Imperial Rulership and Cultural Change in Traditional China

This volume examines the role of dynastic rulers, the imperial system, and the ruling literati in the promotion and shaping of Chinese thought and culture. It includes ten papers chosen for publication from a conference held in Taiwan in September 1992: “Determining Orthodoxy: Imperial Roles” by Jack L. Dull; “Ssu-ma Ch’ien’s Portrayal of the First Ch’in Emperor” by Stephan Durrant; “The Literary Emperor: The Case of Han Wu-ti” by David R. Knechtges; “Empress Wu and Feminist Sentiments in T’ang China” by Chen Jo-shui; “Academies: Official Sponsorship and Suppression” by Thomas H. C. Lee; “Imperial Power and The Reestablishment of Monastic Order in the Northern Sung” by Huang Chi-chiang; “Imperial Rulership in Cultural History: Chu Hsi’s Interpretation” by Huang Chun-chieh; “The Emperor and the Star Spirits: A Mythological Reading of the Shui-hu chuan” by Frederick P. Brandeur; “Ku Yen-wu’s Image and Ideal of the Emperor: A Cultural Giant and Political Dwarf” by Ku Wei-ying; and “Imperial Power and the Appointment of Provincial Governors in Ch’ing China” by R. Kent Guy.

It will be of interest to students of Chinese culture including literature, art, religion, philosophy, and politics.

Frederick P. Brandauer is professor emeritus of Chinese at the University of Washington. Chun-Chieh Huang is distinguished professor of general education, dean of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, and director of the Program of East Asian Confucianisms at National Taiwan University. Contributors include Huang Chi-chiang, Jack L. Dull, Stephan Durrant, R. Kent Guy, Chen Jo-shui, David R. Knechtges, Thomas H. C. Lee, and Ku Wei-ying.