Political Science

Wenyang Gao is a sixth-year PhD candidate in political theory at Brown University. Her research stands at the intersection of democratic theory, environmental political theory, and comparative political philosophy. In her dissertation, she explores how we can cultivate ecological citizens who live a free and meaningful life by drawing insights from the Confucian philosopher Mencius (c. 371–c. 289 BCE). More broadly, her research interests focus on democratic citizenship in relation to questions of political ethics, civic virtue, identity, political legitimacy, political judgment, and theories of freedom. Wenyang’s research has been published in Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy and Comparative Philosophy, with forthcoming work in The Review of Politics and Philosophia. She received her B.A. in Law from Beihang University, an LL.M in U.S. Law from Washington University in St. Louis, and an M.A. in Political Science from McGill University.

Job Market Paper Title

Mencian Care and Ecological Citizenship

Job Market Paper Abstract

Amid catastrophic ecological degradation and political dysfunction, can democratic citizens still aspire to a free and ecologically flourishing life? Adopting the ecological citizenship perspective, this article develops an eco-virtue, “Mencian care,” by drawing on the work of the Confucian philosopher Mencius (c. 371 – c. 289 BCE). It argues that humans’ care for families, others, and non-human beings consists of a dynamic continuum of care: they share the same caring attitude, differing only in intensity. Mencian care comprises “natural care” and “ethical care.” Natural care is rooted in the natural capacity, ceyin zhi xin (feeling compassion for the suffering of others), which enables care for sentient beings. Growing out of natural care, ethical care is a reflective moral attitude towards all natural entities. Mencian care is a resource for cultivating ecological citizens. Rather than submitting to political paralysis, cultivation of Mencian care enables democratic citizens to live an ecologically flourishing life alongside non-human beings.