This book describes the relationship between political authoritarianism and people's welfare in modern China. Based on a study of Chinese political discourse from the 1898 reform period to the present, the book demonstrates that support for authoritarian rule in modern China is best understood when compared to ancient political traditions of authority and welfare that were established in China's late Zhou dynasty by the Confucian philosopher Xunzi (298-238 BC).

Autorentext

Michael Twohey received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Cambridge University.

Inhalt

Preface Introduction PART ONE: ANCIENT AUTHORITY AND WELFARE Authority and Welfare in the Ancient Confucian Texts Kang Youwei Liang Qichao PART TWO: REVOLUTIONARY AUTHORITY AND WELFARE Sun Yatsen Mao Zedong Deng Xiaoping PART THREE: NEW AUTHORITY AND WELFARE The 'New Authoritarian' Debates of the Late 1980s The Impact of Tiananmen Conclusion Notes and References Bibliography Index