Tradition and Creativity: Contributions to East Asian Civilization Book

The terms "culture" and "civilization" have too often been used interchangeably in referring to accomplishments in the spiritual, intellectual, and material domains, and human progress from the uncultivated to the refined. But in reality, they have a twofold meaning, as the essays in this book attest. The eight prominent scholars in this volume, working in their respective areas of expertise, offer either new perspectives or new syntheses on the study of the subjects under discussion.

In discussing various aspects of Chinese and Japanese cultures, these essays either offer new perspectives or new syntheses on the study of the topics under discussion. In addition, they share a common effort to underscore the importance of the humanistic tradition in East Asian civilization. Authored by leading scholars in the field, they represent the current scholarship in the West on the study of Chinese and Japanese cultures, and contribute significantly to a better understanding of East Asia.

Contents: Preface: Ching-I Tu; Popular Religions in Japan: Faith, Belief, and Behavior, Robert J. Smith; Virtuous Wives and Good Mothers-Women in Chinese Society, Marilyn B. Young; Popular Culture in China, Evelyn S. Rawski; Japanese Culture and Foreign Affairs, Akira Iriye; Chinese Culture: High Integration and Hard Modernization, James T.C. Liu; Modern Art Criticism and Chinese Painting History, Wen C. Fong; Religion and Literature in China: The "Obscure Way" of The Journey to the West, Anthony C. Yu; Management and Labor in the Japanese Economy, Solomon B. Levine