Baldwin Wong

Comparative political philosophy has recently grown in prominence, but most attention focuses on Confucians such as Confucius, Mencius, and Xunzi. Daoists, particularly Zhuangzi, have long been neglected. This paper proposes an “institutional approach” to Zhuangzi's philosophy, examining what institutions can create a social environment that enables ordinary people to achieve “wandering” (you). Wandering means openness to diverse perspectives and adaptability to change. Achieving this state requires the cultivation of de, which involves recognizing diverse forms of the good life and developing virtues such as open-mindedness and tolerance. Zhuangzist sages, who already possess de, are generally able to wander regardless of circumstance. However, ordinary individuals face numerous obstacles that hinder their cultivation of de. Therefore, supportive institutions, such as civil liberties, are crucial for removing these barriers and enabling people to cultivate de, and thus pursue the kind of flourishing and exploratory life endorsed by Zhuangzi.

John Rawls is arguably the most influential political philosopher of the twentieth century. In his most seminal books, A Theory of Justice (1971), Rawls claims that his aim is to ‘present a conception of justice which generalizes and carries to a higher level of abstraction the familiar theory of the social contract as found, say, in Locke, Rousseau, and Kant.’ However, what role does the idea of social contract play in Rawls’ theory is rarely discussed among Rawls scholars. Some scholars contend that Rawlsian social contract is a kind of hypothetical contract which people would make behind the ‘veil of ignorance,’ and this idea is redundant in Rawls’ theory. In this poster, I would like to argue that Rawlsian social contract should rather be understood as a social agreement on political principles which people would make in a well-ordered society. The idea of social contract is necessary because it represents a political ideal in Rawls’ mind.