Confucian Governmentality and Socialist Autocracy in Contemporary China

by Chih-yu Shih

Overview

In October 2022, the 20th Party Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) concluded, extending Xi Jinping's leadership indefinitely, which many view as a one-party dictatorship.

Exploring Confucian and socialist principles, this book examines the relationship between the citizens and leaders in the Chinese autocracy. By applying a Foucauldian twist to a range of topics – from discussing the politics of love and pandemic nationalism to analysing Xi’s personality – it challenges the binary of authoritarianism and democracy.

Interdisciplinary in nature, it will appeal to scholars and students working in the fields of politics, international relations, culture studies and critical theory.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781529238907
Publisher:	Bristol University Press
Publication date:	06/25/2024
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x (d)

About the Author

Chih-yu Shih is National Chair and UniversityChair in the Department of Political Science at National Taiwan University.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Autocracy and Its People

1. People’s Hearts as the Regime of Regimes

2. Restoring Normalcy during Involution

3. Governing Hong Kong by Loving the Nation

4. Pandemic Nationalism from Wuhan to China - co-authored with Pichamon Yeophantong

5. Xi Jinping’s Quest for Acceptance

6. Relational Democracy of Confucianism

7. A Pluriversal Dialogue with Ubuntu - co-authored with Raoul Bunskoek

Conclusion

Appendix: The Diagrammatic Logic of Counter-governmentality

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Chih-yu Shih develops very important arguments against binary understandings of politics, directing our attention to more complex governmentalities, without necessarily legitimising them." Hartmut Behr, Newcastle University

"Chih-yu Shih's analysis offers fascinating insights into the philosophical foundations of Chinese politics. His combination of Confucian cosmology and Foucauldian governmentality explores the hidden layers of state-society relations in the era of Xi Jinping." Nele Noesselt, University of Duisburg-Essen

Editorial Reviews

"Chih-yu Shih develops very important arguments against binary understandings of politics, directing our attention to more complex governmentalities, without necessarily legitimising them." Hartmut Behr, Newcastle University

"Chih-yu Shih's analysis offers fascinating insights into the philosophical foundations of Chinese politics. His combination of Confucian cosmology and Foucauldian governmentality explores the hidden layers of state-society relations in the era of Xi Jinping." Nele Noesselt, University of Duisburg-Essen

From the Publisher