Confucius stands not only at the center of Chinese thought in general, but also dead center in Chinese thinking about government and political theory. It is not inaccurate to say that Chinese government from the Han dynasty onwards has been in some form or another modelled on Confucian thought.
Confucius and Democracy
As we study the history of China, you will discover how various governments adapted themselves to Confucianism; the most startling transition in Chinese government, however, is the adoption of Western styles of government in the twentieth century, beginning with the democratic movement of the Chinese Nationalists under a man named Sun Yat Sen. But is Chinese democracy, either under the Nationalists or later under the Communists (who claim to live in a democracy) the same as Western democracy? Would the Chinese really just take over a foreign style of government without adapting it to the millenia of historical experience that shaped their own political structures?
The answer, of course, is no. In this assignment, you will speculate on the nature of Chinese democracy. What, do you think, would a "Confucian" democracy look like? How would Confucian principles transform democracy (as you understand it from studying ancient Greece)? The answers to these questions will define your argument. Write 2-3 paragraphs.
Materials
In order to make this argument, you are to use the following three sources:
a.) The text of Confucius's Analects. You should directly quote passages in
order to make your argument.
b.) Chinese terms and concepts that you've learned from the readings or
from the glossary.
c.) An answer submitted by another student.
|
You should submit
your assignment |
