The Politics of Time in China and Japan: Back to the Future

This book explores how Chinese and Japanese intellectuals mobilized the past to create a better future, especially in the context of Asia's tensions and China's rise. It highlights how thinkers have weaved together nationalism, internationalism, and a politics of time throughout history, and how understanding East Asian pasts is essential to making sense of ideological trends in contemporary China and Japan.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 178 pages
Publication date: 29 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Drawing on a diverse array of texts and employing an interdisciplinary methodology, this volume demonstrates how Chinese and Japanese intellectuals harnessed the past to shape a brighter future. Its significance is particularly poignant in the present day, amidst the ongoing tensions within Asia and the ascendancy of China, as East Asian intellectuals and governments continually seek fresh political interpretations in their ancient traditions. The essays shed light on how thinkers in China and Japan have interwoven nationalism, internationalism, and a politics of time throughout their history. This volume delves into a wide range of topics, including premodern and early modern endeavors to cultivate a Confucianist politics, twentieth-century Japanese Marxist interpretations of Buddhism, and Japanese and Chinese efforts to envision a new global order. In essence, this book underscores the importance of comprehending East Asian histories in order to make sense of the ideological currents prevailing in contemporary China and Japan. For instance, without a deep understanding of Confucianism and how modern intellectuals in China have grappled with this philosophical framework, it would be challenging to comprehend the Chinese government's current promotion of the Chinese classics. This book will captivate students and scholars of political science, history, Asian studies, sociology, and philosophy.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367675455