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Introduction to the Thematic Focus “Between Appropriation and Refutation – The the Significance and Reception of Max Weber in China”

The origins of ‘textual criticism’ in China are usually traced back to Liu Xiang 劉向 (79-8 BCE), who is credited with the invention of philological tools, especially ‘collation’ (jiaochou 校讎). However, scholars have also noted that the terms jiao 校 and chou 讎 occur in earlier sources, especially manuscripts with legal or administrative texts. Surv…[Read more]

Throughout China’s imperial history there have been numerous attempts to establish dynasties, of which a considerable number resulted in ‘marginal dynasties’, that are short-lived and locally confined rules. These have been deemed illegitimate by traditional Chinese historiography, even though they naturally considered themselves as legit…[Read more]

This article traces the history of one Chinese manuscript in time and space by means of examining the book collectors’ seals imprinted to it.

The imperial collection of the Former Han dynasty, the oldest Chinese manuscript collection of which we possess a catalogue, has both been called an archive and a library. This paper discusses the fundamental difference between an archive and a library in the manuscript age. On the basis of this distinction, it argues for…[Read more]

Comprehensive introduction to Chinese book collectors’ seals (cangshuyin 藏書印).