Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
6-2010
Abstract
Employing the distinction between the authoritarian (based on coercion) and the authoritative (based on excellence), this study of the understanding of authority in the Analects argues against interpretations of Confucianism which cast Confucius himself as advocating authoritarianism. Passages with key notions such as shang 上 and xia 下; fu 服 and cong 從; quan 權 and wei 威, are analyzed to illuminate ideas of hierarchy, obedience, and the nature of authority itself in the text. The evidence pieced together reveals the Master to be authoritative rather than authoritarian; and the social order to which he aspired is one based on excellence rather than on coercion. The article then considers why teachings which present a model of authority as authoritative ended up as often identified with authoritarianism and concludes with some thoughts about how Confucianism might be rescued from authoritarian practice.
Keywords
Authority, Hierarchy, Obedience, Confucian politics, Theory and practice
Discipline
Arts and Humanities
Research Areas
Humanities
Publication
Dao
Volume
9
Issue
2
First Page
137
Last Page
149
ISSN
1540-3009
Identifier
10.1007/s11712-010-9157-2
Publisher
Springer Verlag (Germany)
Citation
TAN, Sor-hoon.(2010). Authoritative Master Kong in an authoritarian age. Dao, 9(2), 137-149.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/2543
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11712-010-9157-2