Seeing the World Anew: Commissioner Lin Zexu and China’s Pursuit of Evil
Introduction
The Opium War (1839–1842) remains a foundational pivot in global history, yet its central figure, Lin Zexu, is often relegated to being a symbol of tragic, failed resistance. While traditional narratives focus on Lin’s destruction of British opium, David G. Atwill argues that his true challenge lay in navigating the "legalized lawlessness" of a shifting imperial world order.
Moving beyond the lens of military defeat, this talk will explore Lin’s sophisticated efforts to "see the world anew" through his intensive translation projects and sharp analyses of British domestic politics. By re-examining Lin not as a naïve moralist but as a nuanced strategist, this talk reveals how his quest to purge a "social poison" fundamentally reshaped China’s engagement with the West.
About the Speaker
David G. Atwill is Dean of Arts and Sciences and Professor of History at New York University Shanghai. A scholar of the 19th and the 20th century China, Tibet and Islam in Asia, Dr. Atwill’s work examines the complex intersection of ethnicity, religion and politics. He has carried out oral and archival research across four continents in five languages. He is the recipient of numerous fellowships, and served twice as a Fulbright scholar. He is the author of multiple scholarly works including The Panthay Rebellion: Islam, Ethnicity, the Dali Sultanate, 1856-73, Islamic Shangri-La: Inter-Asian Relations and Lhasa’s Muslim Communities, 1600 to 1960, and has nearly completed a biography of Lin Zexu.