The Institutional Environment of “Mutual Interpenetration of Scholars and Merchants” after the Mid-Ming:From the Perspective of Changes in Government Policy

The “mutual interpenetration of scholars and merchants” was a noticeable social phenomenon after the mid Ming. The appearance of this phenomenon had complex and deep-rooted social causes, among which institutional factors deserve attention, specifically, changes and adjustments in government policy     

The Genesis of “The Meaning of the Classics”:On the Objectives and Methods of Jingxue Hermeneutics

In terms of the construction of meaning, what jingxue(study of the classics) deals with is precisely the hermeneutics of the Confucian classics. Jingxue hermeneutics is fundamentally practical statecraft; therefore, its specific objectives do not point to an objective existence unrelated to human beings, but to yi(meaning) or yili(principles), otherwise known as jingyi(meaning of the classics) or dayi(profound significance). “The meaning of the classics” is the product of interpretation. In jing...     

“The Wisdom of Age”: Perspectives on Aging and Growth among Lesbian Older Adults

Older lesbian-identified women are a health disparate yet resilient population about whom knowledge is limited and emerging. Among the areas in need of research are older lesbians’ experiences of later life and stress-related growth. This article presents the findings from a qualitative study that investigated older lesbians’ experiences of adversity and adaptation as they age. In-depth, exploratory interviews were conducted with 12 lesbian-identified women who were between the ages of 65–80. This study applied grounded theory methodology to identify respondents sources of stress and fear, their strengths and coping strategies and how those relate to each other and to their growth in later life. We advance a model of adaptive change that shows how spirituality, social support, and resistance to cultural norms help older lesbian adults cope with loss, illness, and discrimination and develop wisdom in later life. Knowledgeable practitioners can help older lesbian women identify and maintain sources of social support, explore spirituality, and facilitate continuous growth through the end of life. Social workers can advocate for services that are welcoming and affirmative so as to reduce fears of isolation and dependence associated with health decline.     

Form at the Expense of True Significance: From the “Tang Lü Complex” to the “Civil Code Complex”

东方人的法典情结由来已久,自李唐以后形成的“唐律情结”绵亘至近代,逐渐变成对引入的西式法典的崇奉,乃至在日、韩、中等东亚国家形成了本文所称的“民法典情结”。从唐律情结到民法典情结,究其实质不过是为名所累,求其形而忘其意。本文以唐律情结的由来及其近代以降日、韩两国在制定民法典过程中形成的民法典情结为参照背景,针对当今中国民法典制定过程中出现的相近问题展开分析,认为民事立法的根本目的在于造就出一种本诸公平精神、顺乎国情民生、有效捍卫私权、切实促进公益的民事法律秩序,而非追求法典自身的完美。纵然得意忘形,亦未为不可。     

The Academic History of Literature and Art as a “ Disease of Interpretation”: On the Paradoxical Nature of Interdisciplinary Boundaries

This article represents an academic response to Professor Zhang Jiang’s article “On Imposed Interpretation” published in Russian in the journal October (no. 1, 2015). It argues that the problems observed by Zhang arise from the reality of Western literary criticism over the past decades, and are associated with the contention between philosophy and philology that had its orgins in the West’s Platonic heritage. In outlining the complex symbiotic relationship between the two disciplines in Western literary history, this article finds that two theoretical motive forces catalyzed the process: the “philologization of philosophy” and the “philosophization of philology.” The writer argues that based on a full understanding of the paradoxical relationship between philosophy and philology, which are distinct from and yet attracted to each other, contemporary literary criticism can adopt the principles of “practical conservatism” and “cutting back of methodologies” as a means of healing the ever worsening “disease of intepreretation” in literary history.     

Qin Huanming:The Trend to the“Restoration of Elegance and the Veneration of Elevated Moral Character”in the Poetry of the Song Dynasty

InSongdynastyPoetics,andspecificallyinthetrendtowards"therestorationofeleganceandthevenerationofelevatedmoralcharacter"(fuyachongge),ya(elegance)stressedthepoet'sinternalizednobilityoftaste.Therecognitibnoftheexistenceofthisqualitywasfoundedonanevaluation…     

The presence of philosophy and the position of economics： a review of the National Symposium of “Facing a Shared Future： A Dialogue between Economics and Philosophy”

To promote interdisciplinary communication and cooperation and find an academic growth area better able to explain reality and stimulate creative thinking amid the interaction and cross-integration of different disciplines and their different visions, Social Sciences in China Press sponsored in succession “Dialogue on Social Sciences Frontier Studies in China,” of which “Facing a Shared Future： A Dialogue Between Economics and Philosophy” was the second. It was co-sponsored by the College of Humanities and the Research Center for Economic Philosophy, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, and held at the University between May 31 and June 2, 2008.     

The transfer of arms and the diffusion of democracy: do arms promote or undermine the “third wave”?

The post–Cold War world has witnessed a proliferation of countries governed by democratic rule. Consequently, optimism has arisen about the prospects for the spread of freedom along with democratic peace and prosperity. Along these lines, many democratic countries have made the active promotion of democracy an explicit goal and a condition for third world countries’ assistance. However, such intentions may be threatened by the ever-present arms trade. Not only do arms transfers play a key role in the foreign policies of many democratic countries, but many developing countries continue to purchase arms from abroad at a steady rate. From the perspective of the developing recipients, this study seeks to empirically assess the impact of the arms trade on democratization. To this end, this paper utilizes an exploratory data technique, locally weighted scatterplot smoother (LOWESS) to examine data for developing countries between 1982 and 1992. By exploring graphically the patterns and distributions revealed by these indicators, the implications of the international arms trade for the spread of democracy are assessed.     

“Trying to be positive in the face of the storm”: The experiences of independent college students during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic created multiple stressors for college students, particularly for young adults experiencing multiple forms of disadvantage. Little is known about the pandemic experiences of independent college students, many of whom are emancipated minors, former wards of the state, and other students who lack familial financial and practical support as they pursue higher education. Twenty-three independent students, ages 18–23, from one northeastern university were interviewed to understand how independent students were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and their needs for support from the university during this time. Most participants were identified as Black or Latinx, and two thirds were first-generation college students. Participants reported an overall lack of support from their families prior to the pandemic. During the pandemic, they experienced compounding academic, economic, and mental health-related stressors. Students responded to these stressors in resilient and resourceful ways, by adapting to their new realities, expressing gratitude, and finding opportunities for self-growth. Participants recommend that institutions of higher education support independent students during periods of emergency through providing financial assistance, offering opportunities for connection with both adults and peers, and demonstrating administrative flexibility and understanding of their unique needs.     

From “State and Society” to “Institutions and Life”: A Shift in the Study of Social Change in China

Abstract

The term “institutions and life” is proposed as an alternative perspective to “state and society.” Here, “institutions” refers to formal institutions set up in the name of the state and supporting its agents at various levels and in different departments in the exercise of their functions. “Life” refers to the everyday activities of social beings, involving not only the interests, powers and rights-based claims of expedient production and life strategies and techniques, but also relatively routine popular mores and informal institutions. The purpose of constructing and applying this perspective is to probe the complex mechanism of the interaction between living subjects and the agents of formal institutions in institutional practice and thereby analyze the actual logic and changing direction of China’s formal institutions and explore the mechanisms behind changes in mores so as to grasp the main thread running through China’s modern nation building.     

The “Catholic Grotesque” at the Sacro Monte of Varallo: the Protestant aversion to a graphic space during the late 19th and early 20th centuries

The hyper-sensual Early Modern Italian Sacro Monte of Varallo was dismissed by nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Protestant scholars and tourists as nothing more than the “Catholic Grotesque.” This derision has had serious repercussions. By examining the acoustically shaped spaces, use of architectural chiaroscuro, hapticity, architectural effects of weather, and the importance of touch and smell, one realizes the extent to which the Sacro Monte is a multi-valent atmosphere. As such it challenges the ontological fixation and ocularcentrism of architectural theory and the way in which the discipline of architectural history is practiced. An analysis of the site compels us to recalibrate our “sensory ratio” and recognize that, in order to understand a set of practices that has left little written record, we, as architectural historians, need to draw from disciplines other than our own. In the process, we also need to be aware of the extent to which current topics and attitudes have been shaped by a Protestant past.     

A Person Without a Past: Robert Michels and Alfred Schutz and the Sociology of the “Stranger”

Robert Michels and Alfred Schutz might not seem to have much in common. Michels was a political sociologist and Schütz was a philosopher of phenomenology, but they shared one crucial thing: they were both strangers in foreign countries. Michels left Germany for Italy and Switzerland because he was not permitted to complete the second degree necessary to teach at the university level while Schutz was compelled to leave Austria for France and the United States because of his Jewish background. Their experiences of trying to adapt in a foreign country prompted them to reflect on what it means to be “the stranger” (“Der Fremde”). Michels wrote “Materialien zu einer Soziologie des Fremden” in 1925 and Schutz published “The Stranger: An Essay in Social Psychology” in 1944. While Schutz’ article has been repeatedly cited, there does not seem to be a study devoted to it. Michels' article remains among his most neglected writings. However, both works offer a theoretical and contextual account of the obstacles the stranger encounters when trying to understand and to acclimate oneself to a new environment. As Schutz noted, the stranger is a person “without a past”, and Michels suggested, is also a person with an uncertain future.     

Curbing the demographic “drifting dune” in long-term care insurance financing: The case of Germany

Long-term care provision and financing are becoming increasingly important matters in all ageing economies. Therefore, a major challenge for policy makers is to strike a balance between adequate care and sustainable financing. In this study, we evaluate the proposal of a so-called sustainability factor in German long-term care insurance. Considering changes in the beneficiary-contributor ratio, it aims for a rule-based consideration of demographic dynamics to alleviate pressure on long-term care financing. Using the framework of generational accounting, we demonstrate that this proposal could have a relieving effect on finances, depending on the share of involvement of current and future generations. It may offer an option for pay-as-you-go long-term care insurance systems worldwide that need to curb the impact of ageing societies. Therefore, this article addresses policy makers tasked with designing a sustainable financing model for long-term care insurance. It demonstrates that the sustainability factor represents a step towards sustainable finances and, thus, it might be one component of a more comprehensive reform package.