The Making of the Human Sciences in China: Historical and Conceptual Foundations

This volume provides a history of how "the human" has been constituted as a subject of scientific inquiry in China from the seventeenth century to the present. Organized around four themes-"Parameters of Human Life," "Formations of the Human Subject," "Disciplining Knowledge," and "Deciphering Health"-it scrutinizes the development of scientific knowledge and technical interest in human organization within an evolving Chinese society. Spanning the Ming-Qing, Republican, and contemporary periods, its twenty-four original, synthetic chapters ground the mutual construction of "China" and "the human" in concrete historical contexts. As a state-of-the-field survey, a definitive textbook for teaching, and an authoritative reference that guides future research, this book pushes Sinology, comparative cultural studies, and the history of science in new directions.