Intellectuals and the state in post-Mao China

To understand political change in contemporary China it is crucial to understand the position of intellectuals in the society and their often troubled relation to the state. This book explores the ideas of prominent Chinese intellectuals, their relationship to the pro-democracy movements and the changing relationship between intellectuals and the Chinese state. It is a sociological study of the ideological formation of Chinese intellectuals, and their place in the social structure and their role in influencing and effecting social and political change. Through an in-depth analysis of the interaction between various pro-democracy movements and the intellectuals who engaged themselves in such activities, this book hopes to depict a contextual and sociological framework for understanding the ideological production of Chinese intellectuals and to shed more light on the relationship between intellectuals and the state in modern China.