CLOSURE: Central Library will be closed Tuesday, July 21, through Saturday, July 25, while emergency repairs are made to the building’s cooling system. We expect to reopen Monday, July 27. Click for more details on holds, program schedules, and returns during the closure. 

Notice of Public Meeting: Kalamazoo Public Library Board of Trustees | July 27 | 5:30 pm | Central Library/Van Deusen Room. The packet of information for the meeting can be found on the library’s website. 

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Democracy Through the Lens of Chinese Scholars

Year

2025

Language

ENGLISH

Author

Li, He

Publication Information

State University of New York Press

Summary

The first English-language study of Chinese scholar's perspectives on China's quest for democracy. History teaches us that profound transformations are not shaped by ideas alone but are impossible without great ideas. China is known to have a long history during which scholars played a central role in society while their ideas about politics prevailed. Democracy Through the Lens of Chinese Scholars explores six leading schools of thought-including liberalism, New Leftism, neo-Confucianism, democratic socialism, neo-authoritarianism, and good governance-on how to turn China into a democracy. Based on a wealth of primary sources and interview data, author He Li examines the Chinese theoretical debates on democracy from both historical and comparative perspectives. He demonstrates that the crux to understanding China's long march toward democracy lies in appreciating the interrelatedness and interplay of major strands of thought and brings rigor and insight to our understanding of China's leading school of political thought, shedding new light on non-Western political thought in general and comparative democratic theory in particular. Last but not least, the arguments here are a part of global efforts to rethink capitalism and democracy while focusing on liberty, justice, and the rule of law.

Subjects