Book title: Confucian Sentimental Representation

Kwon conceptualizes a unique mode of political representation in East Asian society, which derives its moral foundation from Confucian virtue politics. Contemporary East Asian societies understand democracy differently than Western societies do. Even citizens in consolidated democracies such as Taiwan and South Korea have different conceptions of an ideal relationship between a political leader and ordinary citizens, as well as a political leader’s accountability and political legitimacy. A political leader’s proper conduct, including his/her everyday languages, behaviors, and expressions when facing citizens’ sorrow, anger, and resentment, plays a crucial role in evaluating whether his/her has political legitimacy in East Asian society. Kwon analyses how this ‘affective accountability’ forms the basis for political representation in these societies and examines how this can be reconciled with liberal democracy.

Kyung Rok Kwon is a postdoctoral fellow of Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences at Academia Sinica (Taiwan).