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Within the excerpt, I don't think its fair to say that the author is claiming that modern descendants of keju (Gao Kao and the modern civil service exam) are re
by icegreentea2 3y ago
Within the excerpt, I don't think its fair to say that the author is claiming that modern descendants of keju (Gao Kao and the modern civil service exam) are responsible for the authoritarian tendencies of the modern Chinese state. Rather, the author argues that the keju baked in centuries of authoritarian tendencies into Chinese... inertia? culture? I want to say society, but one of the author's arguments is that keju effectively neutered the growth of Chinese society, by channeling nearly all the excess energy of the Chinese population into the state.
I would add to your premise summary "keju helped (allowed? permitted? enabled?) the Chinese state to dominate Chinese society".
- CSSer 3y agoIt’s funny because I see what you’re saying but I was caught on the same points you question here. I don’t really know. I suppose my takeaway is that there was interesting standardized test in Chinese history and leave it at that.
- seanmcdirmid 3y agoThankfully the Chinese state would occasionally fall, creating turnover in entrenched practices. The Ming dynasty would be very different from the Qing. Unfortunately, both dynasties lasted a very long time.