Conceptions of Chinese Democracy

Book excerpt: An accessible and critical introduction to the political writings of three seminal figures in modern Chinese democratic thought. Author and political scholar David J. Lorenzo examines the democratic writings of Sun Yat-sen, Chiang Kai-shek, and Chiang Ching-kuo, providing a coherent summary that situates their ideas within the broader traditions of political theory. His comparative study allows the reader to understand each leader’s perspective while highlighting important contradictions, strengths, and weaknesses. Lorenzo further considers the influence of their writings on political theorists, democracy advocates, and activists on mainland China. Students of political science and theory, democratization, and Chinese culture and history will benefit from the book’s substantive discussions of democracy. Scholars and specialists will appreciate the larger arguments about the influence of these ideas and their transmission through time.