Asian Values

Asian values was a concept that came into vogue briefly in the 1990s to justify authoritarian regimes in Asia, predicated on the belief in the existence within Asian countries of a unique set of institutions and political ideologies which reflected the region's culture and history. In particular, this idea was strongly advocated by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia and former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore in 1995. The theory is that there are many differences in Eastern and Western ideas, philosophy and religion. For instance, collectivism, the idea that human beings are an integral part of the universe and people are fundamentally connected, is stronger in Asian society. On the other hand, individualism, the idea that a human being is an independent part of the universe and society, is stronger in Western society. Nevertheless, there is no single set of "Asian" values. Main schools of Asian values include Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Integral yoga, Islam, Taoism, Zen, along with other philosophies, movements and religions.

The debate over Asian values, which used to be conducted heatedly, gradually declined during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis when it became evident that Asia as a whole lacked a regional institution mechanism, let alone any collective action to deal with imminent problems and thus had been subdued recently. The term has continuously challenged the western interpretation, which remained uncontested since the French Revolution. During the booming economy, especially in eastern Asia, the initiators of the debate on ‘‘Asian values’’ wished to create a pan-Asian identity as a counterpart to the identity of ‘‘the West’’. The handover of Hong Kong and Macao may have symbolized the removal of the final colonial remnants in Asia. The response of the West to the new self-confidence manifested by numerous Asian political leaders was of a decidedly defensive nature.