Dharma and Chakravarti for Liberty: Decentering Hegemony via Buddhist Political Philosophy

The best way to decenter hegemony is to set up a market in political legitimacy. One of the best ways to do this is to introduce Buddhism into a given polity. In this chapter, I consider the theology and history of various schools of Buddhism, as well as the histories of some places where those schools have taken root, to argue that the widespread adoption of Buddhism, especially when that adoption entails the internalization of Buddhist kingship ideals by government rulers and the strong presence of a Buddhist monastic community (sangha), presents hope for decentering hegemony and enhancing liberty around the world. I also briefly compare Buddhism with other major world religions to strengthen my argument that Buddhism is among the most effective means of establishing a market in political legitimacy and thereby decentering hegemony.