Voicing Concerns

Book excerpt: Eleven essays by scholars of Chinese literature, culture, and politics describe the current state of Chinese critical inquiry, surveying recent Chinese intellectual culture, with attention to popular culture and Chinese models of intellectuality. The role of western literary theory, the influence of the New Confucianism, and the place of scientism and social theory in modern Chinese thought are all covered. The study of history is given particular scrutiny, with consideration to the theory of ultrastable systems, the relationship between patriotism and intellectual curiosity, the interplay of past and future, and the tensions between liberalism and the new left. c. Book News Inc.