The Idea of Freedom in Comparative Perspective: Critical Comparisons between the Discourses of Liberalism and Neo-Confucianism

Largely thanks to the high-flying works of Isaiah Berlin and Chang Fo-ch’üan, the distinction between negative and positive freedom has long been a part of Chinese political discourse; with this distinction in mind, the belief that the endorsement of real freedom in Confucianism is in conflict with liberalism has been firmly asserted. In this article it is argued that the attempt to reject “Confucian liberalism” by excluding true freedom from the realm of liberalism neglects the fact that there are various forms of liberalism, individualism, and common humanity. I also argue that T. H. Green’s holistic defense of positive freedom in terms of a common good, presumably the origin of the two concepts of freedom addressed by both Berlin and Chang, actually marks a significant turn to liberalism. Seen in this light, a far-reaching dialogue between Neo- Confucianism and British Idealism can help to answer the question of how and in what sense Confucianism can accommodate liberal values. My conclusion is that if it is the case that Green initiates a perfectionist form of Hegelian liberalism, widely identified as “perfectionist liberalism,” I cannot see why “Confucian liberalism” is a contradiction in terms.