The Erosion of the Spirit of Primitive Federalism of Confucianism
Version 2 : Received: 30 October 2024 / Approved: 30 October 2024 / Online: 31 October 2024 (10:01:10 CET)
How to cite: Kong, L. The Erosion of the Spirit of Primitive Federalism of Confucianism. Preprints 2024, 2024100790. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.0790.v2 Kong, L. The Erosion of the Spirit of Primitive Federalism of Confucianism. Preprints 2024, 2024100790. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.0790.v2
Abstract
This study examines the evolution and eventual decline of the spirit of primitive federalism within Confucianism, tracing its trajectory from the time of the Duke of Zhou and Confucius to the significant reinterpretations by Dong Zhongshu. The Duke of Zhou's establishment of a confederation-like system and the "Zhou ritual norms" laid the groundwork for a political structure that embraced diversity and distributed power among states, reflecting a proto-federalist concept. Confucius's teachings continued this legacy, advocating for a return to the systems of the Duke's era, where both the central government and local states shared responsibilities and rights. The crux of this study lies within its fourth section, which narrates a tale of transformation happened under Emperor Wu of Han, where Dong Zhongshu distorted the original Confucianism and reinterpreted it as a centralized ideology. In Confucian theory, the shift involved the suppression of alternative philosophies, the establishment of Confucianism as the state's dominant ideology, and a reinterpretation of Confucianism that supported an centralized framework and cultural assimilation. In political practice, he re-envisioned the role of feudal lords as administrative extensions of a centralized government, effectively eroding local autonomy and shifting towards a unified, centralized system. Under the auspices of political authority, Confucian theory was transformed from a federalist theory promoting diversity, inclusivity and advocating decentralization, to one that legitimized a centralized and unified system.
Keywords
Confucianism; federalism; Dong Zhongshu
Subject
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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