Empires and Civilizations: A Global Turn in Political Thought

From Grotius to Marx
Through the eyes of 13 great thinkers, witness the full historical panorama of modern European empires and political thought.
 
▍ Exploring the Paradox of Empire and Civilization
The twin themes of empire and civilization, ever since the dramatic changes of the 15th century when European powers turned their gaze to the world, have consistently been core paradoxes running parallel to modern political development. In the process of imperialization and globalization, how did people's ideas clash and debate with each other, and how did they collide with reality?
 
Through a dual philosophical and historical lens, "Empire and Civilization" attempts to deeply explore the theoretical controversies and practical difficulties sparked by the concepts of "empire and civilization" in historical practice, tracing the multiple spatiotemporal axes of global political thought. From a cross-cultural perspective, it discusses the Western civilization-centric world order and universal values, possessing both philosophical and historical depth.
 
▍ 7 Major Themes, 13 Thinkers Who Defined Their Era
To accurately trace the evolving civilization and politics, world order, and universal values within the pulse of their times, "Empire and Civilization" centers on 13 thinkers spanning the three major Anglo-French-German political philosophy traditions: Grotius, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Adam Smith, Kant, Burke, Condorcet, Bentham, Hegel, Tocqueville, Mill, and Marx. Through focusing on 7 major themes—the interpretation of natural law, commercial society, critique of humanism, the quest for rational law, liberal imperialism, the shift in imperial discourse, and global capitalist empire—it examines the complex relationship between individual value and human imagination, nation and state, and the European spirit and world history.
 
▍ Standing in East Asia, Observing the "Global Turn"
Based on the perspective of an East Asian scholar, "Empire and Civilization" resonates with the "global turn" in Anglo-American intellectual circles. Beyond re-examining the cultural and historical impact of modern European politics and thought, and exploring the key factors shaping modern politics and values, it also hopes to inspire further discussion and open new perspectives for Chinese-language research in political thought.