The paradox of power: conceptions of power and the relations of reason and emotion in European and Chinese culture

Jack Barbalet*, Xiaoying Qi

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A historical consequence of power relations in European culture has been a dichotomy of reason and emotion. This pattern did not arise in China, one of the oldest and most enduring structures of power in human history. The social basis of the Chinese concept of xin (heart-mind) is considered in this paper, and a discussion of a characteristic Chinese conception of power is also presented.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)405-418
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Political Power
Volume6
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2013
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Daodejing
  • kinship
  • social structure
  • submissiveness
  • wuwei (effortless action)

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