Xi Jinping’s “ecological civilization” has become a buzzword in recent years. Although the term was invented in the Soviet Union and is aspirational rather than descriptive, it has been misunderstood as a comment on China’s history. But what exactly determines how man influences the environment? How did the Chinese actually deal with their environment historically? In 1993, Mark Elvin, a pioneer of the environmental history of China, wrote an article entitled “Three Thousand Years of Unsustainable Growth.” He argued that the social structure of power is the single most important factor that decides the relationship between man and nature. The course will take China’s history since the Early Modern era as a case study to test this proposition. We will explore the impact of population growth, markets, and politics on decisions concerning the environment, including land, forests, and water resources. We will also look at what Chinese thinkers thought about the environment and how the society dealt with natural hazards like floods, droughts and diseases. If development was “unsustainable”, as the tongue-in-cheek title might suggest, what was it that made Chinese pre-industrial society resilient over the long run. This course is reading-intensive and will mainly use the discussion format, mixed with short lectures and student presentations. Assessment will be based on student participation in class and on individual research papers. The course is taught in English.
- Trainer/in: Elisabeth Kaske