Chinese refreshment for contemporary political thought: wúwéi, care, and democracy

Abstract

In my paper I bring out two topics from the ancient Chinese political philosophy. (1) Non-action (wúwéi) that was required from the ruler in the Legalist and Huang-Lao tradition (e.g. Han Feizi, Huainanzi) and was incorporated into the mainstream of political philosophy (e.g. Confucian Dong Zhongshu); (2) care of the people and especially of the needy, that is also required from the ruler, and was stressed mainly in the Mohist and Confucian traditions. From these two ideas I hope to get some “refreshment” for our contemporary political philosophy, and I consider them as logical extensions of democracy. On the other hand, I argue also that the traditional conception of non-acting ruler in the Legalist context should be modified with the Western ideas of the separation of powers and transparency of government; and even that this modification would be more consequent and realistic also in terms of the original Chinese idea itself.