Telegraphy and Political Time: a Reinterpretation of the May Fourth Incident of 1919

Shuanglin Guo

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Chapter 2 Telegraphy and Political Time: a Reinterpretation of the May Fourth Incident of 1919

In: New Vocabularies of May Fourth Studies

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Shuanglin Guo

Shuanglin Guo
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Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 32–86

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004697904_004

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Abstract

The May Fourth Movement, a pivotal historical event combining national salvation and intellectual enlightenment, is integral to understanding modern Chinese development. Traditional research often emphasizes economic, class, and ideological factors, neglecting the transformative impact of telegraph technology, akin to the revolutionary significance of iron tools in ancient China. In recent, more nuanced studies, attention has shifted to the relationship between information dissemination and the movement, unveiling a series of related research outcomes. This paper builds on prior research, offering a fresh interpretation of the 1919 “May Fourth Incident” from the perspective of the telegraph and political temporality. “Political temporality” refers to the timing aspects of modern political life, encompassing both domestic and international political affairs. The arrival of telegraph technology and railway transportation in early 20th-century China is reevaluated as a revolutionary force, challenging the notion that technological factors were constants in China’s societal development. Recognizing the dynamic role of technology in shaping modern China, this study contends that the telegraph, often overlooked in historical narratives, played a role as transformative as ancient innovations. This reevaluation emphasizes the need to consider technological variables in understanding the complexities of China’s modernization.

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New Vocabularies of May Fourth Studies

Series: Ideas, History, and Modern China, Volume: 33

E-Book ISBN:: 9789004697904

Publisher:: Brill

Print Publication Date:: 16 Oct 2024

Subjects
- Asian Studies
  - China
  - History
- History
  - Intellectual History
  - Chinese History

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Chapter 2 Telegraphy and Political Time: a Reinterpretation of the May Fourth Incident of 1919

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New Vocabularies of May Fourth Studies

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