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Kwon conceptualizes a unique mode of political representation in East Asian society, which derives its moral foundation from Confucian virtue politics.
Contemporary East Asian societies understand democracy differently than Western societies do. Even citizens in consolidated democracies such as Taiwan and South Korea have different conceptions of an ideal relationship between a political leader and ordinary citizens, as well as a political leader's accountability and political legitimacy. A political leader's proper conduct, including his or her everyday languages, behaviors, and expressions when facing citizens' sorrow, anger, and resentment, plays a crucial role in evaluating whether he or she has political legitimacy in East Asian society. Kwon analyses how this "affective accountability" forms the basis for political representation in these societies and examines how this can be reconciled with liberal democracy.
A vital contribution not only to Confucian political theory, but also to political theory writ large that will be of especial value to political scientists with an interest in East Asian democracy.
List of contents
1. Introduction: Why Confucian Sentimental Representation? 2. Rationalist Representation in Western Political Philosophy 3. Confucian Sentimental Representation 4. Against Confucian Meritocracy 5. Confucian Sentimental Representation in Democratic Society: Kim's Public Reason Confucianism Revisited 6. Conclusion: Representation as Acting with and Confucian Democracy
About the author
Kyung Rok Kwon is a postdoctoral fellow of Research Center for Humanities and Social Science at Academia Sinica (Taiwan). He received his Ph.D. in Department of Public Policy from City University of Hong Kong. His main research interests include comparative political theory (East and West) and Confucian political theory.
Summary
Kwon conceptualizes a unique mode of political representation in East Asian society, which derives its moral foundation from Confucian virtue politics. Kwon analyses how "affective accountability" forms the basis for political representation in these societies and how this can be reconciled with liberal democracy.
