The Architects of Dignity

The Architects of Dignity: Vietnamese Visions of Decolonization is the first book in political theory about Vietnamese political thought. It traces an intergenerational debate among six major political figures in colonial Vietnam about how the Vietnamese should respond to French colonial domination, what the Vietnamese should do with their traditions given the influx of different ideas about politics and society from the West, and how they should harness feelings of national shame to construct national dignity. Their answers offer surprising lessons for how we in the West can enhance our understanding of decolonization, shame, dignity, and cross-cultural engagement.