China's early modern society / E. Reischauer, J. Fairbank -- The Naitō hypothesis / H. Miyakawa -- Change within tradition / E. Kracke, Jr. -- Urban developments / E. Balazs -- The rise of China as a sea power / Lo Jung-Pang -- The neo-traditional period / J. Liu -- Early-ripening rice / Ho Ping-Ti -- Industrial developments: the iron and coal industries / R. Hartwell -- Changes in the countryside: the great estates / D. Twitchett -- The problem of hired labor / K'o Ch'ang-Chi -- A Sung entrepreneur: Wang Ko / W. Eberhard -- Capitalism in Sung and Yuan China: a western interpretation / E. Balazs -- Two views of Sung autocracy / M. Ichisada, C. Mu -- Sung government: theory and practice / E. Kracke, Jr. -- Centralization, conformity and absolutism / J. Liu -- A Neo-Confucian visionary: Ou-yang Hsiu / D. Nivison -- Student petitions / L. Yutang -- Clan reform in the Sung / D. Twitchett -- Common tendencies of Neo-Confucianism / W. De Bary -- The new Sung culture / Saeki Tomi.

Administrative responsibility in the Confucian state -- Forces that shaped the Sung State -- The structure of civil government -- The civil service and its recruitment -- The utilization of civil service personnel -- The objectives of sponsorship: uses and scope -- The objectives of sponsorship: personal qualities and group morale -- The procedures of sponsorship -- The policies of sponsorship: the selection of the sponsor -- The policies of sponsorship: the control of the sponsor -- The policies of sponsorship: the role of the principal -- Conclusion.