New (Old) Ways of Protecting the Weak: Distributive Justice in Contemporary Confucian Political Thought

Contemporary Confucian political philosophy is one of the most creative fields in political thought today. Not always satisfied with the answers provided by the liberal and democratic tradition within Western political philosophy, numerous Confucian philosophers, in China and beyond, are currently undertaking the task of formulating a contemporary Confucian political philosophy that effectively speaks to the modern Chinese social and political environment. The arguments for rejecting liberalism brought forth within this discourse may already be familiar to some: Democracy is not the matching political system for China; the liberal focus on individual autonomy is at odds with the Chinese (i.e. Confucian) way of life; the obsession of liberalism with what is right obscures the question of what is good. In this paper, I will explore how these criticisms translate into new ways for the protection of the disadvantaged inspired by old Confucian political ideas. This paper will assess what citizens can expect from Confucian politics in the social economic realm. In particular, I will explore and critically discuss the question of distributive justice in contemporary Confucian political thought.