Confucian equality reconsidered : democracy, meritocracy, and hierarchy in Chenyang Li’s Reshaping Confucianism

Lee, Ahyoung (author)

In Reshaping Confucianism: A Progressive Inquiry, Li contends that Confucianism con­tains valuable resources for a progressive conception of equality—proportional equal­ity based on individual merit and moral desert. While acknowledging Li’s innovative attempt to reconcile Confucian hierarchy with democratic principles, this paper raises crucial questions regarding its interpretive validity, conceptual clarity, and theoretical consistency. First, Li’s central thesis relies on a reading of early Confucianism that over­states its egalitarian dimension. Second, in presenting proportional equality as compati­ble with democracy, Li collapses crucial distinctions between equality of opportunity and equality of outcome, resulting in a misplaced criticism of modern egalitarianism. Third, his simultaneous endorsement of universal suffrage and Confucian meritocracy exposes unresolved tensions in his theory between democratic inclusivity and hierarchical elitism. Nevertheless, Li’s work offers a significant contribution by bridging Confucian traditions with contemporary egalitarian discourse and invites renewed reflection on how classical philosophies can inform modern debates on justice, dignity, and political participation.

• Language: English
• Keywords: equality, egalitarianism, Confucianism, political rights, political meritocracy
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 221-232
• Numbering: Vol. 14, no. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-190613
• ISSN on article: 2232-5131
• DOI: 10.4312/as.2026.14.3.221-232
• Publication date in RUL: 05.11.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Asian studies = Azijske študije
• Publisher: Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2232-5131
• COBISS.SI-ID: 265206272

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Ponovni razmislek o enakosti v konfucijanstvu : demokracija, meritokracija in hierarhija v Li Chenyangovem delu Reshaping Confucianism

Abstract

V delu Reshaping Confucianism: A Progressive Inquiry (Preoblikovanje konfucijanstva: progresivna analiza) Li Chengyang trdi, da konfucijanstvo vsebuje dragocene vire za progresivno pojmovanje enakosti, to je sorazmerno enakost, ki temelji na individualnih zaslugah in moralni upravičenosti. Čeprav priznavam Lijev inovativni poskus uskladitve konfucijanske hierarhije z demokratičnimi načeli, ta članek postavlja ključna vprašanja o njegovi interpretativni veljavnosti, konceptualni jasnosti in teoretski doslednosti. Prvič, Lijeva osrednja teza temelji na branju zgodnjega konfucijanstva, ki precenjuje njegove egalitarne razsežnosti. Drugič, s tem ko sorazmerno enakost predstavlja kot združljivo z demokracijo, Li zabriše ključne razlike med enakostjo možnosti in enakostjo izidov, kar vodi v zgrešeno kritiko sodobnega egalitarizma. Tretjič, njegovo hkratno zagovarjan­je splošne volilne pravice in konfucijanske meritokracije razkriva nerešene napetosti v njegovi teoriji med demokratično vključenostjo in hierarhičnim elitizmom. Kljub temu Lijevo delo predstavlja pomemben prispevek, saj premošča konfucijanske tradicije in sodobni diskurz o egalitarnosti ter spodbuja k ponovnemu premisleku o tem, kako lah­ko klasične filozofije osvetlijo sodobne razprave o pravičnosti, dostojanstvu in politični participaciji.

• Keywords: enakost, egalitarizem, konfucijanstvo, politične pravice, politična meritokracija