Abstract

One of the defining marks of civil society rests upon the belief that individuals participate in the public square. The public square or civil society is a vast, intermingled body of interaction among institutions and individuals who wish to positively influence society. What I wish to assert is that a paradigmatic individual, the junzi, from a Confucian perspective, will offer a different vantage point in analyzing the complexity of civil society, leadership, peace and conflict studies. My vision is to briefly discuss religion’s relevance to civil society and how the junzi fits into the larger discussion on religion’s participation in civil society through their character, virtues, and transformational style of leadership. In the end, I wish to affirm Confucianism’s style of leadership and ethical standards can offer a more robust understanding of civil society, leadership theory, and add another model to peace and conflict studies.