The Three-Body Problem, Chinese Nationalism, and the Challenge to Democracy

• In Event: Genre, Subcultures, and Politics

Abstract

Liu Cixin's "The Three-Body Problem" trilogy, the first Chinese work to receive the Hugo Award, is viewed as a pinnacle in Chinese science fiction in recent years. The television series adaptation based on the trilogy has also captivated widespread attention in China. Nevertheless, beneath the grandeur of the novel's science fiction backdrop lies an exaggerated admiration for masculinity, coupled with a pervasive skepticism and mockery of liberal democracy.
This article posits that, on a societal scale, the popularity of "The Three-Body Problem" trilogy in China mirrors the prevailing nationalist mentality that has permeated Chinese society over the past decade. Moreover, the depiction of a fictional human society dominated by Chinese characters in the trilogy, when confronted with a more advanced alien civilization in the universe, reflects the deep-rooted historical subconsciousness of the Chinese people since the First Opium War in 1839. This subconscious belief asserts that scientific and technological development is key to ensuring the survival of the political community, while liberalism and democracy may be counterproductive. Faced with the existential crisis of the entire nation, it is considered imperative for the populace to relinquish individual rights, including the right to survival, and entrust a powerful sovereign with decision-making authority to ensure collective survival.
However, having challenged the desirability and legitimacy of liberal democracy, the author also expresses doubt about the Hobbesian-Schmittian solution at the end of the trilogy and endeavors to explore a political resolution that transcends the simplistic dichotomy of democracy and authoritarianism.

Author

• Yufei Zhao, Boston College