Jaeyoon Song

Professor Jaeyoon Song is a historian and philosopher at McMaster University, specializing in medieval and modern Chinese history, Confucian political theory, and contemporary Chinese politics. He bridges classical exegesis with empirical historical analysis, focusing on the Song Dynasty and its implications for modern governance.

His research explores the Confucian Classics, particularly their reinterpretation by Southern Song thinkers, to argue against China's current autocratic ideologies. He has authored the book Traces of Grand Peace (2015) and a trilogy A Sad China analyzing modern Chinese politics.

Recent publications include studies on Zhu Xi's moral philosophy, Lü Zhong's statecraft, and Ming princedom structures. His work spans journals like Journal of Chinese Philosophy and Journal of Song-Yuan Studies.

As an educator, he teaches courses such as Modern China and War and Society in East Asian History. He is also a novelist (Yoshiko’s Flags) and columnist for Korean newspapers, analyzing China's socio-political evolution.