Constructing China's Public Sphere: The 'Three Big Newspaper Supplements' of the May Fourth Era, 1915--1926

My dissertation focuses on the supplements of three influential Chinese newspapers of the May Fourth era (circa late 1918 to early 1926): Chenbao, Minguo ribao and Shishi xinbao. All of these newspaper supplements served as popular forums for discussion and debates. They published speeches, articles and letters by both intellectuals and people of different social strata, and they showcased a wide spectrum of political views. Through case studies of these supplements and of specific debates, I strive to shed new light on the ongoing debate within the Western academy on the relevance of the concept of the "public sphere" for making sense of developments in modern Chinese history. I also compare and contrast the strategies and rhetoric of left-wing and moderate intellectuals, as they engaged in activities that helped to construct and define the Chinese public sphere. Building on the conceptualization of the public sphere of Jurgen Habermas, as well as on major works in Chinese studies that seek to modify and extend his arguments to take into account other phenomena and political players (Chambers of Commerce, workers' union, influential newspapers, etc), I focus on five debates in which, I claim, newspaper supplements served a very Habermasian function in terms of their inclusivity and creation of a setting in which many actors could exchange their opinions on a relatively level playing field. I emphasize the important role that moderate intellectuals played in these debates as editors and writers---roles that have sometimes been overlooked due to the focus that many scholars have had on figures allied to radical causes. Through analysis of the debates and discussions of the time, I attempt to show that the brief flourishing of a vibrant public sphere during the May Fourth era owed much to the actions of editors committed to rationality and open exchanges of opinion, qualities that were less highly valued by more dogmatic figures, including some of those who would become leading intellectual figures within the Chinese Communist Party.