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2 - Party Ideology and Chinese Law

from Part I - Ideology and the Party in Law

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 December 2020

Rogier J. E. H. Creemers
Affiliation:
Universiteit Leiden
Susan Trevaskes
Affiliation:
Griffith University, Queensland
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Summary

Through studying the evolution of three aspects of statecraft – what is the purpose of politics? who should be in charge? and by what method should they govern to achieve that purpose? – this chapter sketches the epistemological framework that structures the Chinese Communist Party’s worldview. First, this worldview is teleological – the purpose of politics is to achieve the Utopian promises made by Marxist doctrine – and echoes concepts of harmony predominant in the imperial age. Second, it requires rule by a knowledge elite. Third, the Party has developed a methodology by which it claims to be able to set the agenda, identify circumstances and tasks, and guide implementation. This worldview is essentially monist. Under this conception, and in line with the requirements of harmony, any social conflict or contradiction is, in se, illegitimate and needs to be resolved. This has considerable implications for the space that law is given in the statecraft of the Party.

Type
Chapter
Information
Law and the Party in China
Ideology and Organisation
, pp. 31 - 63
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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