Thucydides in China

Abstract

At the turn of the twentieth century, Chinese historiography went through a revolution in that traditional historiography was replaced with nineteenth-century Western historiography with Rankean doctrines at its core. This set the stage for the reception of Thucydides, who was seen as the model of an objective historian. At the same time, appraisal of Thucydides was also dictated by the political ideology of the times. More recently, as China emerges as a global power, the importance of international relations has been elevated and Thucydides appeals to many because of his realpolitik interpretation of history popularized by Graham Allison’s theory of “Thucydides’s Trap.” At the same time, the extremely influential Chinese Straussians, mindful of China’s rise and contemplating a leading role for her, see in Thucydides the value of political education for the future elites. Underlining all these trends is a strong nationalist tone.