Customer Reviews

One China, Many Paths

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This book promises an introduction to intellectual discourse in post-mao china, and on the whole, it does deliver. It covers a varied set of themes and views, concerning the societal, political and cultural evolution of China after Mao. The book is diversely structured, divided into four parts following the editor's opening essay ("Minds of the nineties"), an overview of major themes of public debate in post-mao china. In the first section we find interviews with leading chinese public intellectuals (like Wang Hui and Zhu Xueqin), while the second gives us critical essays on the effects of the economic reforms of the 90's. The third section features more diverse issues, like education, gender, ideology e.g. The fourth and final section is entitled "A dialogue on the Future of China", with reflections from three prominent figures in the June Fourth movement, one of them being the author.

It's uniqueness lies in it being a product of essential chinese origin, with authors almost exclusively from mainland China. I guess an inside view offers both good and bad sides, and do not necessarily agree with the view presented somewhere in the anthology, that (for example) nationality is an advantage of understanding one's society - critical distance and comparison can also offer understanding. But since the purpose of this book seems to be twofold, firstly to describe chinese society and secondly intellectual debate, it does, if nothing else, give some sense of genuineness. The authors in question are no doubt important figures on the intellectual scene - and their views on various themes are presented in a varied, tidy and clear fashion.

There are however some drawbacks: As the editor points out in the beginning, almost only critical notions are being presented, meaning no government loyalists or (present) policy-makers get their say. It is clearly a drawback when views that most certainly influences national polity don't get presented, but, as the editor points out, those voices are hard to reach. However, most westeners (I suppose) would agree with some of the recurring critical notions, being themes like individual rights, legality, freedom of speech, legitimacy etc.

More importantly, however, is it that (at least some parts of) the book, after a decade, naturally is quite outdated. I haven't got the knowledge to judge which of the texts have completely lost their validity, but an example is provided when one of the contesters in the finishing debate gives the (then) present regime five to eight years before a major societal change. Another aspect of this is that some interesting events that occurred after the book's publication naturally isn't touched upon either (war on terror, new leadership, environmental issues, financial crisis etc.).

So, to finish off, buy this book if you want an unique insight in, and equally important, evidence about the existence of, a chinese public or intellectual debate. Some of the themes serve as chronicles of debates that (I suppose) have lost their importance today, while others should still provide insight.