In the wake of the Asian financial crisis, the rise of democracy in Pacific Asia, and the recent upsurge of militant Islam, the cultural politics of Pacific Asian societies has never been more pertinent - or more full of contradictions. Cultural Politics and Asian Values looks at the political, cultural and religious background of East and Southeast Asian societies and those of 'the West' with a view to seeing how they are affecting contemporary national and international politics: democratization, the international human rights discourse, NGOs, globalization. The book surveys the political history and pre-history of the 'Asian values' debate, taking it up to the era of Megawati Sukarnoputri, Chen Shui-bian and Kim Dae-jung. In chapters on Confucianism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and liberalism, Barr explores the histories and conceptual essences of the world religions involved in or affected by the debate in an attempt to find a basis for a cross-cultural dialogue on human rights, democracy and civility in governance.
He then makes an assessment of the current state of the 'Asian values' debate and draws upon Buddhism and some strands of post-modern feminist thought to suggest a way in which the international human rights discourse might proceed. Issues discussed include: * Are there distinctive values that set 'Asia' apart from 'the West'? * How are cultural factors shaping the development of democracy and governance in Asia? * Do language, religion and culture affect conceptions of human rights, society and governance? * What are the roles of Islam, Confucianism and liberalism in the international community?