Political Thought and China's Transformation: Ideas Shaping Reform in Post-Mao China

Since the late 1970s China has undergone a dramatic transformation, during which time the country has experienced an outpouring of competing schools of thought including liberalism, neo-authoritarianism, new leftism, democratic socialism, and new Confucianism. These theoretical paradigms have affected the pace, scope, content, and nature of China's reform. Though it would be impossible to represent every nuance of opinion on every issue in post-Mao China, He Li examines the major schools of political thought that are redefining the country's transformation. The author also introduces readers to the most influential Chinese thinkers and their debates on vital issues that China faces today such as democracy, economic reform, and regime legitimacy. The interdisciplinary nature of this book makes it relevant to a number of different academic disciplines including Asian Studies, Chinese Politics, political theory, and political science.

Since the late 1970s China has undergone a great transformation, during which time the country has witnessed an outpouring of competing schools of thought. This book analyzes the major schools of political thought redefining China's transformation and the role Chinese thinkers are playing in the post-Mao era.

He Li is Professor of Political Science at Merrimack College, USA. His books include From Revolution to Reform: A Comparative Study of China and Mexico (2003), Sino-Latin American Economic Relations (1991), and Chinese Labyrinth: Exploring China's Model of Development (co-edited with Baogang Guo, 2011). He is also the series editor of the Modern Chinese Thinkers series.

Introduction: Ideas and China's Transformation

PART I: CONTEMPORARY CHINESE POLITICAL THOUGHT

1. Liberalism

2. Neo-authoritarianism

3. China's New Left

4. Democratic Socialism

5. New Confucianism

PART II: INTELLECTUAL DISCOURSE ON CRITICAL ISSUES

6. Chinese Intellectual Discourse on Democracy

7. Debating China's Economic Reform

8. Debate over Legitimacy

9. Conclusion: Fragmentation and Consensus