Abstract
This paper examines the interactions between the role of tradition (religion, culture) and modernity (democracy, liberalism, science) in the intellectual landscapes of the Ottoman Empire and Qing China during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The author investigates the concept of modernity and its meanings for the intellectuals of the time, questioning whether the modernity means acceptance of Western techniques as a model or if there is room for adaptation with traditional values for these intellectuals. The historical context of the "sick man" and “saving the empire” rhetoric in both the Ottoman Empire and Qing China were vivid topics of the 19th century. Both of these empires experienced reform periods in the mentioned century, which led to a discussion of their intellectuals to what degree should the empires be “modernised.” These debates included with some advocating for the incorporation of Western ideas to only in a limited manner, while others sought radical reforms, influenced by the experiences in the West and Japan. The article focuses on some key figures that were categorized as radical and conservatist intellectuals. The paper looks at the writings of the intellectuals like Kang Youwei, Namık Kemal, Chen Duxiu, and Beşir Fuad and gives a historical background. It argues that even seemingly radical figures exhibited a nuanced stance, acknowledging certain traditional values while advocating for modernization, like Yin-Yang symbolism. The opposite of this phenomena is valid for the so-called conservatist figures. That means, tradition and modernity does not always create a dichotomy but creates an amalgamation in the non-European world.
Author Information
Cahit Atil Öder, Middle East Technical University, Turkey
Paper Information
Conference: ACSS2024
Stream: Anthropology
This paper is part of the ACSS2024 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Öder C. (2024) Non-linear Modernisations: A Comparative Paper on Ottoman and Chinese Intellectuals on the Issues of Progress, Science and Modernity (1860s-1910s) ISSN: 2186-2303 – The Asian Conference on the Social Sciences 2024: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 129-138) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-2303.2024.12
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-2303.2024.12
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