China’s Turn of Conceptual History Research

Conceptual history is a field of research that has become very popular internationally in recent years. After briefly surveying the process of Chinese modern knowledge formation, this paper examines the significance of the conceptual history research method in modern Chinese thought. To adapt and carry out the study of conceptual history in line with the characteristics of Chinese history, we first need to understand conceptual history as it has been used in Germany. After reviewing the characteristics and evolution of conceptual history in Germany, this paper proposes four standards for studying the history of Chinese concepts: standardization, popularization, politicization and derivatization. In accordance with the principles that inform and underlie these standards, Nanjing University is promoting the study of Chinese conceptual history around 100 key concepts.