Asian Tradition and Cosmopolitan Politics

Dialogue with Kim Dae-jung

Edited by Han Sang-Jin - Foreword by John Dunn - Contributions by Baek Jeong-Hun; Chang Won-Seok; Choe Soo-Young; Han Sang-Jin; Kim Dae-jung; Kim Hyun-Soo; Kim Joohyung; Kim Tae Hoon; Kim Yeon; Chung-in Moon; Park Joon-Yeon; Rhew Hosahng; Richard von Weizsäcker and Ryu Seung-Hyeong

The book is a collection of texts by the late former President of the Republic of Korea and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Kim Dae-jung, along with contributions by other authors including the late former President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Richard von Weizsäcker. The manuscript aims to explore the significance of the combination of a cosmopolitan vision and an Asian identity found in the political thoughts of Kim. This book holds special significance as it is edited by Professor Sang-Jin Han, one of Kim's most trusted political advisors, as well as longtime friend - with their relationship stretching back to way before Kim was elected president. As one of Korea's leading intellectuals, Professor Han is best positioned to make the most out of the material since he simultaneously holds the privilege of a close personal relationship with Kim as well as expert scholarly understanding of its academic and philosophical value.

Lexington Books

Pages: 390 • Trim: 6⅜ x 9⅜

978-0-7391-2814-5 • Hardback • November 2017 • $133.00 • (£102.00)

978-1-4985-6795-4 • Paperback • October 2019 • $47.99 • (£37.00)

978-1-4985-6788-6 • eBook • November 2017 • $45.50 • (£35.00)

Subjects: Political Science / International Relations / Diplomacy, Political Science / International Relations / General

Asian Tradition and Cosmopolitan Politics

Dialogue with Kim Dae-jung

Hardback

Paperback

eBook

Summary

The book is a collection of texts by the late former President of the Republic of Korea and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Kim Dae-jung, along with contributions by other authors including the late former President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Richard von Weizsäcker. The manuscript aims to explore the significance of the combination of a cosmopolitan vision and an Asian identity found in the political thoughts of Kim. This book holds special significance as it is edited by Professor Sang-Jin Han, one of Kim's most trusted political advisors, as well as longtime friend - with their relationship stretching back to way before Kim was elected president. As one of Korea's leading intellectuals, Professor Han is best positioned to make the most out of the material since he simultaneously holds the privilege of a close personal relationship with Kim as well as expert scholarly understanding of its academic and philosophical value.

Details

Lexington Books

Pages: 390 • Trim: 6⅜ x 9⅜

978-0-7391-2814-5 • Hardback • November 2017 • $133.00 • (£102.00)

978-1-4985-6795-4 • Paperback • October 2019 • $47.99 • (£37.00)

978-1-4985-6788-6 • eBook • November 2017 • $45.50 • (£35.00)

Subjects: Political Science / International Relations / Diplomacy, Political Science / International Relations / General

Author

Han Sang-Jin is professor emeritus at Seoul National University and distinguished visiting professor at Peking University.

Table of Contents

Foreword: A View from the Far Abroad, John Dunn
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Who is Kim Dae-jung? From Asian Value Debate to Cosmopolitanism, Han Sang-Jin
Part I: Two Presidents on Peace in East Asia
Chapter 1: East Asia in the Twenty-First Century, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 2: Forging the Future through Competition and Cooperation, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 3: New Threats to Peace Today, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 4: Why Do We Need a Civilized Dialogue?, Richard von Weizsäcker
Chapter 5: Japan, East Asia, and Global Peace, Richard von Weizsäcker
Chapter 6: Toward the Age of Pacific Civilization, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 7: A Dialogue with Two Presidents, Kim Dae-jung, Richard von Weizsäcker, and Han Sang-Jin
Part II: Why Do I Believe in Global Democracy?
Chapter 8: Why Do I Believe in Global Democracy?, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 9: Democracy is Our Destiny: The Message of the 1960 Student Revolution, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 10: Popular Sovereignty: My Encounter with Gwangju 1980, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 11: Five Reasons to Oppose the Death Penalty, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 12: Democracy Will Eventually Win in Burma, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 13: The Sunshine Policy and Peace, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 14: Dawning Era of “Universal Globalism,” Kim Dae-jung
Part III: Asian Traditions and Cosmopolitan Politics: Dialogue with Seoul National University Students
Chapter 15: Democracy in Asia and Human Rights, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 16: Kim Dae-jung and Lee Kwan Yew: How to Interpret the Polemics?, Choe Soo-Young
Chapter 17: Confucian Traditions and Democracy: Are They Compatible?, Kim Tae Hoon
Chapter 18: Kim Dae-jung’s Interpretation of Asian Democratic Traditions: A Critical Appraisal, Ryu Seung-Hyeong
Chapter 19: Buddhist Traditions and Kim Dae-jung’s Democratic Theory, Chang Won-Seok
Chapter 20: Democracy and Factional Conflict: Kim Dae-jung’s Interpretation of Korean History, Baek Jeong-Hun
Chapter 21: Is Information Society a Blessing? An Assessment of Kim Dae-jung’s View, Kim Yeon
Chapter 22: Human Beings and Environment: Kim Dae-jung’s View on the Unity of Nature and Man, Kim Hyun-Soo
Chapter 23: The Tidelands Policy and Kim Dae-jung’s Notion of Global Democracy, Rhew Hosahng
Chapter 24: Cyberspace and Human Rights, Kim Joohyung and Park Joon-Yeon
Part IV: Cosmopolitan Vision with Asian Identity
Chapter 25: Confucian Pathway to Cosmopolitan Democracy: Reconstruction of Loyalty and Filial Piety, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 26: What is Good Governance in the Twenty-First Century?, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 27: Cosmopolitan Dialogue for American Leadership: Dialogue with Harvard Students, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 28: World Peace through IT Revolution, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 29: Eurasian Iron Silk Road: A New Vision, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 30: Toward Human Welfare and Happiness, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 31: My View of Christian Way of Life: Divine Question and Human Suffering, Kim Dae-jung
Part V: Last Words for the Sunshine Policy
Chapter 32: Messages to the Leaders and the People, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 33: The Lessons from the Inter-Korean Relation in Current Crisis, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 34: The Current Nuclear Issues and Rediscovering China as Peace Builder, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 35: Be a Conscience in Action!, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 36: The Last Interviews, Kim Dae-jung
Chapter 37: Rethinking the Sunshine Policy: President Kim Dae-jung and His Vision of Peace and Unification in Korea, Moon Chung-in
Part VI: Conclusion
Chapter 38: Reflection on the Last Year of President Kim Dae-jung’s Life: A New Communicative Ethics for Peace in the Twenty-First Century, Han Sang-Jin

Reviews

A unique, original, and insightful study from beginning to end.... "Asian Tradition and Cosmopolitan Politics: Dialogue with Kim Dae-jung" is an extraordinary and highly recommended addition to college and academic library Contemporary Asian Studies and International Relations collections in general, and Kim Dae-jung supplemental studies reading lists in particular
— Midwest Book Review

In these days in which the Koreas are a matter of global concern, what South Korea is able to do as a democratic nation is of interest to all. Kim Dae-jung was the most important voice for democracy and social responsibility in a nation that has endured many political troubles. No one has been a more important voice for democracy in a troubled world. And no internationally recognized scholar knew him better than Han Sang-jin. This book is a must read for these perilous times.
— Charles Lemert, Yale University

This collection of essays by and on Kim Dae-jung has the merit to present a vivid portrait of an outstanding president and a remarkable political figure. He was deeply rooted in Asian traditions and at the same time pursued a distinctive cosmopolitan vision.
— Jürgen Habermas

As a leading public intellectual in South Korea, Han Sang-Jin shows in this book why Kim Dae-jung emerges as a great politician and a cosmopolitan thinker today, deeply challenging the current political conjuncture of contradiction. His immortal insights and achievements will be handed down from generation to generation not only as an Asian but as a global legacy.
— Sangjung Kang, Tokyo University

Kim Dae-jung was one of the great political activists and thinkers of the past forty years. Han Sang-Jin brilliantly shows the enduring nature of his thought, perhaps even more relevant today than when it was first produced.
— Anthony Giddens, London School of Economics

This timely volume portrays Kim-Dae-jung as a political philosopher and addresses an important question: Is it possible to square ethnic and national traditions with the concept of cosmopolitan politics? Kim Dae-jung’s intellectual contributions to this topic have been skillfully selected by Han Sang-Jin, Kim Dae-jung’s trusted collaborator and friend. This volume is a ‘must read’ for all who want to come to grips with how to re-interpret traditional values in terms of global and universal values. It is also of great value to those interested in understanding Kim Dae-jung, his political agenda, and his political decisions within its historical context.
— Hans-Dieter Klingemann, WZB Berlin Social Science Center