baogang he FOUR MODELS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONFUCIANISM AND DEMOCRACY Introduction (original) (raw)
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Four Models of the Relationship Between Confucianism and Democracy
Journal of Chinese Philosophy, 2010
This gives rise to a mixed model for rethinking the relationship between democracy and Confucianism. Unfortunately the mainstream thinking on Confucianism and democracy is still confined to either the conflict or compatibility model. Importantly the last two decades have witnessed the development of post, critical, or new Confucianism. 4 With the revival of Confucianism in the 1990s 5 and in particular in the context of the rise of China, some Chinese have become more confident in their tradition of Confucianism than before.They have reflected upon and criticized electoral democracy and developed a new critical model of rethinking the relationship between democracy and Confucianism. Some creative Chinese scholars have departed from the conventional models and developed a number of approaches. First, the conventionally close association between Confucianism and authoritarianism has been deconstructed. 6 Jiang Qing distinguishes politicized ruxue that was often used to maintain autocracy from political ruxue that seeks to uphold social justice by criticizing government, its institution and policies. 7 Often an idealized version of ruxue has been developed so that its moral and political principles offer new criteria for rethinking democracy. Second, there are plural truths and multiple ways of reconsidering the relationship between democracy and Confucianism. Traditional Western liberal democracy is not the final truth or criterion by which to judge all political systems. There are different models of democracy ranging from direct and representative democracy to communitarian and deliberative democracy. Democracy itself needs to be opened up and subjected to criticism from different cultures. In this context, Confucianism is presented as a counterbalance to excessive individualism and narrowly defined electoral democracy. Third, there is a continuing attempt to transcend the boundary between tradition and modernity, as well as West and East, which can, therefore, recover the traditional value of Confucianism and blend it with modern democratic values. This article examines the ways and models of thinking in which the questions on Confucianism and democracy are raised and answered. The various answers depend first on the attitudes of political actors and scholars toward Confucianism, second on the selection of which key elements of Confucianism, and third on different conceptualizations of Confucianism and democracy. Four ideal-type models of the relationship between Confucianism and democracy-conflict, compatible, hybrid, and critical-constrain or condition our questions and answers concerning the relationship. Huntington and many others work from a conflict model, holding that Confucianism is an obstacle to Chinese democratization. This view stresses the negative and inhibiting factors of Confucianism like orientations of authoritarian statecraft, collectivist hierarchical behavioral traits, and unequal distribution of power. By contrast, scholars such as de Bary, Nathan, and Friedman have adopted a compatibility approach which points out elements in Confucian culture which are positive in relation to democracy. 8 Chinese scholars such as Liang Shuming,Yu Yingshi, Chung-ying Cheng, and Lin Yusheng have also emphasized some aspects of compatibility between Confucianism and liberalism. 9 The conflict and compatibility models largely look at how democratic and Confucian ideas, beliefs and values can be conflictive or reconciled. The hybrid model, contrarily, goes against both the conflict and compatibility models and
Confucianism and Democracy: Four Models of Compatibility
2021
In recent years, Philosophy Departments at universities in China and worldwide have experienced a renaissance in discussion on Confucian thought. As the country draws from indigenous traditions, rather than leaning completely on the importation of Western liberalism and Marxism, Confucianism has critical implications for politics, ethics, and law in modern China. At the same time, democracy never left the conversation. Democratic concepts cannot be ignored and must be disposed of, acknowledged, or incorporated. The relationship between Confucianism and democracy has been described by various authors as one of conflict, critique, compatibility, and hybridity. In this article, we examine a compatibility model, in which compatibility between Confucianism and democracy can be divided into four types: soft, hard, coexistence, and integration. We examine compatibility by examining “what is compatible” and “how compatibility can be achieved” so as to design speculative models for what a co...
The issue of (in)compatibility between Confucianism and modern democracy, particularly in China, has attracted much debate over the decade. This article singles out the particular notion of Minben民本, which is at the center of the argument for a “Confucian democracy,” and argues that it is fundamentally different from modern democracy. However, this does not mean that Confucianism could not be connected with modern democracy. The important question is: what exactly does it mean to “connect” Confucianism to modern society? The author argues that only by being disconnected with political power could there be meaningful “Confucian democracy” today in China.
Is Liberalism the Only Way Toward Democracy?: Confucianism and Democracy
Political Theory, 2005
This article identifies a foundation for Confucian democratic political thought in Confucian thought. Each of the three aspects emphasized is controversial, but supported by views held within the historical debates and development of Confucian political thought and practice. This democratic interpretation of Confucian political thought leads to (1) an expectation that all people are capable of ren and therefore potentially virtuous contributors to political life; (2) an expectation that the institutions of political, social, and economic life function so as to develop the virtue of being a perfected human being; and (3) an expectation that there be public space for political criticism and for ongoing contestation over the duties and behaviors of individual leaders and citizens and over the functioning of the institutions that are to cultivate their behavior.
2006
The subtle and complex relation between Confucianism and modern democracy has long been a controversial issue, and it is now again becoming a topical issue in the process of political modernization in contemporary China. This paper argues that there are some quite basic early Confucian values and principles that are not only compatible with democracy, but also may become the theoretic foundation of modern democracy in China. Early Confucianism considers ‘the people’s will ’ as the direct representative of ‘Heaven’s will’, with which it legitimizes political power. Confucian theory of ‘human nature is good ’ endorses equal potential good for every man. These principles can be used in reasoning towards a system of democracy. In terms of decision-making, the Confucian ‘Doctrine of the Mean ’ accords with certain democratic principles. The independent personality and committed individualism advocated by early Confucianism is a required civic merit in a democratic society. These fundamen...
Early Confucian Principles: the Potential Theoretic Foundation of Democracy in Modern China
The subtle and complex relation between Confucianism and modern democracy has long been a controversial issue, and it is now again becoming a topcal issue in the process of political modernization in contemporary China. This paper argues that there are some quite basic early Confucian values and principles which are not only compatible with democracy, but also may become the theoretic foundation of modern democracy in China. Early Confucianism considers “the people’s will” as the direct representative of “Heaven’s will”, with which it legitimizes political power. Confucian theory of “human nature is good” endorses equal potential good for every man. These principles can be used in reasoning towards a system of democracy. In terms of decision-making, the Confucian “Doctrine of the Mean” accords with certain democratic principles. The independent personality and committed individualism advocated by early Confucianism is a required civic merit in a democratic society. These fundamental Confucian principles, through contemporary hermeneutics, may provide a philosophic grounding for democracy and support the construction of a democratic system with a Chinese dimension. To get democracy rooted in the spirit of traditional Chinese culture will benefit the healthy and smooth development of democracy in China.
Asian Philosophy, 2022
n the final decades of the 20th century, the majority of modern Sinophone scholars believed that Confucianism was an outdated and obsolete ideology that was not only unsuitable for the development of modern science and democratic societies, but also responsible for the deep social and political crisis that had branded China for the previous two centuries. Modern New Confucians, however, never assumed that the Confucian system was responsible for such a situation. Most of them believed that Confucianism was compatible with science and democracy. Moreover, the majority of them assumed that the East Asian cultures would never be able to develop truly democratic structures of their societies unless they incorporated the appropriate elements of their own, i.e. Confucian, traditions. This paper critically analyses the theoretical models of Tang Junyi and Mou Zongsan on the possible revival and development of Confucian proto-democracies.
Against those who consider "Confucian Democracy" an oxymoron, admirers of Confucianism, including Western scholars, have argued that Confucian democracy offers a viable alternative, even a superior alternative, to liberal democracy. This paper presents Confucian democracy against the background of the "politics of civilization," wherein Confucianism has been appropriated to serve authoritarianism. To offer East Asians who are increasingly open to diverse global cultural influences a way out of the false dilemma of having to choose between their Confucian heritage and a democratic way of life, Confucian democracy modernizes Confucianism with democratic values and modifies democracy with Confucian concerns. Which aspects in this complex comparative political conception are emphasized depends on the specific context. Through a critique of Daniel A. Bell"s proposal in "Taking Elitism Serious: Democracy with Confucian Characteristics" in his book, Beyond Liberal Democracy, I argue that the current circumstances of East Asia makes it a pragmatic priority to emphasize the value of equality in Confucian democracy, and to qualify the praise for Confucian meritocracy.