中國近代歷史與文化/Modern Chinese History and Culture
This course, conducted over three hours, will first examine the emergence of industrialization and modernization in the Western world, exploring the meaning of “modernity” for humanity, as well as major historical interpretations of this process—including Max Weber’s analysis in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism and Marxist historical interpretations.
It will then turn to the question of how premodern China (from the mid-Qing to the Republican era) encountered the so-called “high-level equilibrium trap” (as described by Mark Elvin) and the constraints it imposed—such as population pressure leading to involution and even civil war. The course will further consider how China sought to address and overcome this “trap.”
Finally, by adopting a global history perspective, the course will situate China’s historical experience in a comparative framework, highlighting both its particularities and its broader significance.
