Synopses & Reviews
Review
"As an introduction for non-China specialists to the anarchic nature of both radical Daoism and the most radical critiques of contemporary Chinese communism, Rapp's book is especially valuable...Rapp's new volume contributes helpfully to a growing body of studies on this issue." - David A Porter, Empire State College, The Journal of Asian Studies Reviewed and summarized by Dongyoun Hwang (Soka University of America) in The China Journal, January 2014.
Synopsis
This volume in the Contemporary Anarchist Studies examines anarchist themes in ancient and modern Chinese dissident political thought.
Synopsis
This volume in the Contemporary Anarchist Studies series focuses on anti-statist critiques in ancient and modern China and demonstrates that China does not have an unchallenged authoritarian political culture.
Treating anarchism as a critique of centralized state power, the work first examines radical Daoist thought from the 4th century BCE to the 9th century CE and compares Daoist philosophers and poets to Western anarchist and utopian thinkers. This is followed by a survey of anarchist themes in dissident thought in the People's Republic of China from 1949 to the present. A concluding chapter discusses how Daoist anarchism can be applied to any anarchist-inspired radical critique today.
This work not only challenges the usual ideas of the scope and nature of dissent in China, it also provides a unique comparison of ancient Chinese Daoist anarchism to Western anarchist. Featuring previously untranslated texts, such as the 9th century Buddhist anarchist tract, the Wunengzi, and essays from the PRC press, it will be an essential resource to anyone studying anarchism, Chinese political thought, political dissent, and political history.
Table of Contents
AcknowledgmentsPRELUDEPART ONE: DAOISMChapter 1: Daoism and AnarchismChapter 2: Daoism and UtopianismChapter 3: Daoism as Utopian or Accommodationist: The Guodian Challenge to Daoist AnarchismChapter 4: Daoism as Anarchism or Nihilism: The Buddhist-influenced Thought of Wu NengziINTERLUDE: Chapter 5: The 20th Century Chinese Anarchist MovementPART TWO: ANARCHISM Chapter 6: Maoism and AnarchismChapter 7: Denunciations of Anarchism in the PRCChapter 8: Neo-Anarchist Critiques of Marxism in the PRC, Part 1: Extra Party DissidentsChapter 9: Neo-Anarchist Critiques of Marxism in the PRC, Part 2: Inner Party DemocratsPOSTLUDE: Lessons of Daoist AnarchismAPPENDICES: Works of Daoist Anarchism1:
Zhuangzi, Chapter Nine, "Horses' Hoofs"2: Ruan Ji, "Biography of Master Great Man"3: Bao Jingyan, untitled tract4: Tao Qian, "Peach Blossom Spring"5:
The Wunengzi (Master of No Abilities)BIBLIOGRAPHYINDEX