The Authoritarian Spirit of Pre-Qin Confucianism (Dialogue with Neo-Confucianism)

Author: Li Xiantang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-10-01
Features: The traditional culture that pursues holism, totality, homogeneity, and collectivism is inherently authoritarian in spirit. As the primary way for the Chinese nation to enter and transform the world, as the formative force behind the cultural and national psychological structure, as the constitutive mechanism and protective function of autocratic monarchy, and as the operational theory of autocratic monarchical politics, Confucianism has both consolidated and highlighted the fundamental values of our nation. It has always carried a strong practical inclination, fully participating in the construction of power mechanisms, and thus holistically embodies elements of authoritarianism. It is impossible, as neo-Confucianism claims, to "extract" a democratic system or "sow" the seeds of democracy from it—Confucianism is neither a scapegoat for autocratic power nor a totem pole of national pride.