Abstract
The alarming and recent rise of populist leaders in democracies over the past 20 years has been accompanied by substantial increases in political corruption. A central question in political philosophy concerns the most morally legitimate form of government. The prevailing view in Western philosophy identifies democracy as that system. Yet a more legitimate model for Western societies emerges when the issue is examined through the lens of East Asian philosophy. In this book, John J. Park introduces a Confucian-inspired hybrid system for the legislative branch, called prometheocracy, which fuses meritocracy with democracy. In this model, all legislators remain democratically elected through one person, one vote, but candidates must first meet specific merit-based requirements, such as passing a criminal background check, demonstrating relevant professional experience, and holding certain educational qualifications.
Includes bibliographical references and index.