Implicit comparisons, or why it is inevitable to study China in comparative perspective

Methodological nationalism and the Sino-centrism of Chinese studies stand in the way of sustained comparisons in the study of China. But the supposed singularity of China either relies on implicit comparisons, or on the rejection of comparability. Comparison is a necessity, if only because there are so many contradictory claims to define ‘China’ and what should be part of it. Concepts such as society, empire, and civilization, as well as their substantialization (as in ‘Chinese society’), always rely on implicit comparisons that are accepted as shared fictions. We point to the effects of concealing comparative structures, with examples of Chinese social scientists defining native Chinese concepts; and we discuss the argumentative and political effects of revealing underlying comparisons. On this basis, we argue, it is inevitable to study China in comparative perspective.