Conceptions of Chinese Democracy: Reading Sun Yat-sen, Chiang Kai-shek, and Chiang Ching-kuo

by David J. Lorenzo

Overview

Close attention to the writings of the founding fathers of the Republic of China on Taiwan shows that democracy is indeed compatible with Chinese culture.

Conceptions of Chinese Democracy provides a coherent and critical introduction to the democratic thought of three fathers of modern Taiwan—Sun Yat-sen, Chiang Kai-shek, and Chiang Ching-kuo—in a way that is accessible and grounded in broader traditions of political theory.

David J. Lorenzo’s comparative study allows the reader to understand the leaders’ democratic conceptions and highlights important contradictions, strengths, and weaknesses that are central to any discussion of Chinese culture and democratic theory. Lorenzo further considers the influence of their writings on political theorists, democracy advocates, and activists on mainland China.

Students of political science and theory, democratization, and Chinese culture and history will benefit from the book's substantive discussions of democracy, and scholars and specialists will appreciate the larger arguments about the influence of these ideas and their transmission through time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421409177
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	05/15/2013
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

David J. Lorenzo is an associate professor in the College of International Affairs at National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

1 Discussions of Democracy in the Work of Sun Yat-sen, Chiang Kai-shek, and Chiang Ching-kuo 1

2 Sun Yat-sen: Democracy through Unity and Elitism 30

3 Chiang Kai-shek: Democracy and Chinese Tradition 85

4 Chiang Ching-kuo: Democracy in the Context of Transition 126

5 Taiwanese and Mainland Chinese Democratic Thought: The Implications for Taiwan's and Mainland China's Politics 163

Glossary 207

Key Dates 211

Notes 213

Bibliography 237

Index 251

What People are Saying About This

"Conceptions of Chinese Democracy provides the first coherent summary of this body of thought and its potential relevance to Taiwan's present, China's future, Asian democracy, and democratic theory in general. The scholarship is sound and the writing is peerless."

From the Publisher

Conceptions of Chinese Democracy provides the first coherent summary of this body of thought and its potential relevance to Taiwan's present, China's future, Asian democracy, and democratic theory in general. The scholarship is sound and the writing is peerless.
—Bruce Gilley, Portland State University

Bruce Gilley

Conceptions of Chinese Democracy provides the first coherent summary of this body of thought and its potential relevance to Taiwan's present, China's future, Asian democracy, and democratic theory in general. The scholarship is sound and the writing is peerless.

Editorial Reviews

Lorenzo has produced a well-researched book that offers valuable insights into modern Chinese democratic thought. It deserves to be widely read by China/Taiwan scholars and those interested in Asian democracy.
—Edmund S.K. Fung, The China Journal

A rigorous a thoughtfully argued work that examines the historical origins of the idea of democracy in the Chinese world, and its application in practice . . . This book provides a valuable service, giving us a much-needed, highly detailed account of the political thinking of three major actors in China's modern history, and throwing up a wealth of powerful arguments about the ultimate compatibility of democracy and Chinese culture.
—Rana Mitter, The Journal of Asian Studies

From the Publisher

"Lorenzo has produced a well-researched book that offers valuable insights into modern Chinese democratic thought. It deserves to be widely read by China/Taiwan scholars and those interested in Asian democracy."

The China Journal - Edmund S.K. Fung

A rigorous a thoughtfully argued work that examines the historical origins of the idea of democracy in the Chinese world, and its application in practice... This book provides a valuable service, giving us a much-needed, highly detailed account of the political thinking of three major actors in China's modern history, and throwing up a wealth of powerful arguments about the ultimate compatibility of democracy and Chinese culture.

The Journal of Asian Studies - Rana Mitter