Making of the Human Sciences in China

This volume provides a history of how "e;the human"e; has been constituted as a subject of scientific inquiry in China from the seventeenth century to the present. Organized around four themes-"e;Parameters of Human Life,"e; "e;Formations of the Human Subject,"e; "e;Disciplining Knowledge,"e; and "e;Deciphering Health"e;-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 "e;China"e; and "e;the human"e; 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.