Power and responsibility, which comes first? On two interpretations of the Confucian theory of power

Recently, Sungmoon Kim presents a Confucian theory of “power as responsibility”. Kim argues that, from a Confucian perspective, power is fundamentally linked to the willingness to take responsibility for people’s well-being. In this response, I argue that this theory can be interpreted in two ways: (A) power holders should be responsible for people’s well-being, or (B) those willing to take responsibility for all deserve power. Both interpretations face challenges. Under (A), it is unclear why ordinary citizens, who have little political influence, should feel obligated to participate in politics. Under (B), the theory risks fostering Manichean politics, where people become overly confident in their own desert to power and too quick to dismiss their opponents’ desert, fueling affective polarization and abuse of power.