Revolution as Restoration

Tze-ki Hon, Ph.D. (1992), University of Chicago, is Professor of History at State University of New York at Geneseo. He has published monographs, edited volumes and many articles on late imperial and modern China, including The Yijing and Chinese Politics (SUNY Press, 2005), the edited volumes The Politics of Historical Production in Late Qing and Republican China (Brill, 2007), and Beyond the May Fourth Paradigm (Lexington, 2008).

"Whether one believes that the national essence thinking of the late Qing has much to say about the problem of modernity today, it played a major role in shaping Chinese self-understanding in the twentieth century. In six brisk chapters, Hon captures the essence of this progress, reminding us that even what today appear to be bizarre theories and arbitrary textual readings were part of an extraordinarily fertile period of rethinking Chinese culture."Peter Zarrow, MCLC Resource Center Publication (May 2013)“Hon Tze-ki’s book is concise, well argued, and important. Hon is thorough in documenting earlier studies of the National Essence Group, but makes clear his own contribution. Bringing attention to this group of late-Qing reformers that were neither revolutionary nor reactionary is an important contribution to the field, and all scholars of modern China will benefit from reading this book carefully.”James Carter, Saint Joseph’s University, Monumenta Serica: Journal of Oriental Studies, 64. 2, December 2016 "[Hon Tze-ki's] study is an important contribution to emerging scholarship in the intellectual history of modern China that showcases the multi-faceted, globally-oriented, and refreshingly original work of thinkers who reject the simplistic dualism of tradition versus modernity in interpreting China's present and future...his study offers crucial insight into dilemmas of modernization that are still ongoing, including how Chinese culture can find a legitimate place among a plurality of other (still largely nation-based) cultures and histories on the global level."Leigh K. Jenco, Department of Government, London School of Economics and Political Science, Dao: A Journal of Comparative Philosophy , 15.4, December 2016

• Introduction: The Allure of the Nation1. The Paradox of Global Competition2. New Roles of the Educated Elite3. The Law of Social Evolution4. The Public Realm5. Local Self-Government6. Memories of ResistanceConclusion: Lost in Transition