Timothy Cheek reviews Daniel A. Bell's new book, China’s New Confucianism: Politics and Everyday Life in a Changing Society (chapter one):
In nine substantive chapters and two appendices, Daniel A. Bell delivers on his promise “to uncover and explore distinctive and deep aspects of Chinese culture” in their “contemporary manifestations.” His politics are clear: a rising China needs to be understood by the world’s western powers and an appreciation of the Confucian realities of what is often referred to as communist China will help defuse misunderstandings and the dangers of unnecessary conflict between Us and Them.
Bell, a professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, works to foster this mutual understanding from a particular standpoint: he is a Montreal-born and western-trained political theorist, with humanist and communitarian leanings, who speaks on the basis of his professional experience in Singapore, Hong Kong and now Beijing “as a teacher and self-styled Confucian educator.”
More here. Here is another interesting review by April Rabkin.
Bell is also the author of East Meets West: Human Rights and Democracy in China (a lively book discussion on it is unfolding at Peony's blog). For a snapshot of how Bell's critics perceive him, read Xiaorong Li's review of East Meets West (of related interest may be Li's essay on Asian Values) and Jeremiah Jenne's thoughts on Bell reading from his new book. Below is a recent 20 min video in which Bell talks about China's new Confucianism (with a rather irritating chap from "UN University"). His articles in the Guardian are available here.
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