StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Buddhist Ethics and Thailands Politics - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
From the paper "Buddhist Ethics and Thailands Politics" it is clear that the democracy in Thailand has been very fragile and in the event that the country was in a form of turmoil or crisis, the people had the hope that the monarch would instigate some form of intervention. …
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93.5% of users find it useful
Buddhist Ethics and Thailands Politics
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Buddhist Ethics and Thailands Politics"

Topic: Buddhist Ethics and Thailand’s Politics Introduction Buddhism has exercised a considerable geographical and historical presence in many parts of the Asian continent in some cases for considerable periods and it has also been central in the formation of particular states. It has been involved in informally in the interpretation and informing of social and political processes and this influence is still being seen in the present (McDaniel, 2009). The early Buddhist state that Buddha touched on several politically connected topics in his preaching. The extent to which the Buddha had an interaction with the political order in both the classical and contemporary states of South and Southeast Asia has been the center of critical religious studies (McDaniel, 2009). From the initial periods, Buddhism has exhibited a marked preference for monarchical types of government but monarchial claims are only one side of the coin as far as appreciating the connection between power and political authority. Thailand’s history and politics The political environment in Thailand considerably changed in June 1932 when a group of youthful scholars who had been studying outside the country and adopted principles of Western democracy carried out a bloodless coup that demanded for a shift from an absolute to a lawful kingdom. The then king, His Majesty King Prajadhipok agreed to their demands so that he could avoid any bloodshed and the absolute monarchy was abolished necessitating a transfer of power to the new form of government that was constitutional. Thailand is governed under a constitution that was adopted in 2007 after the coup that took place in 2006 where the king heads the state and the prime minister who heads the government is elected by the House of Representatives and is not allowed to serve more than eight consecutive years. The House of Representatives and the Senate whose members are elected through popular vote while others are nominated make up the national assembly. After the revolution in 1932 that brought to an end the absolute monarchy, Thailand has been rocked by intermittent military interferences, with nineteen coups and coup attempts in the years that followed (Farrelly, 2013). The concurrent military interventions after the one that took place in 1932 has meant alternations between military rule and more democratic instances even though the democratic periods were not independent from military influence. The coup culture in Thailand can be said to be the most critical contribution to the comparative debates concerning military intervention as far as politics is concerned (Farrelly, 2013). The country has a strong interplay of military and civilian politics that is the result of competing alliances of economic and bureaucratic elites as well as the desires of the leaders of the army for repetitive efforts towards consolidation of control. When explained in a simply, the manner in which the leadership of Thailand’s armed forces behave at various intermissions through history “suggests engrained anxiety about the quality and power of democratic institutions”, especially the leaders who are chosen through election who deal with their control (Farrelly, 2013). Role of Buddhism in Thailand’s politics Thailand is the only country in the globe that constitutionally stipulates that the king should be a Buddhist and an upholder of the faith and for many centuries, the religion has made an establishment in Thailand and has had an enriching effect in the lives of the Thai people in all the aspects and without the religion the country would not be what it is today (Kusalasaya, 1983). Buddhism has always faced criticism as a religion that is concerned more with personal salvation while lacking social ethics and even though this appears true, its teachings on personal conduct contain principles that can be interpreted and extended to become a social and ethical theory. Thailand possesses a good framework to consider Buddhist social ethics since its socio-political issues can be evaluated under the global market economy as well as from a third world point of view. The monks in Thailand belong to a unified hierarchical community that is controlled by the government and many monks try to be liberated through meditation while forgetting to focus sufficiently on the way the society they live in is organized. The connection between the Tai state and the sangha has is perceived as a continuous dialogue even though the state is considered to have always had a louder voice with the sangha operating as a tool of state power and legitimation (McCargo, 2012). The dissident monastic traditions especially the Lao forest tradition were curtailed in a systematic fashion which enabled the authorities to crush them in Bangkok. Through past couple of decades, Buddhism has acted in a conservative and ethno-nationalistic manner and this stance is seen in the increasing demands for Buddhism to become a national religion in Thailand. The instructions associated with Buddhism intensely do not agree with the use of ferocity and considers it as being a product of greediness, animosity and misconception. Buddhism is of the perception that drawing of a sharp boundary between self and others results in the construction of self-image that is able to see all that all that is not of ‘me and mine’ as being alien and threatening traits. Early literature associated with Buddhism contains many references to war and since war involves killing and killing is a breach of the first precept, it makes ethically wrong to fight in both offensive and defensive wars (Keown, 2005). In case a Buddhist is vulnerable, he is “encouraged to practice patience” and there numerous other tales of prototypical endurance and practices meant to encourage open-mindedness and forbearance (Keown, 2005). The monastic politics that are seen in Thailand are a reflection of the nonspiritual politics that are in Thailand which entail far-reaching disunions and suspicions concerning the future. While continuing to perform rituals that support national loyalty, many monks are still conflicted in the political affiliations and seek some kind of renewal in the Buddhist order as well as in the broader Thai society. As long as the monastic gerontocracy continually monopolizes power, any kind of renewal will be difficult to achieve (McCargo, 2012). Thailand has not experienced class conflicts that may have led to political violence or mass uprising and in addition the ones who are in support and against Thaksin movements have come from various social and economic sections. The monarch has been very careful in avoiding any unconstitutional actions and this could be seen at the height of the crisis that occurred in 2008 when there was a violent suppression in front of parliament and the occupation of the airport by the anti-Thaksin protestors. There was no intervention by the government and even many people wanted the king to make an intervention, he did not indulge their wish but instead let the constitutional process deal with the issue. Conclusion The democracy in Thailand has been very fragile and in the event that the country was in a form of turmoil or crisis, the people had the hope that the monarch would instigate some form of intervention. Even though the king is concerned with the instability, he continually resolves the issues through egalitarian and lawful ways. Previously, the military staged an intervention when the country experienced political crises but it could not be able to launce political reforms that could consolidate the democracy of Thailand. Military coups are becoming less favored and the military has the knowledge that coups cannot be the solutions to the problems that are experienced in the country. Consequently, the democratic development of Thailand will be dependent on the people and the monarchical institution that has been that has always brought the people together will be at the center of the reconciliation of the conflict through processes of democratic development which make them more peaceful and sustainable. References Farrelly, N. (2013). Why democracy struggles: Thailands elite coup culture 1. Australian Journal Of International Affairs, 67(3), 281--296. Keown, D. (2005). Buddhist ethics (1st ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kusalasaya, K. (1983). Buddhism in Thailand. Its Past And Its Present (Candy, Ceylon: Buddhist Publication Society, 1965). McCargo, D. (2012). The Changing Politics of Thailands Buddhist Order. Critical Asian Studies, 44(4), 627--642. McDaniel, J. (2009). Buddhism, Power and Political Order--Edited by Ian Harris. Religious Studies Review, 35(2), 144--145. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Buddhist Ethics and Thailands Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved de https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1652483-buddhist-ethics-and-thailands-politics
(Buddhist Ethics and Thailands Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words)
https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1652483-buddhist-ethics-and-thailands-politics.
“Buddhist Ethics and Thailands Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1652483-buddhist-ethics-and-thailands-politics.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Buddhist Ethics and Thailands Politics

Harmonizing Core Religious Values: Towards a Paradigm of Peace and Social Justice

One of the major intellection ironies of modern times is found in the notion of religion.... The irony is that, as stated by Alger, “Most religions .... ... ... have two distinctly contrasting cultures: the ‘holy war' and the ‘peaceable kingdom'”.... hellip; One of the major intellection ironies of modern times is found in the notion of religion....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Investment of Tesco in the Retail Market in Thailand

The following case study "Investment of Tesco in the Retail Market in Thailand" deals with the retail trade in Thailand which is certainly one of the nearly all significant economic sectors in the country, accounting for 43.... % of total customer expenditure in 2003.... nbsp;… In 2003, there were a total of 380,000 retail outlets in Thailand, of which 296,000 were food retailers and the remaining 84,000 were non-food retailers....
12 Pages (3000 words) Case Study

Legal Environment of Business and Online Commerce in Thailand

Thailand is a devout, buddhist country.... The Kingdom of Thailand or Ratcha Anachak Thai is classified as an independent country, lies in the heart of Southeast Asia, and bordered by Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, the Gulf of Thailand, Malaysia, and Andaman Sea.... It's the fiftieth largest country, smaller than Yemen and… Bangkok, the center of political, commercial, industrial, and cultural activities, is the capital and largest city in Thailand....
12 Pages (3000 words) Essay

Theravada Buddhism and Confucianism

Confucianism lays stress on developing the moral ethics of a person so that a state can be governed by moral rules alone, and not by any enforced legal system.... There are two main branches of the buddhist religion.... Buddhism is a philosophical and religious way of thought that was started by Gautama Siddhartha, also known as Lord Buddha, meaning the enlightened one....
13 Pages (3250 words) Essay

Government Policies to Regulate Sex Tourism in Thailand

Since some people view sex tourism as a way of enhancing their travel experience, social problems crop up when a particular country attains the reputation as a destination for sex tourism.... Sex tourism gets its popularity from the acute unemployment and poverty in the destination country.... … In the recent past, sex tourism has become very popular across the globe....
13 Pages (3250 words) Research Paper

A Marketing Opportunity for Powerbike in Thailand

The paper “A Marketing Opportunity for Powerbike in Thailand” endeavors to analyze the market of Thailand and Bangkok as a competitive market for the sale of bikes produced by Powerbike.... The analysis would incorporate a marketing segmentation study focusing on the Thailand market.... hellip; The analysis would focus on a positioning strategy that would be taken by the company in regards to the Four Ps of marketing to enhance its market in Thailand and Bangkok....
12 Pages (3000 words) Assignment

Entry into Foreign Market

"Entry into Foreign Market" paper describes a host of factors that a firm has to assess before it can decide which foreign market it has to enter and when.... Assessment and analysis of these factors are important during the decision-making process when selecting a foreign market to enter.... nbsp;… Negative aspects aside, this venture is highly recommendable for Cameron International because it will help it gain access to a large market consisting of a large part of the Asian continent and help it reduce its dependency ratio on the USA while making higher profits, achieving growth and becoming more globalized....
6 Pages (1500 words) Assignment

Biography of an Ethical Leader (Dalai Lama)

These ethics made him one of the most respected and famous leaders.... First, having been recognized at the age of two, the Dalai Lama was practically brought up in a buddhist monastery.... This essay “Biography of an Ethical Leader (Dalai Lama)” will analyze the 14th and still current Dalai Lama; whose original name is Tenzin Gyatso....
8 Pages (2000 words) Research Paper
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us