A REDIRECT conversation explored democracy from both a historical and a cross-cultural perspective through an interview with Professor Demin Duan of Peking University. As part of REDIRECT’s broader research on the state of modern democratic representation, the discussion considered not only the history and development of representative government, but also how ideas of politics, democracy, and representation take shape across different political cultures and contexts.
The conversation focused on Professor Duan’s recent book, Tocqueville between East and West (University of Wales Press, 2025), and examined questions of representation, liberty, and political forms of government through the lens of Tocqueville’s thought. By placing these themes in comparative perspective, the interview reflected on similarities and differences between Eastern and Western political traditions, and on what a cross-cultural reading of political thought can contribute to current debates on democracy and representation.
Professor Demin Duan teaches in the Department of Political Science at the School of Government, Peking University. His research lies broadly in political theory and the history of political thought, with particular work on Montesquieu and Machiavelli, as well as on the comparative study of European and Chinese political philosophy. The conversation provided a valuable opportunity to connect REDIRECT’s interest in representative democracy with wider historical and global perspectives on political life.