Research Guides: History Senior Seminar: Law and Society in East Asia

Primary Sources

Specimen pages of Korean movable types by Melvin P. McGovern
Call Number: FSU Special Collections and Archives Vault (Oversize) Z186.K67 M3
Publication Date: 1966
Twenty-two movable type specimens of nearly every Korean font printed between 1420 and 1896
Han Feizi by Burton Watson (Translator)
ISBN: 0231129696
Publication Date: 2003-05-14
Trenchant, sophisticated, and cynical, Han Feizi has been read in every age and is still of interest today when people are more than ever concerned with the nature and use of power. Han Feizi (280?-233 B.C.), a prince of Han, was a representative of the Fa-chia, or Legalist, school of philosophy and produced the final and most readable exposition of its theories. His handbook for the ruler deals with the problems of strengthening and preserving the state, the way of the ruler, the use of power, and punishment and favor. Ironically, the ruler most influenced by Han Feizi, the king of Qin, eventually sent Han Feizi to prison, where he later committed suicide.
True Crimes in Eighteenth-Century China by Robert E. Hegel
ISBN: 9780295989075
Publication Date: 2009-04-16
The little-examined genre of legal case narratives is represented in this fascinating volume, the first collection translated into English of criminal cases - most involving homicide - from late imperial China. These true stories of crimes of passion, family conflict, neighborhood feuds, gang violence, and sedition are a treasure trove of information about social relations and legal procedure.Each narrative describes circumstances leading up to a crime and its discovery, the appearance of the crime scene and the body, the apparent cause of death, speculation about motives and premeditation, and whether self-defense was involved. Detailed testimony is included from the accused and from witnesses, family members, and neighbors, as well as summaries and opinions from local magistrates, their coroners, and other officials higher up the chain of judicial review. Officials explain which law in the Qing dynasty legal code was violated, which corresponding punishment was appropriate, and whether the sentence was eligible for reduction.These records began as reports from magistrates on homicide cases within their jurisdiction that were required by law to be tried first at the county level, then reviewed by judicial officials at the prefectural, provincial, and national levels, with each administrator adding his own observations to the file. Each case was decided finally in Beijing, in the name of the emperor if not by the monarch himself, before sentences could be carried out and the records permanently filed. All of the cases translated here are from the Qing imperial copies, most of which are now housed in the First Historical Archives, Beijing.
Xunzi by Xunzi; Eric L. Hutton (Edited and Translated by, Introduction by)
ISBN: 9780691161044
Publication Date: 2014-10-05
This is the first complete, one-volume English translation of the ancient Chinese text Xunzi, one of the most extensive, sophisticated, and elegant works in the tradition of Confucian thought. Through essays, poetry, dialogues, and anecdotes, the Xunzi articulates a Confucian perspective on ethics, politics, warfare, language, psychology, human nature, ritual, and music, among other topics. Aimed at general readers and students of Chinese thought, Eric Hutton's translation makes the full text of this important work more accessible in English than ever before. Named for its purported author, the Xunzi (literally, "Master Xun") has long been neglected compared to works such as the Analects of Confucius and the Mencius. Yet interest in the Xunzi has grown in recent decades, and the text presents a much more systematic vision of the Confucian ideal than the fragmented sayings of Confucius and Mencius. In one famous, explicit contrast to them, the Xunzi argues that human nature is bad. However, it also allows that people can become good through rituals and institutions established by earlier sages. Indeed, the main purpose of the Xunzi is to urge people to become as good as possible, both for their own sakes and for the sake of peace and order in the world. In this edition, key terms are consistently translated to aid understanding and line numbers are provided for easy reference. Other features include a concise introduction, a timeline of early Chinese history, a list of important names and terms, cross-references, brief explanatory notes, a bibliography, and an index.
An Anthology of Chinese Literature by Stephen Owen
ISBN: 0393038238
Publication Date: 1996-05-01
Hailed as a groundbreaking text in Chinese Studies, An Anthology of Chinese Literature brings together representative works from the first millenium B.C. to the end of the imperial system in 1911. This collection of over 600 pieces, translated with great clarity and sense of the original, presents the tradition in historical and aesthetic context. Moving roughly chronologically through the tradition, An Anthology of Chinese Literature gathers texts in a variety of genres-songs, letters, anecdotes, poetry, political oratory, plays, traditional literary theory, and more-to show how the essential texts build on and echo each other. Coupled with highly readable commentary, this innovative structure uniquely highlights the interplay among Chinese literature, culture, and history.
The Mozi by Ian Johnston (Translator)
ISBN: 9780231152402
Publication Date: 2010-02-25
The Mozi is a key philosophical work written by a major social and political thinker of the fifth century B.C.E. It is one of the few texts to survive the Warring States period (403-221 B.C.E.) and is crucial to understanding the origins of Chinese philosophy and two other foundational works, the Mengzi and the Xunzi. Ian Johnston provides an English translation of the entire Mozi, as well as the first bilingual edition in any European language to be published in the West. His careful translation reasserts the significance of the text's central doctrines, and his annotations and contextual explanations add vivid historical and interpretive dimensions. Part 1 of the Mozi is called the "Epitomes" and contains seven short essays on the elements of Mohist doctrine. Part 2, the "Core Doctrines," establishes the ten central tenets of Mo Zi's ethical, social, and political philosophy, while articulating his opposition to Confucianism. Part 3, the "Canons and Explanations," comprises observations on logic, language, disputation, ethics, science, and other matters, written particularly in defense of Mohism. Part 4, the "Dialogues," presents lively conversations between Master Mo and various disciples, philosophical opponents, and potential patrons. Part 5, the "Defense Chapters," details the principles and practices of defensive warfare, a subject on which Master Mo was an acknowledged authority. Now available to English-speaking readers of all backgrounds, the Mozi is a rich and varied text, and this bilingual edition provides an excellent tool for learning classical Chinese.
The Analects by Confucius
ISBN: 1504041232
Publication Date: 2016-10-11
A classic compendium of spiritual wisdom from ancient China's greatest philosopher. The Analects present the detailed code of morality, behavior, and belief espoused by Confucius. Stressing virtue, integrity, and respect within families and communities, Confucius explains how certain principles of living can apply to all aspects of society from education to political systems. One of the most influential books in world history and a foundational text in the study of ethics, sociology, and philosophy, The Analects elucidates a path for an honorable and rewarding life. More than two millennia after it was written, this collection of wisdom from ancient China's best-known thinker is still admired and studied today.
Voices of Early Modern Japan by Constantine Nomikos Vaporis
ISBN: 9781003005292
Publication Date: 2020-11-26
In this newly revised and updated 2nd edition of Voices of Early Modern Japan, Constantine Nomikos Vaporis offers an accessible collection of annotated historical documents of an extraordinary period in Japanese history, ranging from the unification of warring states under Tokugawa Ieyasu in the early seventeenth century to the overthrow of the shogunate just after the opening of Japan by the West in the mid- nineteenth century. Through close examination of primary sources from "The Great Peace," this fascinating textbook offers fresh insights into the Tokugawa era: its political institutions, rigid class hierarchy, artistic and material culture, religious life, and more, demonstrating what historians can uncover from the words of ordinary people. New features include: * An expanded section on religion, morality and ethics; * A new selection of maps and visual documents; * Sources from government documents and household records to diaries and personal correspondence, translated and examined in light of the latest scholarship; * Updated references for student projects and research assignments. The first edition of Voices of Early Modern Japan was the winner of the 2013 Franklin R. Buchanan Prize for Curricular Materials. This fully revised textbook will prove a comprehensive resource for teachers and students of East Asian Studies, history, culture, and anthropology.
Mengzi by Mengzi; Bryan W. Van Norden (Translator)
ISBN: 9781603848541
Publication Date: 2008-01-01
Bryan Van Norden's new translation of the Mengzi (Mencius) is accurate, philosophically nuanced, and fluent. Accompanied by selected passages from the classic commentary of Zhu Xi--one of the most influential and insightful interpreters of Confucianism--this edition provides readers with a parallel to the Chinese practice of reading a classic text alongside traditional commentaries. Also included are an Introduction that situates Mengzi and Zhu Xi in their intellectual and social contexts; a glossary of names, places and important terms; a selected bibliography; and an index.
Li Ji by trans. James Legge
Call Number: PL2478 .G4
Li chi: book of rites. An encyclopedia of ancient ceremonial usages, religious creeds, and social institutions.
Chu Hsi and the Ta-hsueh by Daniel K. Gardner
ISBN: 0674130650
Publication Date: 1986-07-01
Chu Hsi and the "Ta Hsueh": Neo-Confucian Reflection on the Confucian Canon
I Ching by Rudolf Ritsema; Stephen Karcher
ISBN: 1852305363
Publication Date: 1994-11-01
The I Ching is a powerful oracle or divinatory system with roots that go back over 3000 years. Its divinatory core, the oldest and most complex system to survive into modern times, consists of a set of 64 six-line figures, referred to as hexagrams. Each figure has a name and a group of short phrases associated with it, and the combinations of text and figures act as mirrors for the unconscious forces shaping any given moment, problem or situation and connecting it with unseen forces behind it.

Area Studies: China and Southeast Asia This link opens in a new window
A varied array of records of traders, travelers, missionaries and diplomats, from the mid-seventeenth century to the late twentieth century, offering Western perspectives on all aspects of Chinese culture and society.
Abbreviation: arschn
Vendor: Adam Matthew Digital Ltd
Subjects: History
Type: Historical / Primary Sources
Asahi Shimbun Cross-Search This link opens in a new window
Asahi Shimbun Cross-Search from the Asahi Shimbun Company is the largest newspaper article database in Japan. It includes 15 million articles and advertisements from more than 135 years of the newspaper, from its first edition in 1879 Meiji 12) to today. The database also contains articles from the magazines 'AERA' and 'Shukan Asahi', a Historical Photo Archive database of approximately 10 thousand photographic records mostly taken in Asia during the World War II period, an English-language News Database, Asahi Graph, Who's Who database, Image Database of Regional pages, and contemporary Dictionary Chiezo.
Abbreviation: kikuzo
Vendor: Asahi Shimbun Company
Coverage: 1879–Current
Type: Historical / Primary Sources, Newspapers and Newswires
China, America and the Pacific: Trade and Cultural Exchange This link opens in a new window
Explore the cultural and trading relationships that emerged between American, China, and the Pacific region between the early 18th and 20th centuries. Sourced from world-class collections at American and Canadian libraries, this collection offers unique insights into the history of North American trade and cultural interactions with China. Coverage also includes Pacific trading centers, such as Hawai'i.
Abbreviation: cap
Vendor: Adam Matthew Digital Ltd
Subjects: Asian Studies, Cultural Heritage, Economics, International Affairs
Type: Historical / Primary Sources, Images, Indexes / Catalogs, Maps
China: Culture and Society This link opens in a new window
Extremely rare pamphlets from the Charles W. Wason Collections on East Asia, Cornell University Library; one of the oldest and most distinctive collections of its kind. As there is no comparable digital project offering this type of material, this project meets the need for English language research sources relating to China and the West, and addresses a wide variety of research interests and topics surrounding Chinese history, religion, culture, and everyday life.
Abbreviation: ccs
Vendor: Adam Matthew Digital Ltd
Subjects: Asian Studies
Type: Historical / Primary Sources, Indexes / Catalogs, Reports
China: Trade, Politics and Culture 1793–1980 This link opens in a new window
Discover over 200 years of Chinese history, charting the monumental social and political upheaval that recreated China as a modern power. With documents encompassing events from the earliest English embassy to the birth and early years of the People's Republic, this resource collects sources from nine archives to give an incredible insight into the changes in China during this period.
Abbreviation: ctpc
Vendor: Adam Matthew Digital Ltd
Coverage: 1793–1980
Subjects: Asian Studies
Type: Historical / Primary Sources, Images, Indexes / Catalogs, Maps
Foreign Office Files for China, 1919–1980 This link opens in a new window
Formerly restricted British Foreign Office files dealing with China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan between 1919 and 1980. Featuring diplomatic dispatches, letters, newspaper cuttings, political pamphlets, reports of court cases and other materials, this collection represents a constant exchange of information between London and the British embassies and consulates. Due to the unique nature of the relationship between Britain and China, these formerly restricted first-hand accounts provide unprecedented levels of detail into a turbulent period in Chinese history.
Abbreviation: fofcs
Vendor: Adam Matthew Digital Ltd
Coverage: 1919–1980
Subjects: Asian Studies, History, International Affairs
Type: Biographies, Government Publications, Historical / Primary Sources, Images, Indexes / Catalogs, Maps, Reports
JapanKnowledge (1 concurrent user limit) This link opens in a new window
JapanKnowledge is an online web archive that boasts the largest corpus of encyclopedia, dictionaries, reference compilations, and periodical resources (approximately 50 different sources) in Japan. JapanKnowledge’s cross-search brings results from its wide-ranging libraries, from dictionaries of a variety of language besides Japanese and English to encyclopedias of history that delve deeply into historical facts and book series.
FSU has access to JapanKnowledge Lib, Kokushi Daijiten, and Shinpen Kokka Taikan.

There is a 1 concurrent user limit. Click Login to access and Logout when finished. Do not close your browser window without logging out first.

Tutorials:
How to use Japan Knowledge (01:55)
JapanKnowledge Lib (pdf)
Shinpen Kokka Taikan (pdf)

Abbreviation: jklib
Vendor: NetAdvance, Inc.
Subjects: Asian Studies, Cultural Heritage, History, Religion
Type: E-Book Collections, Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
Meiji Japan This link opens in a new window
Manuscripts for the study of Meiji society, culture, ethnology, and education from the papers of Edward Sylvester Morse (18381925). Edward S. Morse was a great polymath notable for his work in natural history, ethnography, and art history, but perhaps most famous for his work in bringing Japan and the West closer together.
Abbreviation: mj
Vendor: Adam Matthew Digital Ltd
Coverage: 1856–1925
Subjects: Architecture, Art History, Asian Studies, Music
Type: Biographies, Historical / Primary Sources, Images, Indexes / Catalogs, Maps
People's Daily–Renmin Ribao (2 concurrent user limit) This link opens in a new window
People's Daily is the most influential and authoritative newspaper in China. It is the official voice of the central government of the People's Republic of China. For the last 70 years, the People's Daily has published daily issues that provide the single location where the central government and the Communist Party of China announce their respective policies and disseminate governmental, political, and economic messages to the public and the world. Most importantly, since its inception the newspaper has been the true barometer of the political climate of Chinese society on a daily basis. Access limited to 2 users.
Abbreviation: renmin
Vendor: Ori Probe Information Service
Coverage: 1946–Current
Subjects: Asian Studies, History
Type: Historical / Primary Sources, Newspapers and Newswires
PKULaw This link opens in a new window
Online access in English to the laws and administrative regulations of the People's Republic of China. Included are over 5,000 full-text English translations of Chinese legislation, 500+ decision from the Supreme People's Court and Procuratorate, legal news in full text of all news articles from 2000 to date, primary source documents related to the legislative history of regulations, and leading Chinese law journals. Produced at Peking University Law School, updated daily.
Abbreviation: lichina
Vendor: Chinalawinfo
Coverage: 2000–Current
Subjects: Asian Studies, Business, International Affairs, Law
Type: Government Publications, Indexes / Catalogs

National Archives of Japan Digital Archive
Important documents and maps digitized by the National Archives of Japan
National Archives of Korea
Digital collections from the National Archives of South Korea
National Central Library Taiwan
Digital repository for Taiwanese theses and dissertations, Taiwan Memory, and Taiwanese publications
National Diet Library, Japan
National library with digitized collections related to the Japanese legislative body
National Library of Korea
Digital Collections of the National Library of Korea include rare books, magazines, textbooks, and the South Korea Newspaper Archives
Taiwan National Archives
Archival exhibitions feature digitized documents and images from the National Archives of Taiwan

Chongquing, China House Photographs and Letters, 1988-1989, Container: Single Folder Collections - 2006 Box 2 (06.0075-06.0150), Folder: 001. John D. Griffin papers, 06.0181. FSU Special Collections & Archives. https://archives.lib.fsu.edu/repositories/10/archival_objects/179095

Lectures on the General Principles of Criminal Law in the People's Republic of China, 1962, Folder 3, Box: 75, Folder: 03. Sir Leon Radzinowicz Papers, MSS 2013-0729. FSU Special Collections & Archives. https://archives.lib.fsu.edu/repositories/10/archival_objects/122440

UN Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders (Brochure, Report for 1986)- Human Rights (A Compilation of International Instruments of the United Nations), 1968, Folder 7, Box: 73, Folder: 07. Sir Leon Radzinowicz Papers, MSS 2013-0729. FSU Special Collections & Archives. https://archives.lib.fsu.edu/repositories/10/archival_objects/122422

Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, Box: 9. Student Activities Records, HUA 2018-002. FSU Special Collections & Archives. https://archives.lib.fsu.edu/repositories/10/archival_objects/222153

Dale A. Olsen Collection, Warren D. Allen Music Library, Tallahassee, Florida. http://purl.fcla.edu/fsu/FSUML-2020-008

Tadako Knight Collection, Special Collections & Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. http://purl.fcla.edu/fsu/WWII_04_0251