The rise of China, along with problems of governance in democratic countries, has reinvigorated the theory of political meritocracy. But what is the theory of political meritocracy and how can it set standards for evaluating political progress (and regress)? Can meritocracy be reconciled with democracy and if so, how? What is the history of political meritocracy and what can it teach us today? How is political meritocracy practiced in contemporary societies – in China, Singapore, and elsewhere – and what are its advantages and disadvantages in terms of producing just outcomes and contributing to good governance? To help answer these questions, this volume gathers a series of commissioned research papers from an interdisciplinary group of leading philosophers, historians, and social scientists. The result is the first book in decades to examine the rise (or revival) of political meritocracy and what it will mean for political developments in China and the rest of the world. Despite its limitations, meritocracy has contributed much to human flourishing in East Asia and beyond and will continue to do so in the future. This book is essential reading for those who wish to further the debate and perhaps even help to implement desirable forms of political change. “In theory, democracy works beautifully. In practice, it does not. Indeed, the American democratic system has effectively been hijacked by special interests through a process best described as institutionalized legal corruption. Clearly the world needs new political thinking, bringing together the best of the East and the West. This is what this volume does, reminding us that political wisdom springs from all corners of the world. It could not be more timely. A must read.” - Kishore Mahbubani, Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore and author of The Great Convergence: Asia, the West, and the Logic of One World “Drawing on Eastern and Western theories, histories, and contemporary experiences, The East Asian Challenge for Democracy is a searching, provocative, and above all open-minded exploration of meritocracy. By highlighting both strengths and weaknesses of meritocracy, this wide-ranging but well-integrated volume challenges everyone―from doctrinaire democrats to rigid meritocrats―to enter into a renewed conversation about political possibilities.” - Stephen Angle, Professor of Philosophy and East Asian Studies, Wesleyan University “When liberal democracy was believed to have triumphed over its authoritarian rivals in the Soviet Union and East Europe at the end of the Cold War, it was challenged by meritocracy in East Asian societies which have several thousand years of meritocratic tradition, a part of Confucianism. Until today, leaders in these societies believe that liberal democracy, centered on electoral politics, can neither guarantee the election of the best person, nor prevent the worst person to be elected. However, meritocracy does not resist democracy. Indeed, all East Asian societies have been adjusting to democracy by integrating their own deeply rooted tradition with it, namely, selection and election. In this volume, Bell and Li have made tremendous efforts in bringing together more than a dozen of known experts, exploring rich traditions and contemporary practices of meritocracy in East Asia, particularly China and Singapore. All who are interested in the future of China and other parts of East Asia should read this excellent book.” - Zheng Yongnian, Professor and Director of East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore “Although frequently touted as an export article, Western democracy today is in crisis, being in the tight grip of selfish elites. Aristotle long ago had distinguished between good and bad regimes, using as criterion the orientation toward shared well-being or selfish interests. Measured by this yardstick, Western democracy appears deeply flawed. Small wonder that many intellectuals look for ways to upgrade democracy's ethical quality. The present volume invokes the Chinese tradition of "meritocracy", focused on virtuous public leadership, assessing its value and contemporary feasibility from a great many angles. The scope and intellectual rigor of these assessments is unparalleled in the literature. The central problem faced by all contributors is implicit in the term "meritocracy" itself: how can "merit" or virtue be combined with political power ("-cracy"), given Lord Action's famous saying that all power inevitably corrupts?” - Fred Dallmayr, author of In Search of The Good Life and The Promise of Democracy 'Bell and Li posit a provocative thesis that East Asian political meritocracy poses a deeper challenge to liberal democracy than most in the West suspect. … Bell and Li, together and separately, have done much to reinvigorate both the scholarly discussion and public dialogue regarding the virtues of political meritocracy. Their book is an excellent compendiu