Abstract
This chapter considers the Confucian political imaginary, its relation to Chinese culture, and its continued influence today. It explains two central figures of thought in the Confucian political imaginary, the noble person (junzi) and the Great Unity (datong), as well as the temporality of the Confucian imaginary itself. It is argued that Confucians do not, as Max Weber believed, seek accommodation with the world but are militant proponents of radical socio-ethical change. It explains how Confucianism could disappear at the beginning of the twentieth century only to re-appear at the end of the century, and how the Confucian political imaginary informs the Maoist revolution.