PROMPT
On the basis of what we have studied this quarter, evaluate the validity of the following assertion
expressing a view widely shared by American scholars and policy makers, most notably by Samuel P.
Huntington of Harvard University, in accordance with the instructions that follow it:
“China, Japan, and indeed most societies in the Asia-Pacific have poor prospects
of achieving authentic, vibrant democratic polities, because of the legacy of their
Confucian philosophical tradition, with its emphasis on authority, hierarchy, order,
and the supremacy of the collectivity over the individual. In short, their
philosophical traditions simply offer no basis for democracy.”
(Note: This is not a direct quotation from Professor Huntington’s work. It is a summary by Dr. Hoston
of the views he espouses.)
Make an argument in support of or against this claim by selecting three schools of thought or thinkers,
one of which must be one of the schools of Buddhist thought covered in the latter half of the course,
and one of which must be either Zhu Xi’s or Wang Yangming’s school of Neo-Confucianism.
You must choose 1 of the following schools (1 to be selected from 1-4 below):
1. Xunzi
2. Mohism (Mozi)
3. Legalism (Han Feizi, Li Si)
4. Daoism (Laozi and Zhuangzi)
You must choose 1 of the following Buddhist schools in China and Japan (The Tiantai School must
be discussed in either case):
5. Mahayana Buddhism (including a discussion of the Tiantai School, but excluding /Zen Buddhism,)
6. The Chan / Zen School (including a discussion of the Tiantai School)
You must choose 1 of the following schools of Neo-Confucianism: (1 to be selected from the
following numbered 6 and 7):
7. The Rationalist School of Zhu Xi (including a discussion of Confucius and Mencius)
8. The Idealist School of Wang Yangming (including a discussion of Confucius and Mencius)
Your essay must answer each of the following questions:
1. What is the Socratic myth (or 1 or more possibilities thereof offered by Buddhism) legitimating
the body politic and its leadership;
2. What provision does the myth make or imply for political change, including political revolution
(from below); and
3. What role do “the people” play in that provision?
In making your argument, be sure to give adequate consideration to and address seriously the possible
reservations that critics might hold concerning your argument. You may find it helpful to consult the
guidelines on writing a paper that I posted on Canvas. When you have finished, reread the prompt
and your paper to be sure that you have addressed at least three schools and/or thinkers and that you
have followed all the instructions above before submitting your paper.
Last Completed Projects
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