What is "Democracy" in 20th century China ?

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K02898
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: History of Asia and Africa
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: MIZUHA Nobuo 広島大学, 総合科学研究科, 教授 (50229712)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 民主主義 / 自由 / 平等 / 雷海宗 / 費孝通 / 兪可平

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I examined Modern China from the perspective of political thought history. The conclusion is as follows. (1) In the “democracy” theory in modern China, the tendency to emphasized “equality” eventually became mainstream. (2) But Some Intellectuals sought the value of “freedom” against “equality”, Many of them remained in mainland China after 1949. (3) The background was that they had their own understanding of Chinese society, and there had been hope for a reform of society by a powerful government.

Free Research Field

中国近代史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

従来の研究では、中国の民主主義の具体的な意味内容について具体的な分析が十分ではなかった。しかし本科研では1949年革命で中国史を断絶することなく、民主主義思想史として20世紀中国における連続性に着目することで、今日の中国の「民主」論を再検討するための視点を得ることが出来た。また中国知識人の民主主義思想の形成の「母体」ともいえる中国の基層社会に対する理解についても、初歩的ながら検討し学界に新たな知見を提供できた。