ABSTRACT
The Western invasion of China in the late Qing precipitated changes at the very core of Chinese politics. As resisting the foreign intrusion became imperative, the role of the government was no longer limited to managing the affairs of the country and looking after its own subjects. This chapter outlines the evolution of this intellectual trend from the late Qing through the New Culture Movement. “Grouping” and “society” both refer to a kind of organization that produces collective strength, but they do not mean collectivism. Chinese intellectuals considered both as alternatives to the old horizontal organization of family relations. The idea of grouping flourished in China after 1895. In a nation of undisciplined and disorganized people, it presented a means of overcoming the tyranny of family organizations and uniting individuals in pursuit of higher social goals.
