Legitimacy, the Chinese Communist Party and Confucius

The book examines the Chinese Communist Party's use of Confucianism for political legitimacy, challenging the dominance of Marxism and offering a non-liberal legitimacy framework. It explores the role of traditional beliefs in Asian modernity and China's future.

Format: Hardback
Length: 284 pages
Publication date: 22 November 2023
Publisher: Springer Verlag, Singapore

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has increasingly turned to Confucianism to assert its political legitimacy, despite its previous denunciation of the philosophy as a remnant of feudal poison. Confucian thought has long been a cornerstone of political legitimacy in East Asian societies, including China, and the Party's embrace of Confucianism reflects its recognition of the enduring appeal of Confucian values among the Chinese populace. However, the Party's reliance on Confucianism raises questions about its ideological foundation and the diminishing relevance of Marxism in Chinese societal practices. This book aims to explore the use of Confucianism by the CCP in its assertion of political legitimacy and to develop a non-liberal legitimacy framework to examine the Party's legitimacy. It will draw on the ideas of Habermas and Bernard Williams to analyze the legitimacy of the Party and use an analysis of elite discourse to determine the nature of the Confucian turn. This book will be of interest to scholars of Chinese politics, the role of traditional beliefs in Asian modernity, and China's future.

Weight: 519g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789819970889
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023