Asian values
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Asian values was a concept that came into vogue in the 1990s, predicated on the belief in the existence in Asian countries of a unique set of institutions and political ideologies which reflected the region's culture and history. Although there are indeed many differences in Eastern and Western ideas, philosophy, etc., the term is a misnomer in that there is no single set of "Asian" values; there are just as significant value differences between, say, China and Japan as between France and Germany. Nethertheless, like their Western counterparts, Eastern countries can be said to share some values, a simple example being the death penalty, which is legal in the China and some other Asian countries but today considered immoral in the two latter.
Because the proponents of the concept came from different cultural backgrounds, no single definition of the term exists, but typically "Asian values" encompasses some flavor of Confucianism, in particular loyalty towards the family, corporation and nation, the forgoing of personal freedom for the sake of society's stability and prosperity, the pursuit for academic and technological excellence, and work ethic and thrift. Proponents of "Asian values", who tend to support Asian-style authoritarian governments, claim they are more appropriate for the region than the democratic values and institutions of the West. A frequent criticism is that the idea of "Asian values" is most promoted by the elites who benefit from authoritarian rule, rather than the wider populace of their nation. Some individuals [citation needed] go so far in there attempt to justify Asian values as to have founded those values upon notions of genetic similarity and how this has ramifications for sociobiology's interaction with genetics.
The concept of "Asian values" was a popular idea in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and India, and also in some political circles in Japan [citation needed]. In Malaysia and Singapore, the concept of Asian values was embraced partly because it reconciled Islam, the religion of the Malays, with the Confucianism of the ethnic Chinese, and Hinduism, thereby helping to create a sense of common values between different ethnic and religious groups in those countries, as well as forming an ideology that could challenge the West. In Japan, it was popular among some nationalist circles [citation needed] because it challenged the West and also offered the possibility of Japanese leadership in a new Asia.
Mahathir bin Mohamad and Lee Kuan Yew, at that time the prime ministers of Malaysia and Singapore, respectively, were particularly vocal advocates of Asian values. Fareed Zakaria has written extensively on Asian values, while Amartya Sen has been one of the concept's strongest critics. Some critics of the term argue that no universal "Asian" value system exists, because the cultural diversity of Asia is too great for there to be a single set of common values across the region. [citation needed] The suggestion that a set of 'Asian values' operated throughout the Asian region, or even just in East Asia, contradicts what we know about the presence of long-standing religious (Islamic, Hindu, Confucian, Buddhist) and other divisions in the region, and of the major social and cultural transformation that has been underway, especially in the last decade or so.
The concept of "Asian values" began to lose currency after the Asian financial crisis weakened the economies of many Asian countries, leading to the collapse of the Suharto regime in Indonesia. Some consider these values to have contributed to the crisis. When the crisis spread worldwide, the blame subsided.[1]
Two outspoken critics of Asian values have been the former President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Lee Teng-hui, and former President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Kim Dae Jung. This may raise the question whether or not fierce opposition to the concept has to do with siding with the West and with the United States during and after the big global division of the twentieth century, or the Cold War. Furthermore, a sharp observation may suggest that speaking in the name of Asian values serves the purpose of forming a robust counter force in Asia, and most particularly in China, to the nations which most clearly represent values of individual freedom [citation needed]. One way or the other, the use of the term is capable in itself of creating a significant dialogue between continents of the world, and between human ideas in all fields. [citation needed]
An important aspect of the concept of the above mentioned Asian values systems is that many agree that there should be room for democratic and scientific decision-making and thought being a driving force for any universally accepted values system, especially given that resort to such thought is highly verifiable by all concerned independent of subjective values-systems held. [citation needed]
[edit] Reference
- ^ Paul Krugman. Latin America's Swan Song. Extracted October 30, 2006.
[edit] See also
- This entry is related to, but not included in the Political ideologies series or one of its sub-series. Other related articles can be found at the Politics Portal.
