Asian Freedoms: The Idea of Freedom in East and Southeast Asia

by David Kelly (Editor), Anthony Reid (Editor)

This book argues that Western ideas of freedom have become widely accepted in Asia as the key determinant for measuring a range of legal, ethical and political practices. The book finds that modern conceptions of freedom have become adapted to local contexts throughout Asia. The book avoids cultural relativism and generalizations, but does find a number of common ideas relating to freedom across the region. A prestigious group of contributors explores freedom from historical, religious, political and ideological perspectives.

240 pages, Paperback

First published August 3, 1998

Reviews

[Shad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is interested but somewhat disjointed, as is often the case in compilations of essays. I think it would have been better if the project had been more specific by setting a time period or aspect of freedom or cross-section of society to analyse. As it is, the authors seem to provide conflicting views of freedom and its development in East Asia when they are really just talking about different aspects of society, periods of time or perceptions of freedom. Each of the essays was interesting and informative, at least to me, but I think the book would have been more beneficial had it had more conformity of purpose.

[Laura Faludi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diverse collection of essays covering East and Southeast Asia contemplating the notion of freedom in Western and in indigenous sense during the last centuries. Particularly insightful and entertaining essay from James C. Scott on parallels between the mechanisms of the state and scientific forestry.