History, Thinking through Man

This book on Liang Qichao(1953), Levenson’s first of six before his unexpected death in 1969, weaves together historical backgrounds and individual thinker in a unique way. Odd-number chapters chronicle Liang’s life, the early period of reform(1873-98), his exile in Japan(1898-1912), and his retreat from politics to scholarship(1912-1920). Correspondingly, the even-number chapters 2,4,6, discusses the breakdown of the confucian world, China’s encounter with the West as shown through Liang, and Liang’s final solution.

Levenson argues, a unifying question strings together pieces of Liang’s life and thoughts: how can a China in full process of Westernization fell itself equivalent to the West?

The three parts resonate with three phases of Liang’s intellectual development. In the first, he tried to smuggle western values into Chinese history; in the second, there is a struggle between nationalism and culturalism---Liang replaced the West/China dichotomy with one of new/old. In the last phase, Liang reintroduced West and China as matter and spirit. World War I convinced Liang that materialist West was declining without spirituality, while spiritual China could incorporate materialism into its future development. (so common of its time)

He tries to reveal the nuanced interaction between Liang and history, which he sees a historian’s task. “There’s more to biography than the life of an individual.” Therefore, Liang’s thinking and confusions represented those of “the Mind of Modern China.”

Part of his effort to connect Liang with his world, Levenson shows his concern about Communism, viewing Liang a contemporary of Communism. He devotes several sections to Liang’s interaction and denial of Communism.

He acutely points out the contradiction(paradox) in Liang’s thoughts that “Liang was intellectually alienated and emotionally tied to his tradition.”(219)

Levenson writes in quite witty languages, such as “If a man had the key to his own prison, he would not stay fixed where he was.”(preface) A small book, it actually deals with a great person, with great thoughts, in a great time.

The even-number chapters need re-reading as a reference for today’s studies of China-West encounter on many levels.