Introduction to ISSP

After five years of preparation, the Sun Yat-Sen Institute for Social Sciences and Philosophy was formally founded on Auguest 1, 1981. Originally called "The Institute of the Three Principles of the People", it took up its current title on April 6, 1990. From 1976 to 1981, Dr. Chen Chao-Nan, as head of the Preparatory Office, steered the institute through its initial stages, taking up the position of Director of the Institute in 1981. In 1987, Dr. Mai Chao-Cheng took up the directorship, heading the institute till 1993. Dr. Peng Wen-Shien was director from 1993-1996. Dr. Chu Yun-Peng was director from 1996-1999. The institute's current director is Dr. Ki-Che A. Leung.

What sets the institute apart is its focus on the multi-disciplinary study of the attributes of policies, values, and institutions and the changes these undergo over time. We firmly believe that it is only through constant debate and mutual support between researchers working in different fields that we will come to an actual and complete understanding of the operation of society and the behavior of those who live within it. We also firmly believe that we can, in this manner, offer unique academic analyses and true diagnoses of the problems which plague modern-day society.

Institute fellows are currently engaged in research in four main areas:

  1. Studies on Public Choice:

    2. Covering the study of such collective decision-making processes as electoral institutions and voter behavior and, in addition, their applicability to Taiwanese society.

  2. Studies on the Distribution of Social Resources:

    3. Among which, a study related to income distribution and government policy has already been launched. Called "Study of Economic Growth, Income Distribution, Social Problems and their Relationship with Government Policies in East and Southeast Asia", its purpose is to study reciprocity in economic growth and income distribution between countries in the Southeast Asian region and the effect this has on poverty and other social problems. In the near future, the institute plans to launch another study tentatively called, "The Process and Impact of Social Resource Distribution", This study starts from the concept of a life process - divided into studies of such things as population, family, income, wealth, and health -, to investigate social relief, comprehensive national health insurance, the problem of old age security and annuity, women impoverization, and other topics related to social resource distribution.

  3. Studies on Economic Growth, Income distribution, Social problems and their connection to Government Policy in East and Southeast Asia:

    4. Among which the study on Taiwan economic development has already been launched. Called "A Study on the Long-term Development of Taiwanese Capitalism", this is a joint-project between the institute history and economics departments and a number of foreign scholars. The study focuses on the evolution of Taiwan capitalist institutions over time and the effect of these changes on Taiwanese society and economy. The first stage of this study, which will last three years, will move in three general directions: 1) Shipping and trade 2) Industrial development 3) The Development of Capitalism and Foreign Economic Relations.

    In the near future the institute also plans to launch another large study, tentatively called "A Study on the Long-term development of East Asia's Trade, Socio-economic and Value Systems". The hope is to gain a deeper understanding of the special character and culture of the East Asian Development Experience by embarking on an in-depth study of the development of regional maritime trade, shipping, and industry and the effects of these trends on social and economic evolution, and the current state and development of regional capitalist institutions.

    The study will approach the topic from a combined historical, sociological, and economic perspective, and the standpoint of institutional change.

  4. The Economic and Legal Study of Deregulation:

    5. Studies will focus on the process of deregulation, the privatization of public companies, the opening up of monopolized markets, and other related innovative methods of deregulation.

    The Insitute is divided administratively into five departments: First, History and Philosophy; second, Social Research; third, Politics; fourth, Economics; and fifth, Law. The Institute currently has 64 researchers, among which 21 are research fellows, 16 are associate research fellows, 9 are assistant research fellows, and 13 are part-time, honorary research fellows.

Other individual and collective research projects are the basis of multidisciplinary studies and thus keys to the Institute development. The projects which the different departments are currently engaged in and plan to launch are as follows:

In History and Thought, these include The History of Chinese Maritime Development, Ming and Qing Period Socioeconomic History, Socioeconomic History of Taiwan, History of Overseas Chinese, Politic Philosophy, and Applied Ethics.

In Social Research: Life Course Studies, Changes in Family Composition, Distribution of Family and Social Resources, and the Psychology and Behavior of Individuals in Family Relationships.

In Political Science, these include Political Participation and Democratic Theories, Republicanism and Democracy, Human Rights and Democracy, Liberty, Equality, and Democracy, Capitalism and Democracy, The Military and Democratization, and Bureaucracy and Democracy.

In Economics, projects include Income Distribution, Internationalization and Taiwan's Industrial Policies, Regional Trade and Optimal Firm Location, Money in Open Economies, Regulation and Privatization, Electoral Systems and Attorney Fees in Litigation.

In Jurisprudence, these include Studies of Constitutions, Administrative Law, Economic Analysis of the Law, Environmental Law, Labor Law, Fair Trade Law, Intellectual Property Rights, and Legal Philosophy.

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