ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book aims to provide the development of economic thought from pre-Han times to what is identified as its “grand unification” in the reign of Emperor. It offers some personal observations on the representation of Han political economy and, in particular, its identification with “schools” of thought. Shang Yang’s proposal was more nuanced: he advocated the replacement of private merchants by state-registered carters, whose activity would be limited to tasks that were authorised by the state. Turning to the “Confucian” political economy that was, or may have been, bequeathed to the Han, it soon becomes jarringly apparent that we are heading into disputed territory. The story of Han political economy may be better understood as a flux of ideas and policies, advocated by, and associated with, individuals and groups with their own fluid and multifaceted characteristics.
