An edition of Limits to autocracy (1995)

Limits to autocracy

from Sung Neo-Confucianism to a doctrine of political rights

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Last edited by MARC Bot
July 18, 2024 | History
An edition of Limits to autocracy (1995)

Limits to autocracy

from Sung Neo-Confucianism to a doctrine of political rights

Many modern scholars of Chinese history, and many Chinese intellectuals throughout the twentieth century, have charged neo-Confucianism with laying the ideological foundations for the growth of autocracy in China.

They have especially condemned neo-Confucian political thinkers of the Northern Sung dynasty (960-1127) who promoted a policy of "revering the emperor and expelling the barbarian" (tsun-wang jang-i), accusing them of having advocated a doctrine of unconditional obedience to the ruler and thereby inhibiting the rise of democracy in China.

In Limits to Autocracy Alan T. Wood leads readers to a reconsideration of this prevalent view by arguing that Sung neo-Confucianists did not intend to enhance the power of the emperor but limit it. Sung political thinkers, who embedded their most important ideas in commentaries on the Confucian classic the Spring and Autumn Annals, believed passionately in the existence of a moral cosmos governed by universal laws accessible to human understanding.

These laws, they believed, transcended the ruler and were not subject to his authority. By affirming the existence of a moral law higher than the ruler, this neo-Confucian doctrine could be used to set limits to his power rather than indulge it. Wood makes a striking comparison of this view with a similar doctrine of universal morality - natural law - that also provided a basis for limiting the power of the ruler and ultimately gave rise to a doctrine of human rights in Europe.

Publish Date
Language
English
Pages
264

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Book Details


Edition Notes

Includes bibliographical references (p. 233-254) and index.

Published in
Honolulu

Classifications

Dewey Decimal Class
320/.0951
Library of Congress
JA84.C6 W66 1995, JA84.C6W66 1995

The Physical Object

Pagination
xvi, 264 p. ;
Number of pages
264

Edition Identifiers

Open Library
OL1278106M
ISBN 10
0824817036
LCCN
95009836
OCLC/WorldCat
32132018
LibraryThing
8843524
Goodreads
2940190

Work Identifiers

Work ID
OL3751262W

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Download catalog record: RDF / JSON / OPDS | Wikipedia citation
July 18, 2024 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
November 20, 2020 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
October 12, 2020 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
August 14, 2020 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
April 1, 2008 Created by an anonymous user Imported from Scriblio MARC record