Public Reason Confucianism
Democratic Perfectionism and Constitutionalism in East Asia

Public reason Confucianism is a particular style of Confucian democratic perfectionism in which comprehensive Confucianism is connected with perfectionism.

Sungmoon Kim (Author)

9781107106222, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 21 April 2016

290 pages
22.8 x 15.2 x 2.1 cm, 0.6 kg

'Sungmoon Kim brilliantly demonstrates the practical possibilities stemming from a reconciliation of Confucianism with the idea of public reason. In so doing, he shows how Confucian political systems can embrace pluralism and democracy to good effect. Public Reason Confucianism is a landmark contribution to the political theory of East Asia.' John Dryzek, University of Canberra

Recent proposals concerning Confucian meritocratic perfectionism have justified Confucian perfectionism in terms of political meritocracy. In contrast, 'Confucian democratic perfectionism' is a form of comprehensive Confucian perfectionism that can accommodate a plurality of values in civil society. It is also fully compatible with core values of democracy such as popular sovereignty, political equality, and the right to political participation. Sungmoon Kim presents 'public reason Confucianism' as the most attractive option for contemporary East Asian societies that are historically and culturally Confucian. Public reason Confucianism is a particular style of Confucian democratic perfectionism in which comprehensive Confucianism is connected with perfectionism via a distinctive form of public reason. It calls for an active role for the democratic state in promoting a Confucian conception of the good life, at the heart of which are such core Confucian values as filial piety and ritual propriety.

Introduction
Part I. Perfectionism: 1. Confucian democratic perfectionism
2. Public reason Confucianism - a construction
Part II. Constitutionalism: 3. Public reason Confucian constitutionalism
4. Public equality and democratic pluralism
Part III. Civic Virtue: 5. Between moral virtue and civic virtue
6. The right to political participation
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Political structures: democracy [JPHV], Liberalism & centre democratic ideologies [JPFK], Political science & theory [JPA]