Chinese Law and Society in the Evolution of Civilization: Qu Tongzu’s Advancement of Maine’s Thought

Qu Tongzu’s lifelong study of Chinese law and society reflects a profound interest in civilization.Deeply influenced by Maine’s thought,Qu Tongzu’s research of traditional Chinese law and society developed a threefold vision of legal Confucianism,ancient social order theory,and civilizational change.First,Qu Tongzu observed the legal trend of Confucianization from the Han to the Qing Dynasty by comparing to Maine’s ideas on the evolution of law and society,which reflected the ancient status society based on family and class.Second,Qu Tongzu explores two significant shifts that occurred in the ancient Chinese society,the historical development of feudal society during the Zhou Dynasty and the modern transformation triggered by the changes of the late Qing Dynasty,thus revising Maine’s viewpoint of static China.Finally,Qu Tongzu’s observation of the traditional social order through the realization of ancient Chinese law demonstrates a vision of civilization evolution similar to Maine’s ambition,thus developing research on law and society with Chinese civilization concerns.