23 Changes over Two Millennia: Law, Gender, and Neo-Confucianism

In this lecture, the exploration of significant long-term trends in Chinese society reveals overlooked aspects of historical evolution. Firstly, this lecture delves into the process of statutization of customary social rules, elucidating how they evolved into written law, shaping societal conduct and curtailing individual autonomy. Secondly, it examines the transformation of women's status, particularly during periods of economic growth, exemplified by the widespread adoption of foot binding and changing aesthetic standards. Lastly, this lecture scrutinizes the irony surrounding the development of conscience and orthodoxy in Neo-Confucianism, contrasting it with the Protestant Reformation in Europe.