Wednesday, 1 April 2009

The Myth of Asia's Anti-democratic Values


Former South  Korean President Kim Dae Jung wrote the above article in response to Lee Kuan Yew's interview with Fareed Zakaria, challenging the former Singapore Prime Minister's view that democracy is incompatible with Asian culture.
Democratic Ideals. It is widely accepted that English political philosopher John Locke laid the foundation for modern democracy. According to Locke, sovereign rights reside with the people and, based on a contract with the people, leaders are given a mandate to govern, which the people can withdraw. But almost two millennia before Locke, Chinese philosopher Meng-tzu preached similar ideas. According to his "Politics of Royal Ways," the king is the "Son of Heaven," and heaven bestowed on its son a mandate to provide good government, that is, to provide good for the people. If he did not govern righteously, the people had the right to rise up and overthrow his government in the name of heaven. Meng-tzu even justified regicide, saying that once a king loses the mandate of heaven he is no longer worthy of his subjects' loyalty. The people came first, Meng-tzu said, the country second, and the king third. The ancient Chinese philosophy of Minben Zhengchi, or "people-based politics," teaches that "the will of the people is the will of heaven" and that one should "respect the people as heaven" itself.
Do you think there is merit to Kim Dae Jung's argument that 'Asia has a rich heritage of democracy-oriented philosophies and traditions'?

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2 comments:

  1. Ben1 April 2009 at 20:29

    I guess my position would be that all countries have histories have as much a history of 'democracy-oriented philosophies and traditions' as anyone else. Just depends where and when you look. After all, it is just philosophy and traditions right? Europe has had enough Philosophers that you could line them all up and walk across the Cook Strait on them so it makes sense that it also has a history of democracy-oriented philosophies and traditions.

    Africa and the America's will also have a history of democracy-oriented philosophies and traditions, just harder for us in our written word society to know lots about what was/is passed on in oral traditions.

    So, there is merit in his argument, just as there is merit in those arguments if directed at every other nation/culture in the world.

    Sweeet. Cheerio.

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  2. Anonymous1 April 2009 at 20:42

    Exactly. So I just think that to say that certain cultures are not compatible with democracy is incorrect.

    Although, given the variety of traditions/cultures, I am sure that different 'takes' on democracy have been articulated throughout history.

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