Confucian ethics of Xin (trust) and practical idealism: reorienting world order beyond Western realist international relations

Confucius’s Chunqiu ( The Spring and Autumn ) should be reappreciated as the most foundational text of Confucian interstate and global ethics. Through its three canonical explications (Gongyan, Guling, and Zuo), the Chunqiu presents a philosophically coherent practical idealism, with xin (trust, trustworthiness, honesty, truthfulness, faithfulness) being centrally featured in human affairs, both domestic and interstate. Xin is not only an elementary personal virtue but also one of the five cardinal socio-ethical principles essential for humans to realise the Dao (Way) in the world, individually and collectively. Confucian practical idealism categorically contradicts and is ethically sounder than the Chinese and Western traditions of political realism, including the US-theorist-led realism that dominates contemporary international relations. Realism of world politics readily disparages trust and morality, submits to the tyranny of great-power politics, and prophesies the inevitable clash of civilisations. However, Confucian ethics upholds the primacy of ethics over political realities, underscores human beings as not merely political animals but, first and foremost, moral agents, and calls for reclaiming the moral sense of a common humanity. It advocates the necessity and realisability of interstate trust and, more generally, a moral world order. Therefore, revitalising the moral spirit, visions, and thought of classical Confucianism can invigorate global society in the 21st century to reimagine international relations through ethics. Moreover, as the accompanying article will make evident, Confucian ethics of trust and realistic idealism can practically reshape deeply troubled world politics by better addressing such pressing challenges as tracing COVID-19 origins and enhancing global biosecurity and health.