From: Grant Callaghan (grantc4@hotmail.com)
Date: Wed 05 Mar 2003 - 15:19:48 GMT
Let me recommend to you once more Johnathan Spence's book, Treason by the
Book, in which he details how the Ching Dynasty emperor, YongZheng, in the
1720s, countered the memes of rebellion by writing a book that examined the
claims of the rebels and refuted their assertions, then having the book
published throughout the empire. It's one of the best studies of Chinese
culture and a thin slice of history that I've ever read. Just as
interesting, perhaps, is the fact that Spence did most of his research in
Taipei, Taiwan using the artifacts that Chiang Kaishek brought over with him
when he fled the mainland in 1949. Highly recommended.
Does Spence ever actually use the term "meme" himself in that book?
Of course not. Spence is a historian who specializes in China. You have to
draw your own conclusions about what the Emperor is doing. The conclusions
above are mine.
Grant
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