Chinese Utopianism: A Comparative Study of Reformist Thought with Japan and Russia, 1898-1997

Chinese Utopianism offers a new explanation of extreme radicalism in Chinese reform movements from the late nineteenth century through the Cultural Revolution and into the post-Mao era. By studying comparable Japanese and Russian reforms that have, in contrast, pulled their societies back toward the center, Shiping Hua demonstrates how datong-an ancient concept that can be translated as "great harmony"-and other elements of Chinese thought have led China down a unique political path.