New Confucianism: Introduction

The following post is intended to be posted earlier.

Hi! My name is Leon Zhang, and I am studying New Confucianism in China and Its Influence on China’s Political Economy (I swear I am a nicer person than I appear to look like in my profile pic). The research is basically an attempt to finish one of my previous research projects, and I am really excited to share my findings with you. I became interested in the political economy implications of China’s Confucianism a few years ago when I started to read some of my grandfather’s old diaries. I believe understanding modern China’s interpretation of Confucianism is crucial to understanding China – something I reckon is rather important to our world today.

New Confucianism – China’s modern interpretation of the ancient Chinese philosophy of Confucianism – has been only discussed in a select few of academic disciplines. In recent years, New Confucianism has been gaining popularity in China, particularly among intellectuals and policymakers, as a potential alternative to Western-style liberal democracy.

At the heart of New Confucianism is the belief that individuals have a responsibility to society, and this responsibility is best fulfilled through establishing a virtuous and moral government. Proponents of New Confucianism argue that the Chinese government should focus on promoting moral education and social harmony rather than pursuing economic growth at all costs.

This research project aims to investigate the influence of New Confucianism on China’s political economy, examining how policymakers are incorporating these ideas into their decision-making processes. The project will explore how New Confucianism is being used to shape economic policies, as well as how it is influencing China’s approach to international relations.
I plan to dive into some empirical data (government documents) this week, and I will brief my research findings next week.