Livre - The great encounter of China and the West, 1500-1800

PRAISE FOR THE EARLIER EDITIONS “[An] ingenious textbook.... Stepping back into the period 1500-1800 must represent the wave of the future, and it is good to see such a thought-provoking example of the practice here already.” ―Bulletin Of The School Of Oriental And African Studies (SOAS) “In this admirable introduction to the great period of China’s interactions with the West, D. E. Mungello condenses a lifetime of study into a concise and accessible form. Especially valuable are his analyses of mutual artistic influences, of theories of language and race, and of the internal rivalries that split both Chinese intellectuals and the Catholic Church.” ―Jonathan Spence, Yale University “The product of considerable erudition as well as interpretive sensitivity.” ―China Review International “A virtual parade of scholarly observations and analyses of an intricate series of ethereal intercultural exchanges between Ming and Manchu China, and Enlightenment Europe. He interprets these three centuries of give-and-take through the lenses of religion and the arts. His work is chock-full of widely revealing detail of the cultural, intellectual, and religious interplay that had, at times, as much effect on the contributor as the recipient.” ―Journal Of World History “Combines admirable concision with astute insights into the complexities of class, culture, and religion.” ―CHOICE For the Chinese, the drive toward growing political and economic power is part of an ongoing effort to restore China’s past greatness and remove the lingering memories of history’s humiliations. This widely praised book explores the 1500–1800 period before China’s decline, when the country was viewed as a leading world culture and power. Europe, by contrast, was in the early stages of emerging from provincial to international status while the United States was still an uncharted wilderness. D. E. Mungello argues that this earlier era, ironically, may contain more relevance for today than the more recent past. This fully revised fourth edition retains the clear and concise quality of its predecessors, while drawing on a wealth of new research on Sino-Western history and the increasing contributions of Chinese historians. Building on the author’s decades of research and teaching, this compelling book illustrates the vital importance of history to readers trying to understand China’s renewed rise. D. E. Mungello is professor of history at Baylor University.