서강대학교

초록/요약

Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore has been one of the most vocal proponents of Asian Values and has provided the most complete, articulate argument for both their existence and significance. Lee and other proponents of Asian Values argue that Asian people possesscertain culturalvalues unique to Asians-this unique set of valueshas ledAsian people to havetheir own distinct kindsof governments, economies, and lifestyleswhich are different from Westerners. Others doubt the existence of Asian Values, instead appealingto universal concepts of democracy, human rights, and government. The key to understanding the Asian Values debate is realizing that Asian Values is a social construct and different people interpret Asian Values in different ways. This thesiswill attempt to provide a new and different interpretation ofAsian Valuesby framingthe debateinterms ofnationalismandnation-building. By examining the meaning, significance, function, and originof LeeKuan Yew's Asian Values, a newinterpretation based onnationalismcan be constructedto explain how Asian Values are socially constructed. In addition to explaining the Asian Values debate, this process of examination can give insights as to how both culture and personal identitiesare created.