Between Deontology And Justice: Chinese And Western Perspectives

305 Pages·2020·4.684 MB·English

by  Genyou Wu

Between Deontology and Justice
In China, political philosophy is still a comparatively new academic discipline.
While there is no such term as “political philosophy” in ancient Chinese texts,
there are elements within them that could be considered part of that field. Cen-
tral questions of Chinese ancient political philosophy include the legitimacy of
the source of political power, the foundation of moral rationality for the use of
political power, and the purpose of political activities. This book explores the
idea of rights, the foundations of law, transference of power, democracy, and
other topics as debated in ancient times.
Focusing on important political thinkers in Chinese history, such as Kongzi,
Laozi, Xu Fuguan, Liang Qichao, and Li Dazhao, the book explains characteris-
tics that are particular to China, such as the system of abdication, the general
will of the people, and the society of Great Harmony. While making compari-
sons between Chinese and Western political philosophy, the book also discusses
how to establish a Chinese modern state and how to promote Chinese culture
today so that it can influence more and more people around the world.
The book will be a valuable reference for scholars of Chinese philosophy,
political philosophy, and Chinese culture.
Genyou Wu, Yangzi Chair Professor of Philosophy at Wuhan University,
specializes in the history of Chinese philosophy, comparative philosophy, and
political philosophy.
Yong Li, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Wuhan University.
Zemian Zheng, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Chinese University of
Hong Kong.
Jianjun Li, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Wuhan University.
Routledge Studies in Contemporary Chinese Philosophy
Itiswidelyrecognizedthatinscience,industry,andtechnologyChinaisamodern
superpower. However, there is still a common stereotype that Chinese philosophy
consists of nothing but the earnest repetition of quaint sayings from long-dead
sages.Inactuality,philosophyinChinatodayisvibrantandintellectuallydiverse.
Theaimofthisseriesistopublishtranslationsofthebestandmostrepresentative
works by contemporary Chinese philosophers. The books in this series include con-
temporarystudiesofthehistoryofChineseorWesternphilosophy,aswellasoriginal
worksofresearchinethics,politicalphilosophy,metaphysics,andotherareas.Routle-
dgeStudiesinContemporaryChinesePhilosophyseekstofillthelargegapthatcur-
rentlyexistsinthestudyofChinesephilosophybyprovidinghigh-qualitytranslations
toEnglish-languagescholars.
Series Editor:
Bryan W. Van Norden, Vassar College, USA
Yong Li, Wuhan University, China
Titles in this series currently include:
Confucius and Modern World
CHEN Lai
Between Deontology and Justice
Chinese and Western Perspectives
WU Genyou
Secret Subversion I: Mou Zongsan, Kant, and Original Confucianism
TANG Wenming
Secret Subversion II: Mou Zongsan, Kant, and Original Confucianism
TANG Wenming
A History of Classical Chinese Thought
LI Zehou, translated by Andrew Lambert
For more information, please visit www.routledge.com/Routledge-Studies-in-
Contemporary-Chinese-Philosophy/book-series/RSCCP
Between Deontology and Justice
Chinese and Western Perspectives
Genyou Wu
Translated by Yong Li, Zemian Zheng,
and Jianjun Li
FirstpublishedinEnglish2020
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Contents
Foreword:introducingGenyouWu vii
BRYANWILLIAMVANNORDEN
Preface:politicalphilosophyandChinesepoliticalphilosophy viii
PARTI 1
1 Thetheoryofdaoyi:aconcisetreatiseonConfucius’spolitical
philosophyandhisargumentationaboutthelegitimacyof
politicalpower 3
2 “LawcomesfromDao”:thephilosophyoflawinthesilkmanuscript
YellowEmperor’sFourCanons 18
3 Transferringtotheworthiesratherthantothesons:thepolitical
philosophyintheShanghaiMuseumbambooslipsmanuscriptRong
ChengShi(容成氏)andthequestionofwhichschoolitbelongsto 34
4 Strivingfordemocracy:ConfucianpoliticalphilosophyintheMing
andQingdynasties 45
PARTII 55
5 Laozi’sviewofharmonyandtheidealofsocialjustice 57
6 Anewinterpretationof“preservegreatharmonyinunion,andthe
resultisadvantageous,correct,andfirm”:therelationbetweensocial
fairnessandutilityinthe“CommentariesontheBookofChanges” 65
7 TheConfucian“kinglyWayforallunderHeaven”andcontemporary
internationalpeace 77
vi Contents
PARTIII 105
8 FreedominthehistoryofChinesethought:vocabulary,
concept,andidea 107
9 The“culturalliberalism”ofXuFuguan 125
10 XuFuguanandConfucianpoliticalphilosophy 134
11 OnthepossibilityofdialoguebetweentheConfuciandoctrineof
“humaneness”andliberalismfromahumanisticpointofview 148
12 OnLiangQichao’sideaoflibertyinhisearlierworks 164
13 AreviewofLiDazhao’ssocialideal 182
14 Individualfreedomandtheidealsociety:theideasoffreedom
ofYinHaiguangandFengQiincomparison 198
PARTIV 215
15 The“Chinese/barbariandistinction”andculturalnationalism 217
16 Minben(民本)anddemocracy:acomparisonofpoliticalideas
betweenChinaandtheWest 230
17 Frompoliticalconstitutionalismtointernationalpolitical
constitutionalism:thereasoningofRawls’spoliticalliberalism 260
18 PoliticaldemocracyandChinesedemocracy:thoughtson
Chinesepoliticalreformsandregionalconflictsintheworld 275
References 282
Index 287
Foreword
Introducing Genyou Wu
Professor Genyou Wu needs no introduction to scholars in China, where he is
a distinguished professor in the School of Philosophy at Wuhan University, one
of the top universities in the country, and also a Yangtze River Scholar, an
honor given only to leading figures in their fields. Professor Wu is best known
for his work on Chinese legal and political philosophy, especially in
a comparative perspective. His work is historical, but he always has an eye on
the contemporary relevance of history. Professor Wu is in the tradition of clas-
sical thinkers like Confucius in China and Cicero in the West, who believe that
law and government have their ultimate foundation in morality, and morality
has its ultimate foundation in the fabric of the universe. We can only hope that
these humanistic ideals will have increasing significance in China.
The present collection of essays gives a good sense of the overall trajectory
of Professor Wu’s work. However, this is not an introductory book. Readers
with no background in Chinese political philosophy would be well advised to
first read some overviews of Chinese philosophy and intellectual history. But
those who are equipped to follow Professor Wu’s learned and often subtle argu-
ments will learn a great deal.
Bryan William Van Norden, Series Co-Editor,
Routledge Studies in Contemporary Chinese Philosophy
Preface
Political philosophy and Chinese
political philosophy
In China political philosophy is a new academic discipline. There is no agree-
ment about the content, subject, or nature of this discipline. However, although
there is no such term as “political philosophy” in early Chinese texts, there was
in fact political philosophy, one of whose basic concepts is the idea of minben
(民本, people as the foundation of government), which is very familiar to
a modern audience. The ideal of the “kingly Way” (wang dao, 王道), the ques-
tion of the distinction between China and its neighboring nations, and so on can
all be discussed in the framework of political philosophy.
Since philosophy as a modern discipline came from the West, it is impossible
to talk about questions of philosophy without mentioning the relevant Western
view. Such is the case in political philosophy. Let’s use the view of Leo Strauss
as an example to see one modern Western philosopher’s view of the nature of
political philosophy. Strauss inherits the view of philosophy from the ancient
Greek tradition of Plato. He believes that philosophy is the pursuit of truth, and
is therefore opposed to mere opinions. Since political philosophy belongs to
philosophy, it is a discipline that pursues the truth of political activities, not just
opinions about political activities. Therefore political philosophy is differenti-
ated from mere “political thought” in a general sense.1
Political philosophy is also different from political science. Political science
belongs to social science. In the realm of social science, since Comte’s positivism,
there has been a tendency to transform social science into natural science; the neo-
positivism after Comte proceeded to claim that researchers should be neutral so that
theirownvaluetendencieswillnotbiastheirresearchinthehumanitiesandinsocial
science. Although this claim has a certain influence, it is in fact impossible. Leo
Strausshasadifferentviewabouttheso-called“neutrality”inmodernacademia.
Strauss even came up with the radical statement that there has recently been
no political philosophy at all, but only a history of political philosophy. This is
not unfamiliar to us, since Hegel claimed that “philosophy is history of philoso-
phy.” Just as there is no consensus in the definition of philosophy, it is also dif-
ficult to reach a consensus about the nature of political philosophy. This, to be
sure, does not deny the necessity of political reflection about the nature of polit-
ical activities.
Preface ix
In fact, every historical period has its own philosophical reflections on the
nature of political activities. Themes and highlights vary from period to period.
There is no unified or fixed theme for political philosophy. From the perspective
of comparative political philosophy, due to the differing environments of human
life and cultures of different nations, their political philosophical concerns are
different from one another. For example, in ancient Greece, Plato’s Republic
reflects more on the question of justice of a city-state and of an individual
person; at about the same time, Mencius reflects on the foundation of the moral-
ity and legality of the politics of the feudal states, and correspondingly on the
distinction between righteousness and utility in politics. Generally speaking,
ancient Chinese Confucian political philosophy is concerned more about the
legitimacy of the source and employment of the ultimate political power of the
king; it is concerned more about the question of daoyi (道义, Way and right-
eousness), and is different from the theories of justice developed in Western
political philosophy.
Roughly speaking, the central question for ancient Chinese political philoso-
phy is reflection on the legitimacy of the source of political power, the founda-
tion of moral rationality in the usage of political power, and the purpose of
political activities; however, there is not much reflection on the methodological
question as to how to use political power, and the question of checks and bal-
ances in political power. The pre-Qin philosophers’ story about abdication, the
view of respecting the worthies, and the view that the political power of a king
is conferred by Heaven, all belong to thoughts about the transition of political
power, the subject in using political power, as well as the legitimacy of the
source of political power. Huang Zongxi’s (黄宗羲) Ming Yi Dai Fang Lu
(明夷待访录)2marksaturningpoint.Theopeningchapters“YuanJun”(原君,“On
thePrince”)and“YuanChen”(原臣,“OnMinistership”)werestilldiscussing,albeit
in a new fashion, the legitimacy of the source of political power; however, “Yuan
Fa”(原法,“OnLaw”)discussesthepurposeofpoliticalactivitiesandthefoundation
for the rationality of institutions. Compared with previous thinkers, Huang Zongxi’s
discussionofthe checksandbalancesofpoliticalpowerismoresystematic.Heand
his contemporaries Gu Yanwu (顾炎武) and Wang Fuzhi (王夫之) all discuss the
checks and balances of the highest political power, creating a new orientation for
Chinesepoliticalphilosophy.
In the history of Chinese classical Confucian political philosophy, the three
questions, namely, the legitimacy of the source of political power, the founda-
tion of the moral rationality of the usage of political power, and the purpose of
political activities, are unified in the framework of the political idea of minben
(民本, people as the foundation of government). The idea that Heaven sees and
listens through the people appeared in the Shang Shu (尚书, Book of Docu-
ments), a historical book of great significance for political philosophy, which for
the first time in Chinese history transformed the religious view that government
is based on the will of gods to the secularized and rationalized view that the
foundation of government is the people. It is believed that the people are the
foundation of the country; when the foundation is solid, the country is peaceful.