The Logic of Society

Name: The Logic of Society
ISBN: 9787301269169

丁元竹Peking University Press · ChinaAug 2025

3.8

Word count: 217K words
Chapters: 49
ISBN: 9787301269169

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Summary

Society has its own logic, and to explore that logic one must examine society and its development from a broader perspective. To this end, the book begins with hot and difficult issues in the current social sphere, including the relationship between reform and social construction and development, the relationship between government and society, the social role of civil servants and their influence on social mores, the role of people's livelihood in social construction, innovation in social governance systems under new circumstances, and the relationship between economic construction and social construction, attempting to explore and discover the inner logic of social development through these issues. The book's distinctive feature is that it breaks out of the limitation of discussing society purely from within society itself, studying society from the perspectives of institutional change, the role of government, the function of civil servants as a social role, development and reform in the field of people's livelihood, the characteristics of social governance, and economic growth, thereby viewing social development and construction more comprehensively and presenting a clearer inner logic of society.

Editor's review

The value of this book lies in offering an analytical perspective that breaks out of "discussing society from within society itself," examining social construction within the multiple relationships of institutional change, the role of government, civil servant behavior, livelihood reform, and economic growth. The author does not seek to build an abstract system but instead starts from current hot and difficult issues in the social sphere, sorting through the operating mechanisms behind them layer by layer, so the discussion carries a strong problem consciousness and practical orientation. Its highlights are the broad vision and concrete topics, linking innovation in social governance systems with government, civil servants, and people's livelihood, helping readers form a holistic understanding of society. It is suitable for reading contexts focused on social construction, public governance, and institutional analysis, and especially suitable as extended reading outside the classroom, comparing real-world cases while reading and gradually grasping the inner logic of social operation.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students in public administration and sociology who need to broaden their overall perspective on social construction
Government and public institution staff who wish to understand the relationship between the role of government and social operation
General readers concerned with social governance and livelihood issues who want a systematic analytical framework
Readers preparing for essay-based examinations or policy writing who need to accumulate analytical angles in the social field

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting light, story-driven reading; this book leans toward theoretical analysis
Practitioners who only want manual-style policy solutions
Readers lacking interest in social science reading and preferring pure literary works

Reading tips

First read the table of contents to map the problem threads of each chapter, then read selectively by interest rather than linearly from start to finish
After each chapter, write a comparative note using a recent social news item to test the explanatory power of the book's logic
Read chapters on the role of government and the social role of civil servants closely, and skim the rest

About the publisher

Peking University Press China · Founded in 1979

Peking University Press is a comprehensive university press whose publishing areas cover classical literature, popular science, social culture, world history, Western philosophy, and culture. Its catalogue contains 6,031 titles, with representative books including A Dream of Red Mansions, Relativity: The Special and General Theory (15th Edition) (with Einstein's classic papers on unified field theory and other topics), Elements, Conics, The Aristocratic Families of the Eastern Jin, The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume I), The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume II), and The Origin of Continents and Oceans. Representative authors include Cao Xueqin, Zhou Ruchang, Albert Einstein, Euclid, Apollonius, Tian Yuqing, Schelling, and Xian Gang. The press has developed distinctive strengths in classical Chinese literature and in the translation of Western philosophical classics, while also covering scientific classics and social and cultural studies. As public information is limited, this description is based only on the books in the catalogue and offers no further extrapolation.

版权信息
第一部分社会在改革中进步
努力在全面深化改革上取得新突破
以实现公平正义推进全面深化改革
重视全面深化改革的方法论
正确处理改革、发展、稳定之间的关系
第二部分政府在社会事务中的角色
如何明晰政府与市场、社会的边界？
政府购买公共服务：技术路径与价值基础
明确审批放权边界的原则、标准和切入点
加快地方政府职能转变与机构改革
为创新插上制度翅膀
普京的新型国家治理思想
美国政治家的宏观调控手段
政府实现公共利益的一种治理模式
第三部分定位官员的社会角色
在朝美政在野美俗
以完善公务员制度预防官员腐败
让权力回归本色
为生民立命
第四部分民生是社会建设的基础
社会建设的理论探索和实践发展
经济社会发展的阶段性特征
从全局和战略上谋划养老保险制度改革
重视城市居民社会生活，提高城镇建设水平
重新审视事业单位及其社保制度改革
社会保障如何补短板、兜底线
国际视角下均等化的“得与失”
基本公共服务均等化的下一步
完善首都基本公共服务供给方式
加快户籍制度改革
城镇化必须提高人民生活水平
第五部分社会怎么治理？
创新社会治理激发社会发展活力
夯实社会治理的社会基础
让大数据成为提升社会治理水平的推手
发挥社会规范的基础性作用
社会沟通关系社会秩序
创新社会动员方式
基层的良好社会秩序呼唤善治
社区建设要贴近人民生活
使法治精神深入人心
第六部分从顶层设计经济与社会的关系
努力打造宏观经济调控升级版
打造与新兴产业相适应的社会创新升级版
把长江经济带建成实现中华民族复兴的支点
为创新和产业升级创造制度环境
社会责任投资加快金融体制改革
发展的智慧来自实践

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers without a sociology background?

It is readable but requires some patience. The book starts from hot and difficult issues and is relatively concrete, not requiring readers to master systematic theory first; however, when concepts such as institutional change and social governance systems are involved, beginners should look up background information while reading, slow down, and grasp the overall framework before going into details.

How does this book differ from general sociology textbooks?

General textbooks focus on conceptual systems and disciplinary lineages, whereas this book starts from real-world problems and examines institutional change, the role of government, the role of civil servants, livelihood reform, social governance, and economic growth together, emphasizing looking at society from outside society itself. It is more suitable for readers who want to use an analytical framework to understand real-world issues.

Do I need to read this book in chapter order?

Strict order is not necessary. Each chapter addresses a different issue, so readers can first read the parts they care about—government-society relations, people's livelihood, or social governance—and then go back to other chapters. It is advisable, however, to at least read the table of contents and the introductory content to grasp the book's problem threads and overall logic.

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About the author

丁元竹 Author

Ding Yuanzhu: publicly available information is limited, and his identity and biographical details are not clearly recorded in the available sources. Judging from the four works on hand, his writing centers mainly on sociology and social-cultural issues, combining theoretical reflection with empirical observation. Among them, The Logic of Society offers a holistic discussion of how society operates; Fei Xiaotong and Sociology with Chinese Characteristics focuses on the academic lineage and development of indigenous sociology; Research on Volunteer Service in China examines social participation and public welfare practice; and The Habits of Indians: Reading Notes on Indian Culture shows a reading scope that extends to cross-cultural comparison. Overall, Ding Yuanzhu's works are both scholarly and readable, often approaching concrete issues by clarifying concepts and connecting them to social reality, and are suitable for readers interested in social culture, the social sciences, and political issues.