Meritocracy in early Chinese political thought / Eirik Lang Harris

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Harris, Eirik Lang, author.

Series:

Cambridge elements. Elements in comparative political theory

Cambridge elements. Elements in comparative political theory, 2633-3597

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Merit (Ethics)--Political aspects--China--History--To 1500.

Merit (Ethics).

Political science--China--History--To 1500.

Political science.

Merit (Ethics)--Political aspects.

China.

Genre:

History

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2026

Summary:

"This Element explores a range of conceptions of politically relevant merit found in the philosophical texts of pre-Qin China (before 221BCE). It demonstrates both that the role accorded to political merit was substantial and that the ideas of what constituted politically relevant merit were heavily contested. Through a focus on four texts, the Xunzi, the Mozi, the Laozi, and the Han Feizi, it sketches out a long-standing debate over questions including the appropriate source of merit, the relationship between political merit and moral merit, and how merit should be nurtured and directed in the political arena. In doing so, it hopes to show why contemporary discussions of Asian-inspired political meritocracy, its promise, and its perils, are impoverished if they limit themselves to 'Confucian' notions of meritocracy rather than exploring more fully the wider variety on offer"-- Cambridge Core

Contents:

The Xunzi 荀子

The Mozi 墨子

The Daodejing of Laozi 老子《道德經》

The Han Feizi 韓非子

Afterword : thoughts and implications

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references

Online resource; title from PDF title page (Cambridge Core, viewed May 26, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version: Harris, Eirik Lang Meritocracy in early Chinese political thought

ISBN:

9781108884037

1108884032

OCLC:

1589181637

Publisher Number:

CIPO000374793

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license