Envisioning Eternal Empire: Chinese Political Thought of the Warring States Era

by Yuri Pines

This text looks into the reasons for the durability of the Chinese empire. Pines identifies the roots of the empire's longevity in the activities of thinkers of the Warring States period who developed ideals, values, and perceptions that would become essential for the future imperial polity.

Genres: History, Philosophy, China

311 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2009

Reviews

[versarbre · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is concerned with the innovation of political theories during the Warring States period that made the imperial institution available. Various schools and scholars during the Warring States were taken as a whole in relation to the political and intellectual situations of their time, rather than treated as isolated texts. A good treatise of intellectual history in relation to social change in the studies of China! The pitfall is that by taking "imperiolgoy" as the beginning point of discussion, the author failed to be a real historian who takes into consideration the contingency of history. The Chinese concept of "timing" (shi) should be paid more attention in addition to this selective treatise of what the intellectuals were doing.