Scientism and humanism: Two cultures in post-Mao China

The heart of the book is a comparative study of the ideas of a group of Chinese intellectuals. The intellectuals' ideas are compared not only with ideas of the Westerners from whom they have drawn strength, but also with ideas in the Chinese tradition. The similarities and differences are interpreted in terms of differing social realities, not treated as the whims of some idiosyncratic individuals.; The book identifies three versions of scientism during the post-Mao era: the Marxist scientism of orthodox Marxism, the empirical scientism of systems theory, and a Chinese-style scientism of technological determinism. Three corresponding versions of humanism have also been identified: Marxist humanism, liberal-post-modern humanism, and Confucian humanism. From the perspective of philosophical starting points, the dichotomy of scientism and humanism is drawn not only in line with the Chinese tradition which views intellectual-political trends as more or less in compensation, but also the Weberian tension of "formal rationality" versus "substance rationality." From the perspective of intellectual origins, the three versions of scientism can be traced back to Western materialistic scientism, Western empirical scientism and the Chinese science tradition with its emphasis on technology. From the perspective of political connotations, the three versions of scientism are viewed as the expressions of state socialism, liberalism, and the current regime's contingent policies. The political dimensions of the three versions of scientism and humanism are also linked to Almond's three versions of political culture in a communist country.