TY - JOUR
T1 - Joseph Levenson and the possibility for a dialogic history
AU - Dong, Madeleine Yue
AU - Zhang, Ping
PY - 2014/1/2
Y1 - 2014/1/2
N2 - In contrast to the criticism that his work represents a Euro-centric view of China, we argue that Joseph Levensons understanding of China involves a third dimension-Judaism-at the level of his historical perspective and methodology. Built on in-depth analysis of Levensons work, in particular his Confucian China and Its Modern Fate, as well as his unfinished yet profound writings on Judaism and Jewish history, we find that his understanding of Jewish tradition plays a crucial role in his analysis of the history of modern China. We argue that what Levenson practiced was a historical methodology that we name "dialogic history." We believe that dialogic history provides us a potential answer to the question of how we can understand another culture without being imperialists, essentialists, or Orientalists. Dialogic history is also history in action because when this kind of dialogue is conducted, a new space can be created in which history is no longer a one-sided monologue.
AB - In contrast to the criticism that his work represents a Euro-centric view of China, we argue that Joseph Levensons understanding of China involves a third dimension-Judaism-at the level of his historical perspective and methodology. Built on in-depth analysis of Levensons work, in particular his Confucian China and Its Modern Fate, as well as his unfinished yet profound writings on Judaism and Jewish history, we find that his understanding of Jewish tradition plays a crucial role in his analysis of the history of modern China. We argue that what Levenson practiced was a historical methodology that we name "dialogic history." We believe that dialogic history provides us a potential answer to the question of how we can understand another culture without being imperialists, essentialists, or Orientalists. Dialogic history is also history in action because when this kind of dialogue is conducted, a new space can be created in which history is no longer a one-sided monologue.
KW - Confucian China and Its Modern Fate
KW - Joseph R. Levenson
KW - Judaism
KW - comparative history
KW - dialogic history
KW - modernity
KW - tradition
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84903549016&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/17535654.2014.899037
DO - 10.1080/17535654.2014.899037
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AN - SCOPUS:84903549016
SN - 1753-5654
VL - 8
SP - 1
EP - 24
JO - Journal of Modern Chinese History
JF - Journal of Modern Chinese History
IS - 1
ER -