Intellectual Discourse in Reform Era China

This book explores intellectual discourse in reform era China by analysing the so-called “debate on the spirit of the Humanities”, which occurred in the years 1993-95. This debate was the first in China after the crackdown of 1989 and the launch of new economic reforms in 1992. The book, drawing on a large corpus of texts and a wide range of individual positions, demonstrates how Chinese intellectuals, having to face the combination of political repression and economic liberalisation, conceptualised and reacted to both. In addition, the book reveals the nature of intellectual life in China, and the divisions within the intellectual sphere as well as shared concepts and ideals.