Nobility and Civility : Asian Ideals of Leadership and the Common Good

Globalization has become an inescapable fact of contemporary life. Some leaders, in both the East and the West, believe that human rights are culture-bound and that liberal democracy is essentially Western, inapplicable to the non-Western world. How can civilized life be preserved and issues of human rights and civil society be addressed if the material forces dominating world affairs are allowed to run blindly, uncontrolled by any cross-cultural consensus on how human values can be given effective expression and direction? In a thoughtful meditation ranging widely over several civilizations and historical eras, Wm. Theodore de Bary argues that the concepts of leadership and public morality in the major Asian traditions offer a valuable perspective on humanizing the globalization process. Turning to the classic ideals of the Buddhist, Hindu, Confucian, and Japanese traditions, he investigates the nature of true leadership and its relation to learning, virtue, and education in human governance; the role in society of the public intellectual; and the responsibilities of those in power in creating and maintaining civil society. De Bary recognizes that throughout history ideals have always come up against messy human complications. Still, he finds in the exploration and affirmation of common values a worthy attempt to grapple with persistent human dilemmas across the globe. Nobility And Civility Deals With The Values Of Major Asian Traditions - Indian, Chinese, And Japanese, Ancient And Modern - That Have Influenced The Course Of History And Are Still Invoked By Twenty-first Century Leaders.--jacket. Confucius' Noble Person -- The Noble Paths Of Buddha And Rama -- Buddhist Spirituality And Chinese Civility -- Shōtoku's Constitution And The Civil Order In Early Japan -- Chrysanthemum And Civil Society In Song China -- Civil And Military In Tokugawa Japan -- Citizen And Subject In Modern Japan -- The People Renewed In Twentieth-century China. Wm. Theodore De Bary. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [241]-244) And Index. Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 1. Confucius' Noble Person......Page 18 2. The Noble Paths of Buddha and Rama......Page 30 3. Buddhist Spirituality and Chinese Civility......Page 61 4. Shotoku's Constitution and the Civil Order in Early Japan......Page 80 5. Chrysanthemum and Sword Revisited......Page 97 6. The New Leadership and Civil Society in Song China......Page 136 7. Civil and Military in Tokugawa Japan......Page 164 8. Citizen and Subject in Modern Japan......Page 185 9. "The People Renewed" in Twentieth-Century China......Page 220 Epilogue......Page 241 Notes......Page 252 Works Cited......Page 258 Index......Page 262