This paper examines the concept of chaxu geju as conceived by Fei Xiaotong, a leading Chinese sociologist and social anthropologist in the late 1940s.Despite its application in empirical studies as a key theoretical framework by Chinese sociologists during the last two decades, little research has been done on the intellectual context of this concept. Through extensive historical research, this paper reveals the complexities surrounding Fei’s concept, which drew upon diverse intellectual currents of the era in both China and the West. Among other ideas, the concept of “Folk Society” of Robert Redfield, reinterpretations of Confucianism and Daoism, as well as studies of kinship system in anthropology were all influential in forming Fei’s concept. Such work should clarify misunderstandings in recent scholarly circles, demonstrating that Fei’s failure to adequately interpret and integrate his sources has led to logical contradictions in his work, and hence difficulties in further theorization.

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