[ISTAC-IIUM AND ICS-UM JOINT WEBINAR] A Confucian-Islamic Conversation on Liberal Democracy and a New Global Order

As the world wrestles with the implications of the recent social-political upheaval in America, can Confucianism provide insights into the ills affecting liberal democracy? In Against Political Equality: The Confucian Case, published by Princeton University Press in 2020, Professor Bai argues that Confucian-inspired meritocracy combined with some democratic elements can offer correctives to the inherent weaknesses in the egalitarian values underpinning liberal democracy. In this webinar Prof. Bai will expound his thesis, explaining why more political decision-making power should be given to those with the moral, practical, and intellectual capabilities to do so. And how a hybrid Confucian-engendered form of governance might solve some of today’s political problems. Prof. Bai will also address the broader civilizational challenges and explore whether Confucianism and Islam can jointly support a new global order where the principle of humaneness governs international relations and interventions. Professor Osman Bakar will respond with an Islamic perspective and analysis on the Confucian alternative and the evolving world order.