People as the Roots (of the State): Democratic Elements in the Politics of Traditional Vietnamese Confucianism

Abstract

In this paper, the concept of "people as the roots" (of the state) is explored through its myriad expressions in Vietnamese history: the emphasis of Vietnamese feudal rulers on fulfilling the people's will, loving the people, and ensuring peace for the people. From these historical examples, the authors argue that in the politics of Vietnamese traditional Confucianism, there has been the presence of democratic elements. Yet, they do not reflect a full-fledged democracy and should be seen only as signs of village democracy. This view holds an important implication for the process of democratization of modern Vietnamese society: while the concept of "people as the roots" is essential for a village democracy and is valuable for building a democracy, it does not necessarily mean a straightforward translation to a modern democracy. Here, the authors suggest that civil society will play an important role in making this transition smoother.

Confucius’s political philosophy of governing the country: Historical and contemporary considerations

“…Despite its limitations owing to historical conditions and class positions, Confucius's ideology of governance still holds specific values. The development of East Asian countries such as China (Jing, 2020;Xie et al, 2021), Vietnam (Chu & Vu, 2021;Nguyen, 2022;Nguyen & Ho, 2019;Nguyen et al, 2020;Truong et al, 2016;Vu & Pham, 2021;Vuong et al, 2018), and Japan (Badanta et al, 2022;Higuchi & Splitter, 2019;Larsson, 2022) is still deeply influenced by Confucianism in many aspects, particularly in the political and cultural fields. This is evident when studying his views on governance through the theory of Zhengming (正名), promoting "virtuous rule," ideas about the ruler's qualities, and the relationship between the ruler and the government, the people.…”

A Study Of Public-Private Partnerships Through The Public Value Lens: Case Study Of Transport Infrastructure Provision In Vietnam

“…However, Vietnamese public management has transformed itself greatly along with social, economic and global movements. The renovation "Doi Moi" has fed into the concept of democracy, some of which had existed since Confucian dominated traditional society (Hu, 1997;Nguyen & Ho, 2019).…”

“…The role of the citizen is critical in Confucian policy, where "people as the root" is embedded in traditional society. Confucian approach also pursues the ideal of the government operating for the benefit of the people (Nguyen & Ho, 2019). This differs from the notion of the preeminence of the individual in a liberal democracy.…”