Part I. Beyond Thick Confucian Communitarianism and Meritocratic Elitism: 1. The Confucian social self and its discontent; 2. Toward civil Confucianism; 3. Against meritocratic elitism; Part II. A Pluralist Reconstruction of Confucian Democracy: 4. Value pluralism and Confucian democratic civil society; 5. Confucian familialism and public reasoning; 6. In defense of Confucian democratic welfarism; 7. Rethinking political meritocracy: selection plus two; Part III. Paving an Exemplary Path: The Korean Case: 8. Motivating and legitimating Confucian democracy: the politics of Chŏng; 9. Public reason and the liberalism of human rights; 10. Confucian civility and expressive liberty; 11. Confucianizing multiculturalism.
Confucian Democracy in East Asia explores the unique Confucian reasoning that still exists in much of East Asian culture.
Sungmoon Kim is an Associate Professor of Political Theory at City University of Hong Kong. He received his PhD in political science from the University of Maryland, College Park and previously taught at the University of Richmond. His research interests include comparative political theory, democratic theory, and history of East Asian political thought.
'A remarkable study that raises the question: are Asian societies
essentially autocratic or are they compatible with modern
democracy? If the latter, how can their symbiosis be best
understood? Rejecting the incompatibility thesis, the author calls
into question presumed Asian preferences for thick communitarianism
(neglectful of individual liberty and social pluralism) and public
meritocracy (neglectful of popular accountability). Proceeding in a
clear, analytical fashion, Kim defends the idea of a Confucian
civil democracy whose institutions, supported by Confucian habits
and mores, can provide a bulwark for public freedom, democratic
citizenship, and good governance. This is an admirable vision
designed to call forth the better angels of democracy.' Fred
Dallmayr, University of Notre Dame and author of Dialogue among
Civilizations
'Confucianism is neither ready-made for democracy nor inalterably
opposed to it. As Sungmoon Kim shows in this important book,
however, a Confucianism worth defending in the complex,
multicultural East Asia of today both can and must incorporate a
robust form of democracy. Kim deploys a wealth of careful arguments
that draw from classical Confucianism, a wide range of Western
political theorists, and the distinctive political culture of
modern Korea. The result is a rich and provocative work that
successfully bridges theory and practice. Anyone interested in the
future possibilities for democracy and for Confucianism - whether
conjoined or not - will have to take this book seriously.' Stephen
C. Angle, Wesleyan University
'Sungmoon Kim's Confucian Democracy in East Asia is a deep, subtle,
and beautifully written examination of two contested concepts,
democracy and Confucianism. Kim's aim is to articulate a
philosophically credible and politically realistic vision of what
Confucian democracy can be in twenty-first-century East Asia.
Besides succeeding at that task, Kim reminds us that there are many
unexplored possibilities for aligning distinctive
identity-conferring beliefs with democratic and liberal political
ideals. A must-read for comparative philosophers and political
theorists.' Owen Flanagan, Duke University
'Writing in a deep, subtle, and analytical manner, Kim aims to
articulate a culturally relevant and politically effective model
that is built on Confucian habits and mores and is supported by
largely liberal-democratic political institutions … The volume is a
must-read for those who are interested in future possibilities for
democracy in East Asia.' Choice
'Sungmoon Kim's Confucian Democracy in East Asia: Theory and
Practice is a brilliant and engaging contribution to our
understanding of democratic theory and practice.' Jeffrey Flynn,
Philosophy East and West
'Kim displays a vast and subtle knowledge of both Confucian and
Western political theory … Kim is able to bring Western political
theory and Confucianism into a rich dialogue and he takes up
sophisticated and nuanced positions on many of the most important
questions that arise in relation to definition of his core terms,
such as 'democratization' and 'liberalism'.' Brian Esparza Walker,
The Review of Politics
'[This book] moves the study of both Confucian political thought
and comparative political theory towards a greater sensibility to,
and engagement with, the actual contemporary political reality of
the Asian, and more generally, the non-Western, world.' Loubna El
Amine, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
'Kim's book is rich and provocative. He has made his arguments by
drawing on and debating with different Western and Eastern
Confucian scholars, ancient as well as contemporary. His theory
attempts to avoid the problem of the emphasis on individualism in
liberal democracy and the oppressive tendency of Confucian
communitarianism.' Andrew T. W. Hung, European Political Science
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