Imagining an Ideal Society: The Scandinavian Interpretations of the Book of Changes

Abstract

This dissertation is a cross-cultural study of how the Chinese classical text the Yijing, or Book of Changes, has been creatively appropriated for Scandinavian cultures. It uses the famous English translation of Richard Wilhelm and Cary F. Baynes as a base to discuss how Scandinavian authors have adopted the Changes creatively in their contexts. In researching the Changes reception in Scandinavia, this dissertation contributes to the field of China studies by adopting Hans-Georg Gadamer’s notion of “the fusion of horizons,” and Roland Barthes’ notion of “the death of the author,” to survey how Scandinavian cultures have blended with ancient Chinese ideas. The dissertation’s unique contribution is its focus on the Scandinavian renditions of the Changes, which have thus far been ignored in the field of sinological studies.

Although Scandinavia is a region with close cultural and lingual relationships with the United Kingdom and Germany, the Scandinavian Changes have not been compared with other European translations. This dissertation reveals three approaches used in adopting the Changes in Scandinavia: (1) the Germanic-Anglophone approach, in which renditions are based on the translations of James Legge, Richard Wilhelm, and Cary F. Baynes; (2) the Chinese approach, whereby the classical Chinese text has been translated into a Scandinavian language; (3) the alternative approach, which comprises reinventions of the classic without a clear source. To contextualize the Changes’ journey to Scandinavia, this dissertation includes information on cross-cultural interactions between Scandinavia and China and discusses contemporary social and political issues (such as gender equality, welfare, and alternative culture) that are at the center of Scandinavian public debates.

Date of Award	3 Oct 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	City University of Hong Kong
Supervisor	Tze Ki HON (Supervisor) & May Bo CHING (Supervisor)