"The easiest way to see Chinese history is in terms of cyclical rotations or sequences, and I think you could argue there was no compelling move toward an ultimate objective. Along with the cyclicality you could argue there was a recurrence of the forms of disruption and unity in creative tension. The Chinese view is also very pessimistic; you know when you're in a cycle of decline. I've always been fascinated by whether that effected your imagination and your very lifestyle."
Jonathan D. Spence got his B.A. from Cambridge University and, in 1965, his Ph.D. from Yale. He got a teaching post at Yale shortly thereafter and has been associated with that university ever since.
So far so good. This Chinese scholar/novelist has a good grasp of reality and an unwavering attention to detail: but I have only read 9 pages so....