"Confucianism" in Vietnam: A State of the Field Essay

Abstract

This article reviews the scholarship on Confucianism in premodern Vietnam by the leading figures in the field in North America and Australia. By testing the findings of this scholarship against primary sources and similar work done on China, the author concludes that scholars have not acknowledged the full role that Confucianism played in Vietnam's past, and that key research remains to be done. The article concludes with suggestions for such research.

The Role of Emotion in Land Regulation: An Empirical Study of Online Advocacy in Authoritarian Asia

“…Currently, there is no program in Vietnam that examines contemporary emotional registers, educates regulators about the evaluative power of their emotions, and develops regulatory processes that encourage empathy. Instead, state regulatory processes continue to emphasize rational legal processes (Phạm Điềm 2013) and ignore the historical knowledge that tình cảm (sentiment) sensitizes regulators to public opinion (Kelley ; Shohet ). Attending to emotions rather than insisting on rational governance might assist Vietnamese regulators to reduce the kinds of misunderstandings and deliberative breakdowns that are a feature of many land disputes.…”

“…Government regulators soon discovered, however, that the public expected them to rule through có lý có tính (reason and sentiment) (Endres ; Gillespie ; Malarney ). For centuries, regulators were instructed in the Confucian tradition of self‐cultivation ( tự thân ), which grounded ethical governance on contemplation and self‐awareness (Kelley ; Shohet ). Ethical decisions were not considered obtainable through entirely logical reasoning, and Confucian governance prescribed the emotions that regulators were expected to cultivate (Kelley ; Shohet ).…”

“…For centuries, regulators were instructed in the Confucian tradition of self‐cultivation ( tự thân ), which grounded ethical governance on contemplation and self‐awareness (Kelley ; Shohet ). Ethical decisions were not considered obtainable through entirely logical reasoning, and Confucian governance prescribed the emotions that regulators were expected to cultivate (Kelley ; Shohet ). For example, regulators were encouraged to display tình cảm (literally “sentiment,” but also meaning “empathy and compassion”), as this involved understanding the thoughts and feelings of others.…”

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Vietnam: a conceptual framework

“…However, this view fails to realize how deeply the core values of traditional Vietnam have remained embedded in the hearts of almost all Vietnamese (Vuong, 2014). As culture is well-established and stable rather than volatile, many scholars assert that the long-lasting cultural values still penetrate and persist at the deepest levels of contemporary society, and tradition is conceived as the root of various aspects of Vietnamese modern society, including beliefs, values, and underlying assumptions, as well as artefacts and personal behaviour (Kelley, 2006).…”

“…Having been reaffirmed and reinforced in myriad ways through family teaching, folktales, and proverbs for centuries, Confucianism has served as the epistemological foundation to bring morality and harmony in Vietnamese society (Kelley, 2006). Despite its roots in ancient Chinese philosophy, in Vietnam Confucianism has incorporated indigenous beliefs and norms, establishing a core set of personal attributes and obligations with the greatest emphasis upon harmonious human relationships (Whitmore, 1984).…”