Abstract
Utopia is a truly global and world-literary genre because the pursuit of happiness and the idea of a good society are ubiquitous, perennial, and universal, as there is no one in any society who would not wish to live in a better condition than what is available in reality at the present. The significance of utopia lies in its value as a social vision. Under the influence of Confucianism, the Chinese cultural tradition can be said to be largely secular from the very beginning, especially when placed in comparison with religious traditions like Christianity and Islam, and the Confucian tradition is also deeply ethical in its belief in an innately good human nature. Like King Wen and Duke of Zhou in ancient China, the idealized Medinan regime set up a standard and offers a rich resource for legal discourse concerning public affairs. © 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Literature |
| Subtitle of host publication | A World History |
| Editors | David Damrosch, Gunilla Lindberg-Wada, Longxi Zhang |
| Place of Publication | Hoboken, NJ |
| Publisher | John Wiley & Sons |
| Chapter | 7 |
| Pages | 1016-1027 |
| Volume | 3: 1500–1800 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781119775737, 9781119775751 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780470671900 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Full text of this publication does not contain sufficient affiliation information. With consent from the author(s) concerned, the Research Unit(s) information for this record is based on the existing academic department affiliation of the author(s).Research Keywords
- Chinese cultural tradition
- Religious traditions
- Social vision
- Utopia