Abstract
ABSTRACT Kang Youwei康有為 (1858–1927) was a late Qing intellectual who pioneered modernization efforts in China during an era of foreign imperialism. In this paper, I trace the way in which he reformed Confucianism to fit into the Protestant category of religion. I then argue that his reformed Confucianism could be understood as offering a political theology. Echoing British liberalism, Kang’s reformed Confucianism adopts the progressive theory of history grounded in divine providence used by British imperialists to justify imperial expansion. I conclude by cautioning against attempts to frame Kang’s reformed Confucianism as a potential successor to Western liberalism.
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