The Construction of the Public Order and Its Limitations

Inherent in our current discussion of public order is the notion that in China we are confronting a "lack of order." Strictly speaking, total lack of order (or disorder) is impossible, as it would bring about the complete collapse of any society. Thus, perhaps it is better to couch the current situation this way, namely, that there is a gap, as yet undetermined, between the existing and expected levels of public order in our society. Some forms of social order are considered less opportune, such as "consanguineous ties" (xuetonglun), a former basis of social order that many would consider inappropriate in a market economy, but, nevertheless, it was a basis for a previous public order. My interest is in delineating some sense of just what kind of public order in China would form a relatively reasonable basis for our emerging market economy and how to establish it.