Confucianism for the Modern World

This volume argues for the relevance of Confucian policies and institutions for the contemporary world.

Daniel A. Bell (Edited by), Hahm Chaibong (Edited by)

9780521821001, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 8 September 2003

398 pages, 1 table
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.5 cm, 0.75 kg

'The editors present the volume as a starting point for debate … More than that, the book contains much more food for thought, and is not only an insightful reflection on the challenges facing East Asian societies on their path to modernization, but more broadly on the tensions between local and global cultures, alongside a critical assessment of the relationship between ideals and norms and actual practices. This review has therefor no hesitation in recommending the volume …' Political Studies Review

While Confucian ideals continue to inspire thinkers and political actors, discussions of concrete Confucian practices and institutions appropriate for the modern era have been conspicuously absent from the literature thus far. This volume represents the most cutting edge effort to spell out in meticulous detail the relevance of Confucianism for the contemporary world. The contributors to this book - internationally renowned philosophers, lawyers, historians, and social scientists - argue for feasible and desirable Confucian policies and institutions as they attempt to draw out the political, economic, and legal implications of Confucianism for the modern world. The book is divided in three parts that correspond to the basic hallmarks of modernity as a social and political system - democracy, capitalism, and the rule of law.

Part I. Confucian Perspectives on Democracy: 1. Constitutionalism, Confucian civic virtue, and ritual propriety Hahm Chaihark
2. The challenges of accountability: implications of the censorate Mo Jongryn
3. Confucian Democrats in Chinese history Wang Juntao
4. Mutual help and democracy in Korea Chang Yun-Shik
5. A pragmatist understanding of Confucian democracy David L. Hall and Roger T. Ames
6. The case for moral education Geir Helgesen
Part II. Confucian Perspectives on Capitalism: 7. Center-local relations: can Confucianism boost decentralization and regionalism? Gilbert Rozman
8. Affective networks and modernity: the case of Korea Lew Seok-Choon, Chang Mi-Hye and Kim Tae-Eun
9. Confucian constraints on property rights Daniel A. Bell
10. Giving priority to the worst off: a Confucian perspective on social welfare Joseph Chan
Part III. Confucian Perspectives on Law: 11. Mediation, litigation, and justice: Confucian reflections in a modern liberal society Albert H. Y. Chen
12. Traditional Confucian values and western legal frameworks: the law of succession Lusina Ho
13. The Confucian conception of gender in the twenty-first century Chan Sin Yee
14. The Confucian family v. the individual: the politics of marriage laws in Korea
Epilogue: why Confucius now? William Theodore de Bary.

Subject Areas: Political science & theory [JPA], Philosophy [HP], Asian history [HBJF], Regional studies [GTB]