Harmony and War : Confucian Culture and Chinese Power Politics /
Wang, Yuan-kang
Harmony and War : Confucian Culture and Chinese Power Politics / Yuan-kang Wang. - 1 online resource (328 p.) : 6 maps, 4 line drawings, 14 tables - Contemporary Asia in the World .
Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- List of Illustrations -- List of Tables -- Preface -- 1. Confucian Strategic Culture and the Puzzle -- 2. Culture and Strategic Choice -- 3. The Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) -- 4. The Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) -- 5. The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) -- 6. The Ming Tribute System -- 7. Chinese Power Politics in the Age of U.S. Unipolarity -- Notes -- Glossary: Chinese Terms -- Bibliography -- Index
restricted access http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_16ec
Confucianism has shaped a certain perception of Chinese security strategy, symbolized by the defensive, nonaggressive Great Wall. Many believe China is antimilitary and reluctant to use force against its enemies. It practices pacifism and refrains from expanding its boundaries, even when nationally strong. In a path-breaking study traversing six centuries of Chinese history, Yuan-kang Wang resoundingly discredits this notion, recasting China as a practitioner of realpolitik and a ruthless purveyor of expansive grand strategies. Leaders of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) prized military force and shrewdly assessed the capabilities of China's adversaries. They adopted defensive strategies when their country was weak and pursued expansive goals, such as territorial acquisition, enemy destruction, and total military victory, when their country was strong. Despite the dominance of an antimilitarist Confucian culture, warfare was not uncommon in the bulk of Chinese history. Grounding his research in primary Chinese sources, Wang outlines a politics of power that are crucial to understanding China's strategies today, especially its policy of "peaceful development," which, he argues, the nation has adopted mainly because of its military, economic, and technological weakness in relation to the United States.
Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.
In English.
9780231151405 9780231522403
10.7312/wang15140 doi
2010025011
Confucianism--History--China.
Confucianism--Political aspects--History--China.
Confucianism--Political aspects--History.--China
Confucianism--History.--China
Harmony (Philosophy)--Political aspects--History--China.
Harmony (Philosophy)--Political aspects--History.--China
Militarism--History--China.
Militarism--History.--China
Power (Social sciences)--History--China.
Power (Social sciences)--History.--China
Außenpolitik
Geschichte
Ideologie
Konfuzianismus
Strategie
Internationales politisches System
Kultur
Machtpolitik
Circumstantia
Postkommunismus
POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / General.
DS751.3 / .W375 2011 DS751.3
327.51
Harmony and War : Confucian Culture and Chinese Power Politics / Yuan-kang Wang. - 1 online resource (328 p.) : 6 maps, 4 line drawings, 14 tables - Contemporary Asia in the World .
Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- List of Illustrations -- List of Tables -- Preface -- 1. Confucian Strategic Culture and the Puzzle -- 2. Culture and Strategic Choice -- 3. The Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) -- 4. The Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) -- 5. The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) -- 6. The Ming Tribute System -- 7. Chinese Power Politics in the Age of U.S. Unipolarity -- Notes -- Glossary: Chinese Terms -- Bibliography -- Index
restricted access http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_16ec
Confucianism has shaped a certain perception of Chinese security strategy, symbolized by the defensive, nonaggressive Great Wall. Many believe China is antimilitary and reluctant to use force against its enemies. It practices pacifism and refrains from expanding its boundaries, even when nationally strong. In a path-breaking study traversing six centuries of Chinese history, Yuan-kang Wang resoundingly discredits this notion, recasting China as a practitioner of realpolitik and a ruthless purveyor of expansive grand strategies. Leaders of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) prized military force and shrewdly assessed the capabilities of China's adversaries. They adopted defensive strategies when their country was weak and pursued expansive goals, such as territorial acquisition, enemy destruction, and total military victory, when their country was strong. Despite the dominance of an antimilitarist Confucian culture, warfare was not uncommon in the bulk of Chinese history. Grounding his research in primary Chinese sources, Wang outlines a politics of power that are crucial to understanding China's strategies today, especially its policy of "peaceful development," which, he argues, the nation has adopted mainly because of its military, economic, and technological weakness in relation to the United States.
Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.
In English.
9780231151405 9780231522403
10.7312/wang15140 doi
2010025011
Confucianism--History--China.
Confucianism--Political aspects--History--China.
Confucianism--Political aspects--History.--China
Confucianism--History.--China
Harmony (Philosophy)--Political aspects--History--China.
Harmony (Philosophy)--Political aspects--History.--China
Militarism--History--China.
Militarism--History.--China
Power (Social sciences)--History--China.
Power (Social sciences)--History.--China
Außenpolitik
Geschichte
Ideologie
Konfuzianismus
Strategie
Internationales politisches System
Kultur
Machtpolitik
Circumstantia
Postkommunismus
POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / General.
DS751.3 / .W375 2011 DS751.3
327.51

