Dialectical thought is at the core of Karl Marx''s work and all subsequent attempts to build on his legacy: Marxism. And, arguably, Marx''s special departure into dialectics represents an anomaly in that tradition and all of Western philosophy. Marxism finds its philosophers in the academy; in trade unions; in former soviet states; in industrial and non-industrial nations and this makes it distinct from all other modern philosophies. It is certainly the most international modern philosophical movement. Chinese Dialectics From Yijing to Marxism is an unparalleled investigation into the conversation between Western Marxism and Chinese, or Eastern Marxism. An autochthonous version of Marxism persists in China coming to fruition through the work of Mao Zedong. Chenshan Tian contends that the conversation between Eastern and Western Marxism results in a striking feature of dialectics that pervades the everyday thinking and speech of ordinary persons in China. No study to date has undertaken the task of tracing the development of Marxism in China through it''s ancient philosophical texts. This book is absolutely essential reading in the disciplines of comparative political theory, philosophy, and Asian studies.
Industry Reviews
This book will make a significant contribution into the field of Chinese philosophy and Chinese intellectual history....I would require my undergraduate and graduate students in philosophy to read it....The last chapter is very unique and gives a timely warning about Chinese style of liberalism. -- Robin R. Wang, Loyola Marymount University
Chenshan Tian's brilliant study forces us to rethink conventional accounts of the reception of Marxism in East Asia, particularly in China. Drawing on untranslated Chinese primary sources, Tian convincingly argues that the integration of major Marxist concepts occurred within the larger intellectual and cultural framework of Chinese tongbian philosophy. This book is a major contribution to the growing discipline of comparative political theory. -- Manfred B. Steger, Professor of Global Politics, University of Hawai'i-Manoa
By drawing in detail on a long and powerful tradition in Chinese philosophy, this book shows that the conventional understandings of Chinese Marxism demand careful reconsideration. It turns out, indeed, that getting this straight casts new light on current debates. An important book. -- Peter T. Manicas, director, Interdisciplinary Studies Program, University of Hawai'i at Manoa
Chenshan Tian's book is an important contribution to the study of Chinese dialectical materialism. His argument that Marxist dialectics was received in China through the lens of tongbian or 'continuity through change' is well-sustained. Concise, insightful, and excellent in scholarship. -- Chenyang Li, professor and Department Chair, Philosophy, Central Washington University
This is a most welcome monograph drawing upon both philosophy and political science to make explicit what has only been hinted at by our best interpreters of modern China. In this rigorously reasoned analysis, Tian Chenshan crafts a subtle yet compelling argument that the dialectical sensibilities of Chinese Marxism are distinctively Chinese, informed as this 'modern' Marxist way of thinking is by persistent cosmological assumptions recovered from the canons of Chinese philosophy, especially the biantong dialectic endorsed by the Book of Changes (Yijing). -- Roger T. Ames, University of Hawai'i
An important contribution to the study of Chinese dialectical materialism. . . . Tian Chenshan's book on this much-neglected topic is indispensable for those who want to understand the intellectual history of China. * Journal Of The Royal Anthropological Institute *
Chenshan Tian's book is a rare combination of excellent comparative philosophy and critical depth. It is analytically keen and extraordinarily informative about the geography and heritages of political philosophy. -- Michael J. Shapiro, University of Hawai'i, Manoa
