Minjian: The Rise of China’s Grassroots Intellectuals

Global Chinese Culture

by Sebastian Veg

Who are the new Chinese intellectuals? In the wake of the crackdown on the 1989 democracy movement and the rapid marketization of the 1990s, a novel type of grassroots intellectual emerged. Instead of harking back to the traditional role of the literati or pronouncing on democracy and modernity like 1980s public intellectuals, they derive legitimacy from their work with the vulnerable and the marginalized, often proclaiming their independence with a heavy dose of anti-elitist rhetoric. They are proudly minjian ―unofficial, unaffiliated, and among the people.

In this book, Sebastian Veg explores the rise of minjian intellectuals and how they have profoundly transformed China’s public culture. An intellectual history of contemporary China, Minjian documents how, amid deep structural shifts, grassroots thinker-activists began to work outside academia or policy institutions in an embryonic public sphere. Veg explores the work of amateur historians who question official accounts, independent documentarians who let ordinary people speak for themselves, and grassroots lawyers and NGO workers who spread practical knowledge. Their interventions are specific rather than universal, with a focus on concrete problems among disenfranchised populations such as victims of Maoism, migrant workers and others without residence permits, and petitioners. Drawing on careful analysis of public texts by grassroots intellectuals and the networks and publics among which they circulate, Minjian is a groundbreaking transdisciplinary exploration of crucial trends developing under the surface of contemporary Chinese society.

Genres: China, Politics, Nonfiction

368 pages, Hardcover

Published April 23, 2019

Reviews

[Hadrian]

Academic monograph on China's intellectuals. Veg documents the minjian 民间 or "among the people" intellectuals from the 1990s to the 2010s. The first chapter covers a literature and theory review, but the subsequent chapters go into discussions of intellectuals who do not occupy positions in the business or institute elite and instead work as social activists, human rights lawyers, or NGOs.

Chapter two is a short biography of Wang Xiaobo 王小波, and places his work in the context of his life and explains his focus on the more marginalized segments of the population. Chapter three covers "alternate memories" or perspectives on the Maoist period. Chapter four is on independent film-makers or those who work and act outside of the state-funded film system. Chapter five is on human rights lawyers, and six is on independent journalists.

I am almost tempted to think of this book as a swan song, considering the state of the public debates since 2013 and some of the websites and organizations mentioned have been shuttered. But still there is space in the margins for people to act.

[Lordoftaipo]

許志永為民請命十幾載，換來十幾載牢獄之災，國家和他開個天大的玩笑，足見這個民權嚴冬還長得很。不論讀書、看影片，有心人應該借鏡一下，檢視腳下的言論及行動空間。

來自最底層的中國網民，早已不賣知識份子的賬，張口就來「理中客」、「公知」。能商業化的公知，封筆的封筆、轉型的轉型，我以前認為這屬明哲保身，但是魏簡卻寬容地予以信任和肯定。走在深圳書城，書架上有亮相綜藝節目的學者寫的書，興許他們還能在觀眾心中埋下公民意識，就不知道同溫層外有誰共鳴，或者是曲高和寡。

同溫層外是這幫人：前幾天BBC再訪白紙示威者，有則簡中評論譏諷舉張白紙有八塊甜頭；另有人誤以為受訪少年一口流利英語，斷言是浸過外國勢力鹹水。有心行動者面對辣手打壓，給網民酸，最終還不是苦了地理、體制、話語權都處於邊陲的老百姓？真是個五味雜陳的國家。

知識份子號召力本已欠奉，現在連線上線下都難以暢所欲言，轉發、會面隨時觸法。魏簡搜羅的一眾民間知識份子，走的走、抓的抓，剩下的淪為「多餘的人」。當扶助弱勢都變得有風險，就意味著天黑狼人已開眼，當下最優解就是留後步，不要被收編，也不要硬碰硬。當老大哥睜眼之時，人人之間最脆弱卻最祕密的，就是信任。

[Cass]

Minjian offers a look into the history and growth of grassroots, or unofficial, intellectuals in China.

While its introduction to the topic is clear and precise in its definitions, Minjian seems to focus too much on previous academic research and lacks a clear argument, offering example after example and effectively preventing the book from developing past the theoretical. It is too dense with historiography (I say this as someone who studied history at university); there is reference after reference with little actual discourse.

The ideas behind the book are interesting and worth a look, but the lack of original discourse and discussion - despite what appeared to be considerable research and effort - really hampered my enjoyment in reading Minjian. Would recommend only for those with an established interest in the topic looking for detail.

*An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.