Daniel A. Bell Livres

"Westerners tend to divide the political world into 'good' democracies and 'bad' authoritarian regimes. But the Chinese political model does not fit neatly in either category. Over the past three decades, China has evolved into a political system that can best be described as 'political meritocracy.' [This work] seeks to understand the ideals and the reality of this unique political system"-- Provided by publisher

The book explores the suitability of liberal democracy in East Asia, arguing for alternative models that align more closely with the region's unique cultural and social values. Daniel Bell critiques the conventional hallmarks of liberal democracy—human rights, democracy, and capitalism—highlighting how these have been adapted in East Asian contexts. He warns against the risks of imposing Western frameworks and suggests that morally legitimate alternatives could better serve the region's needs, fostering a more nuanced understanding of governance.

The book presents a dialogue between an American democrat and three East Asian critics, exploring the tension between liberal democracy and "Asian values." It addresses the debate over whether liberal democracy is a universal ideal or a Western construct, with proponents of Asian values arguing against the imposition of Western ideals on Asian states. Daniel A. Bell seeks to find a middle ground, critiquing both the motivations of Asian leaders and the Western perspective on human rights and democracy.

"All complex and large-scale societies are organized along certain hierarchies, but the concept of hierarchy has become almost taboo in the modern world. Just Hierarchy contends that this stigma is a mistake. In fact, as Daniel Bell and Wang Pei show, it is neither possible nor advisable to do away with social hierarchies. Drawing their arguments from Chinese thought and culture as well as other philosophies and traditions, Bell and Wang ask which forms of hierarchy are justified and how these can serve morally desirable goals. They look at ways of promoting just forms of hierarchy while minimizing the influence of unjust ones, such as those based on race, sex, or caste. Which hierarchical relations are morally justified and why? Bell and Wang argue that it depends on the nature of the social relation and context. Different hierarchical principles ought to govern different kinds of social relations: what justifies hierarchy among intimates is different from what justifies hierarchy among citizens, countries, humans and animals, and humans and intelligent machines. Morally justified hierarchies can and should govern different spheres of our social lives, though these will be very different from the unjust hierarchies that have governed us in the past. A vigorous, systematic defense of hierarchy in the modern world, Just Hierarchy examines how hierarchical social relations can have a useful purpose, not only in personal domains but also in larger political realms"--Publisher's description