Chinese Law in Imperial Eyes: Sovereignty, Justice, and Transcultural Politics

Li Chen's Chinese Law in Imperial Eyes offers a comprehensive analysis of how Western empires perceived and interacted with China and Chinese law in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It highlights the power dynamics of Sino-Western relations, the role of law in modern imperial ideology, and the origins of comparative Chinese law in the West. Chen's case studies show how constructed differences between societies were hardened into cultural or racial boundaries and politicized to rationalize international conflicts and hierarchy.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 416 pages
Publication date: 10 April 2018
Publisher: Columbia University Press

In his captivating book, "Chinese Law in Imperial Eyes," Li Chen delves into a profound exploration of the complex and multifaceted relationship between China and the West, spanning the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Through a meticulous examination of a wide range of sources, Chen offers a rich and nuanced analysis of the power dynamics that shaped Sino-Western relations during this crucial period. Central to his study is the profound significance of law in modern imperial ideology and politics, shedding light on the origins of comparative Chinese law in the West and its impact on foreign extraterritoriality in China.

Chen's analysis reveals how the shifting balance of economic and political power in different contact zones shaped and transformed the knowledge of China and Chinese law. He argues that by recovering the diverse and contradictory roles of Chinese law in Western modernization, we can provincialize the subsequent Euro-Americentric discourse of global modernity.

One of the key insights of Chen's book is his attention to important yet underanalyzed sites where imperial sovereignty, national identity, cultural tradition, and international law and order were defined and restructured. Through his valuable case studies, he demonstrates how constructed differences between societies were hardened into cultural or racial boundaries, which were then politicized to rationalize international conflicts and hierarchy.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complex and multifaceted relationship between China and the West, as well as the role of law in shaping this relationship. Chen's insights are thought-provoking and offer valuable perspectives on a critical period in history.

Weight: 574g
Dimension: 155 x 252 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231173759