This book explores the crisis of cultural identity which has assaulted Asian countries since Western countries began to have a profound impact on Asia in the nineteenth century. Confronted by Western "civilization" and by "modernity", Asian countries have been compelled to rethink their own identity, and to consider how they should relate to Western "civilization" and "modernity".

Chih-yu Shih is Professor of Political Science at National Taiwan University.

Introduction: Asian Betweenness: The Civilizational Nation and National Civilization Book I. Up from the Civilizational Divide: An Asian Intellectual Path to the Universal Self Part 1: Asianism in Theoretical Discourse 1. What Is the World? The Beginning of World History in Asianism 2. What Is the West? The Oriental Self That Has No "Other" 3. What Is China? An Epistemological Threat to Japan's Place Part 2: Asianism in Practical Discourse 4. Bridge of Civilizations in Nothingness: The Manchukuo Recast 5. Son of East Asia: A Quest for Transcendence in Colonial Taiwan Book II. Rise of an Unknown? The National Self and the Multiple Appropriations of China Part 3: Reonstructing China 6. Assigning Role Characteristics to China on the Rise: Role State vs. Ego State 7. Doing away with Nationalism? Emerging Liberal Plea for Self-transformation 8. Substituting Self-Governance for Global governance: The Statist Theme of Responsibility Part 4: Deconstructing China 9. Retrieving the Lost Choice: How Does Death Matter in the Confucian IR? 10. Asserting Alternative Modernities: Sub-national Village Development as Anomaly. Conclusion: Race for Harmony: Galton's Civilizational Puzzle