International Social Science Journal (Chinese Edition)

No.1, 2022

To understand the tradition of Confucianism and its development today: an interview with Prof. Daniel A. Bell

(Abstract)

Jiang Hong

In the interview, Prof. Daniel A. Bell mentioned again that Confucianism and communitarianism share a lot of things in common, and he is interested in the former for the reason. He suggests that there is a model of meritocracy in China’s politics, which could serve as a remedy to the inadequacies of the democracy in the West. Furthermore, he emphasizes the importance of harmony vis-à-vis freedom. All the arguments have incurred discussions in the world. It is important, as he believes, to reconsider the values of Confucianism and its inspirations for the societies today in the context of development of Confucianism and modernisation.