Paternalistic Gratitude: The Theory and Politics of Confucian Political Obligation

While researchers have offered remonstration-oriented, reciprocal, voluntary, and gratitude-based accounts of political obligation in classical Confucianism, I argue that these interpretations are either conflict with the textual evidence or merely scratch surface Confucius’ theory without fully elaborating its essence. Instead, demonstrate Confucianism is a specific argument from paternalistic gratitude which people’s analogically compared to children’s grateful duty their parents. Moreover, use Confucian critically examine China’s recent politics wake 2008 Sichuan 四川 earthquake. Although Confucian-sounding references, such as kindness parent-state analogy, figure into CPC’s Gratitude Education campaign (ganen jiaoyu 感恩教育), Party’s does not meet normative standard. Specifically, gratitude, people will be benevolent ruler this feeling being demanded by state. However, campaign, Party self-righteously exacted earthquake survivors’ gratitude. Local dissidents were subject stigmatization “ungratefulness” faced violence consequence. The case serves another example for non-Confucian goals.