All complex and large-scale societies are organized along certain hierarchies, but the concept of hierarchy has become almost taboo in the modern world. Just Hierarchy contends that this stigma is a mistake. In fact, as Daniel Bell and Wang Pei show, it is neither possible nor advisable to do away with social hierarchies. Drawing their arguments from Chinese thought and culture as well as other philosophies and traditions, Bell and Wang ask which forms of hierarchy are justified and how these can serve morally desirable goals. They look at ways of promoting just forms of hierarchy while minimizing the influence of unjust ones, such as those based on race, sex, or caste.
Which hierarchical relations are morally justified and why? Bell and Wang argue that it depends on the nature of the social relation and context. Different hierarchical principles ought to govern different kinds of social relations: what justifies hierarchy among intimates is different from what justifies hierarchy among citizens, countries, humans and animals, and humans and intelligent machines. Morally justified hierarchies can and should govern different spheres of our social lives, though these will be very different from the unjust hierarchies that have governed us in the past.
A vigorous, systematic defense of hierarchy in the modern world, Just Hierarchy examines how hierarchical social relations can have a useful purpose, not only in personal domains but also in larger political realms.
"In this ardent, thought-provoking, and deeply engaging book, Bell and Wang show that the choice we face is not between societies with or without hierarchies, but between unjust hierarchies based on unjust power structures and just hierarchies that serve moral purposes. Just Hierarchy is an important step toward new conversations about how to have a good society."—Anna Sun, author of Confucianism as a World Religion
"Just Hierarchy will enrage some and comfort others, but most of all, it will provoke reflection. What, exactly, is wrong with hierarchy, and how can this be avoided? What are the characteristics of a ‘just hierarchy,’ which Bell and Wang argue we should embrace? Through a range of contexts, this eminently readable book offers answers."—Stephen C. Angle, Wesleyan University
"That all human beings are equal is the holiest principle for Western progressives. Disrupting this consensus, Bell and Wang make a strong case for just hierarchies, inspired by the Confucian tradition. They're not arguing for patriarchs, kings, slaveholders, or Aryan supermen, but for social rankings based on merit and moral distinction. Bell and Wang force us to critically rethink our egalitarian commitments and face our hypocrisies as we rail against hierarchies, whether at the Oxford high table, the exclusive beach resort, the corporate boardroom, or other spaces grounded in our own ubiquitous pecking orders."—Carlos Fraenkel, author of Teaching Plato in Palestine
"This book is so brilliant because it asks the question nobody has asked. Many people, including myself, have written about equality and why we should embrace it. But nobody has written about what kind of hierarchies could still be legitimate, even just. I get really excited when I read research that reframes a question and looks at a topic from a very different perspective. Bell and Wang have done a tremendous job."—Avner de-Shalit, coauthor of Disadvantage
"Daniel and Pei, a pair of philosophers, ‘progressive conservatives,’ walk into a Chinese dining room in Shandong, China, and start discussing the usual, often Confucian, rationale behind who sits where and why. And even before they can deconfuse you on when to start drinking, and with whom, how, and how long, you too will be thinking about what kind of moral justification for hierarchical culture is possible. Gently provocative and lucidly presented, this conversation starter of a book is a unique work of anthropological philosophy."—Kyoo Lee, City University of New York
"Just Hierarchy is intellectually very stimulating. It invites us to revisit some of our most entrenched assumptions about the notion of hierarchy. The book is clear, easy to read, entertaining, and extremely topical."—Jean-Marc Coicaud, Rutgers University
"Issues of hierarchy and equality are major contemporary concerns, with the predominant voice arguing for equality and against hierarchy. This provocative and significant book goes against that trend and makes a distinctive move in defending hierarchy. Persuasively making its case from crosscultural perspectives, Just Hierarchy is nevertheless controversial and will cause serious debate."—Chenyang Li, author of The Confucian Philosophy of Harmony
