The Similarities and Differences in the Paths of Political Modernization between the East and the West
Speaker: Associate Professor Huang Chen, the Department of Political Science at the School of International Studies, Renmin University of China.
Time: 16:00-17:30 on Friday, April 11
Location: Room 603, Lide Building
Lecture Overview: What are the differences in the trajectories of political changes between the East and the West over thousands of years, and why do these differences exist? As countries around the world move toward modernization today, have the political systems of the East and the West become more similar or more different? For our modernization efforts, should we learn from the “commonalities” of countries around the world or adhere to the “differences” of historical legacies?
To fully answer these questions, it is necessary to comprehensively study and objectively research ancient Chinese politics, contemporary Chinese politics, the politics of countries around the world, and political philosophy theories. This lecture will serve as an introduction, presenting preliminary research findings on the above issues from the political science and social science communities at home and abroad, and providing a guide for students’ future learning and research.
Speaker Bio: Associate Professor Huang Chen is from the Department of Political Science at the School of International Studies, Renmin University of China. He also serves as the Secretary-General of the Center for Historical Political Science at Renmin University of China. His research areas include historical political science, qualitative research methods, the history of the Chinese state, and the history of knowledge society. He has published multiple papers in journals such as Political Science Studies, World Philosophy, Renmin University of China Journal, and Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy.
Preparatory Materials
- Francis Fukuyama, The Origins of Political Order, Chapter 1 “The Necessity of Politics”
- Zhao Dingxin, The Birth of the Confucian-Legalistic State from the Eastern Zhou Wars, Chapter 1 “Introduction,” Chapter 2 “Further Elaboration of the Arguments in This Book”
Introduction: From the city-states scattered around the Aegean Sea to the Qin and Han Empires with “unified script,” from the salons of the Enlightenment to the imperial examination halls, the civilizations of the East and West have woven two distinct political landscapes over five thousand years. The real evolution of institutions in the long river of history is far more fascinating than what is recorded in textbooks. How did Shang Yang’s “wood-moving” legal experiment and the democratic practice of Athens’ “ostracism” shape different political traditions? Why did Zheng He’s seven voyages to the Western Seas not change the world order like Columbus’ voyages? How does the ideal of “Great Harmony” depicted in the “Book of Rites” engage in a civilizational dialogue with the European “Westphalian system” of sovereign states?
The Yangtze River and the Mississippi River both eventually flow into the sea, yet they nourish different landscapes along their courses. Faced with similar social problems, different civilizations have provided different political answers. Why did these differences arise and how have they developed? Will they gradually fade away or become more pronounced in the future? These questions are not only academic topics in books but also sparks of civilizational collision, demonstrating the diversity and vitality of human civilization.
In the seventh lecture of this course, we will join Professor Huang Chen on an intellectual adventure, examining traditions with a more open perspective in the long scroll of civilizational dialogue and contemplating the possible ways to write a new chapter of civilization.
