ABSTRACT
This chapter conceptualizes Confucian sentimental representation by deriving its moral and theoretical foundation from the idea of Confucian virtue politics. In Confucian virtue politics, acting for the people is constituted by the ruler’s moral action of sharing emotions and feelings with the people and transforming them into morally cultivated ones. Not only does such an affective interaction provide a political leader with the moral source of sound political judgments for benevolent government (ren zheng 仁政), but it also constitutes an intrinsic good in the political realm by enabling a political leader and common people to share joyful harmony with the Way (道). Therefore, the heart of Confucian sentimental representation can be understood as ‘acting with the people’. This Confucian conception of political representation, which affirms the intrinsic value of an affective political relationship and places it at the center of political participation, provides normative criteria for the current debate between Confucian democracy and Confucian meritocracy.
