HC4030 MODERN CHINESE INTELLECTUALS & POLITICAL MOVEMENTS (4.0 AU)

In modern Chinese history, the intellectuals played a crucial role in remaking Chinese traditions and introducing Western ideas in an effort to strengthen a country that was simultaneously confronted with internal crisis and foreign encroachments. The aim of this subject is to study the Chinese intellectuals since the 19th century, the way they dealt with the cultural conflicts between Chinese traditions and Western thoughts, and their contribution to the shaping of modern Chinese history. Key historical events to be discussed include the Reform Movement of the late Qing, the 1911 Revolution, the May Fourth Movement, and the rise of Socialism/Communism.