Chine moderne et sinologie

摘要

Modem China and Sinology. This essay which was first presented as the inaugural lecture of the chair of History of Modern China at the Collège de France, deals with the inadequacies of the tradition modernity paradigm still prevalent much of Chinese studies. Recent research on the history of East and South Asian societies and economies suggests that thorough reconsideration of what is thought of as "modern" and "traditional" is needed for better understanding of Chinese developments in the late imperial period and in the twentieth century. Particular attention is given to the process of state building in China since the seventeenth century which reveals more similarities with trends in modern Europe that might perhaps be thought. But command of traditional sinological skills and an awareness of the specificities of Chinese sources remain indispensable if comparative approach is to yield reliable conclusions.