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Governance for Harmony in Asia and Beyond

English · Paperback / Softback

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Description

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Harmony has become a major challenge for modern governance in the twenty-first century because of the multi-religious, multi-racial and multi-ethnic character of our increasingly globalized societies. Governments all over the world are facing growing pressure to integrate the many diverse elements and subcultures which make up modern pluralistic societies. This book examines the idea of harmony, and its place in politics and governance, both in theory and practice, in Asia, the West and elsewhere. It explores and analyses the meanings, mechanisms, dimensions and methodologies of harmony as a normative political ideal in both Western and Asian philosophical traditions.



The book argues that in Western political thought - which sees politics as primarily concerned with resolving social conflicts and protecting individual rights - the concept of harmony has often been neglected. In contrast, since earliest times harmony or 'he' has been a profound theme in Confucian thought, and current leaders of many East Asian governments, and the Chinese government, have explicitly declared that the realisation of a harmonious society is their aim. The book also assesses how harmony is pursued, jeopardized or deformed in the real world of politics, based upon empirical analysis of a variety of different cultural, social and political contexts, including: China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Denmark, Latin America and the Scandinavian countries.



It shows how harmony as an organizing concept can help to promote new thinking in governance, and overcome problems of modern-day governance like distrust, adversarial conflicts, hyper-individualism, coercive state intervention, and free-market alienation. It also discusses the potential problems posed by the pursuit of harmony, in particular in the grave threat of totalitarianism, and considers how these risks could best be mitigated.


About the author











Julia Tao is Professor in the Department of Public and Social Administration, City University of Hong Kong. Anthony B. L. Cheung is President of The Hong Kong Institute of Education, and Chair Professor of Public Administration. He is the co-editor of Governance and Public Sector Reform in Asia: Paradigm Shift or Business As Usual? (also published by Routledge). Martin Painter is Chair Professor of Public and Social Administration at the City University of Hong Kong. He is the co-editor of Challenges to State Policy Capacity. Chenyang Li is Professor of Philosophy at Central Washington University, USA.


Summary

In the context of increasingly multi-religious, multi-racial and multi-ethnic modern societies, the achievement of harmony is emerging as a major challenge. This book examines the idea of harmony, and its place in politics and governance, both in theory and practice, in Asia, the West and elsewhere.

Product details

Assisted by Julia Tao (Editor), Chenyang Li (Editor), Anthony B. L. Cheung (Editor), Martin Painter (Editor), Li Chenyang (Editor), Painter Martin (Editor), Tao Julia (Editor), Cheung Anthony B. L. (Editor), Anthony B L Cheung (Editor)
Authors Julia Cheung Tao, Julia (City University of Hong Kong) Cheung Tao
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd.
 
Content Book
Product form Paperback / Softback
Publication date 21.12.2015
Subject Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political theories and the history of ideas
Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Philosophy: general, reference works
 
EAN 9781138991989
ISBN 978-1-138-99198-9
Pages 368
 
Series Comparative Development and Policy in Asia
Subjects China, SOCIAL SCIENCE / General, PHILOSOPHY / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / General, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Regional Studies, Political Philosophy, Social & political philosophy, Political science & theory, social and political philosophy, Political structure & processes, Public Administration, Regional Studies, Regional / International studies, Political science and theory, Philosophical traditions and schools of thought, Non-Western philosophy, Political structure and processes, Liberalism & centre democratic ideologies, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Cultural & Ethnic Studies / General, Centrist democratic ideologies and movements, Public administration / Public policy, Comparative political theory, Confucian Ethics, pluralistic societies, multicultural governance, public service reform Asia, civil society integration
 

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