition to modernity and from isolation to engagement with the world, offering both a panoramic view of culture and a focus on key turning points, with rich primary sources and in-depth analysis that reflect relatively recent scholarship in the field. For readers, the value of this book lies not in retelling major events but in helping to build an analytical framework for how culture responds to its era: understanding the logic of social change in the late Qing through ideas, knowledge, education, and dissemination. The revised edition gives readers access to a relatively complete scholarly picture. Readers are advised to enter with questions in mind—for example, how traditional scholarship responded to the impact of Western learning, and how literati ideas diverged—so as to better appreciate the care behind the source organization and argumentation. Suitable as a reference for courses on late Qing history and modern cultural history, and for serious readers who wish to understand China's modern transformation from a cultural perspective.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students of history and modern history using it as course reference and background reading for papers
Adult readers with a systematic interest in late Qing social transformation and cultural change
Secondary school history teachers broadening their lesson preparation and adding a cultural history perspective
Readers who enjoy scholarly books with solid sources and rigorous argumentation

Not a good fit for

Casual readers looking only for light stories or popular narratives
Those impatient with academic argumentation and source citation who expect fast-paced reading
Readers who only need a chronology of late Qing political events and are not interested in the cultural dimension

Reading tips

Begin with the table of contents and introduction to grasp the author's overall framework for the late Qing cultural turning point, then move into specific chapters.
After each chapter, summarize the core arguments and key sources in three to five sentences to build your own knowledge map.
Slow down when sources are dense, reading alongside a chronology of modern history to understand the background of cultural change.
Keep it as a reference book for long-term browsing, rereading by theme (education, ideas, dissemination, etc.).

About the publisher

Anhui Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1984

Founded in 1984, Anhui Literature and Art Publishing House is a professional literary and art publisher. Its collection of 389 titles spans classic works, essays and miscellaneous writings, Eastern philosophy, folk literature, classical literature and design. Representative books include Lao She's Camel Xiangzi, Laozi's Dao De Jing, Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and the Shakespeare drama collection featuring Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth and Othello, with Zhu Shenghao's translations adding luster to the series. Its author resources range from classic Chinese and foreign writers such as Lao She, Laozi, Luo Guanzhong and William Shakespeare to translators and authors including Zhu Shenghao, Li Chensen and Liang Sicheng. The publisher is characterized by its balance of Chinese and foreign literary classics with traditional culture titles, combining scholarly value with popular reading. Public information is limited, and the above is based mainly on the books in the collection.

版权信息
绪论
第一章世界的发现与近代文化的萌发
一、一统“天下”的裂变
1.儒家一统的“天下”
2.“天下”的裂变
二、走出“天下”
1.经学的衰变
2.经典的虚化和经学的异化
3.走出经学
4.“格物”之学的独立
5.重整知识和观念体系
三、世界的发现
1.“千古创局”下的探究
2.走出华夏中心主义的锢蔽
四、“经世致用”原则下的“师夷”活动
1.发现“长技”
2.“师夷”的蠕动
3.开启新方向
第二章 “力”“富”“学”的发现——近代文化的初兴
一、“采西学”以“自强”与“中本西末”
1.“采西学”以“自强”
2.“本”与“末”的文化界定
3.规律下的近代文化扩展
二、“力”的发现与追求
1.“兵势”的发现与寻觅
2.“制器之器”的引进
3.呼唤“机械之天下”
三、“富”的发现与伦理观念的变迁
1.“富”的发现与追求
2.工商“立国”和“富民”
3.伦理观念的更新
四、“学”的发现和新知识的传播
1.近代之“学”的发现
2.西学知识的引进和传播
3.知识体系的更新
五、社会文化的新气象
1.“洋”的渗透浸润
2.社会观念的变迁
第三章 “民”“智”的发现——近代文化的发展
一、“兴西学”潮流下的“中西会通”
1.“天下移风”
2.“公理”的探求
3.“中西会通”
二、“民”的发现和“民权”的张扬
1.“民”的发现
2.“民权”的张扬
三、“智”的发现和近代知识体系的提出
1.“智”的发现和崇尚
2.近代知识体系的形成和提出
3.由“学”而“智”的理路
四、“开民智”口号下的文化启蒙运动
1.“开民智”为“第一义”
2.兴办近代教育
3.创办报刊
4.西书翻译
5.文字语言改革
6.文学的俗化
五、新文化的架构
1.“再立堂构”
2.近代教育体制的雏形
3.大众传播机制的初建
4.近代科学研究体制的探索
5.新文字语言体系的成形
6.新文学体系的建构
第四章建设民族新文化
一、近代文化方向的确立和“中西会通”的深化
1.“若厉”到“若膻”的急速转换
2.西学的泛漫扩张
3.新文化运动的深化
4.“中西会通”以“造就新世界”
二、民族主义——祖国主义——国民主义
1.整合国族：民族主义
2.“知有国家”：祖国主义
3.权利与义务：国民主义
三、启蒙的深化与意义世界的更新
1.留意“新民之道”
2.“人人能识字”
3.“开通社会智识”
4.冶铸“国民新灵魂”
5.意义世界的更新
四、近代政治文化凯歌行进
1.“政治之本原”的更替
2.尊重人权原则
3.主权在民原则
4.分权原则
5.法治原则
五、民族新学术的初建
1.理性的学术
2.以科学为内核的学术
3.民族的新学术
4.近代学术体制的初建
六、文化世俗化与民族新文化体系的初建
1.文化建设的世俗化方向
2.世俗化教育体制的形成
3.大众传播体系的建设
4.文学艺术的世俗化
后记

FAQ

Is this book suitable for ordinary readers without a history background?

It is readable but requires some patience. This is a scholarly work of cultural history with dense sources and argumentation. Ordinary readers with a strong interest in the late Qing transformation are advised to start with the introduction and conclusion to grasp the overall framework, then choose chapters on topics of interest for deeper reading; there is no need to finish it in one sitting.

What practical difference does the "revised edition" make for readers?

A revised edition usually means the author has adjusted and refined the content, better reflecting more recent scholarly understanding. For readers, choosing the revised edition helps obtain a relatively complete and updated presentation; when reading, rely on the actual content in the book rather than assuming specific changes.

What can readers gain from this book that differs from general works on late Qing history?

General works on late Qing history tend to focus on political events and figures. This book takes a cultural history approach, focusing on the process from tradition to modernity and from isolation to engagement with the world, helping readers understand changes in ideas, knowledge, education, and social mores, thereby forming a more three-dimensional understanding of the modern transformation.

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About the author

汪林茂 Author

Wang Linmao is an author focused on the study of Chinese cultural history. Publicly available information about him is limited, and his biography, education, and professional positions cannot yet be confirmed. One work by him is included in the database, A Cultural History of the Late Qing (Revised Edition), classified under culture. Judging from this representative work, his research and writing center on cultural change during the late Qing period, using cultural history as a basic perspective to trace developments in thought, scholarship, and social culture of that era. The revised edition suggests that the book was expanded and corrected after its first publication, reflecting the author's continued refinement of the subject and his rigorous approach. For readers seeking an overall understanding of late Qing culture, this work offers a relatively systematic entry point. Because verifiable information about the author is scarce, his writing style and scholarly influence await further material; readers may rely primarily on the work itself to form an impression of him.