Political leaders remain under-examined in mainstream contemporary political theory. However, the political parties' crisis and new technological innovations in the media have led political leaders to consolidate unprecedented power in contemporary democratic societies. Most contemporary democracies resemble the so-called ‘leader democracy’ model, where political leaders play a central role in politics. The turn in democratic politics towards leader-centrism raises new normative questions. Granted that political leaders have become a central political agency in democratic societies, how can they contribute to democratic goals?

The idea of ‘meritocratic democracy’ brings together insights from parallel debates in Western and Confucian political theories to offer a new perspective on the function of political leaders in contemporary societies. As a Confucian-inspired approach to political leadership, meritocratic democracy points to some of the preconditions that politicians of all political stripes must meet before occupying leadership positions within a democratic institutional framework. It argues that the Confucian ideas of virtue politics (dezhi, 德治) and benevolence (ren,仁) can inspire new institutional proposals to ensure that political leaders work for democracy (not against it). These proposals also present a compelling means for Confucian scholars to demonstrate that democracy represents an optimal sociopolitical framework for realising the Confucian ideal of virtuous governance under the circumstances of modern politics.

The talk is taking place in room S-1.27 and will be followed by a reception. All welcome.

SPEAKER

Elena Ziliotti is an Assistant Professor of Ethics and Political Philosophy at the Delft University of Technology. Elena's research focuses on Western democratic theory and Comparative political theory, with a particular focus on contemporary Confucian political theory. She received her PhD in Philosophy from the King's College London and National University of Singapore Joint PhD program in 2018.