Lingkai (Jose) Kong
I am a Ph.D. Researcher in the Department of Political Science and International Relations, Izmir University of Economics, Turkey, under the Chair of Department Head Prof. Dr. Devrim Sezer.
My research interests center around federalism and extend into multiple branches including political theory, anarchism, Chinese politics and history. Specifically, my current research projects involve: Calvinist theologian and federalist scholar Johannes Althusius, anarchist and federalist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Austro-Marxist and federalist Karl Renner, contemporary philosopher Hannah Arendt, contemporary federal and federal-like states such as Spain, Belgium and Canada. These topics involve discussions of multi-ethnic coexistence, pluralism, nationalism, asymmetrical federation, and non-territorial federal institutions. I am also interested in exploring the embodiment of federalism in the medieval European tradition and in Chinese history. I also conduct research on Eastern religion and philosophy.
I speak Chinese (native), English (C1), Spanish (B2) and very little Turkish.
Education
PhD in Political Science, Izmir University of Economics, Turkey, 2021-2025
MA in Economics, University of Zurich, Switzerland, 2019-2021
BA in Economics, Beijing Foreign Studies University, China, 2015-2019
Short Visit, University of Barcelona, Spain, 2017-2018
Short Visit, Woosong University, South Korea, 2016
Publications
Journal Articles
Kong, L. (2024). The Sacred Federation of Tibet and the Mongol Empire. Histories, 4(4), 557-574. https://doi.org/10.3390/histories4040029
(2024: ESCI)
Kong, L. & Chang, Y. (2024). The Risks of Government-Driven Stock Market Booms in China. Cuadernos de Economía, 47(134), 200-212. https://doi.org/10.32826/cude.v47i134.1420
(2024: ESCI; Scopus Q1; CiteScore 4.3)
Books
Proudhon, P.-J. (2024). A Collection of Scattered Articles and Letters of Proudhon (L. Kong, Ed.). 409 pages. Karl-Marx Verlag. ISBN: 978-3-9825536-2-7.
[ISBN] [Hal-science] [PhilPapers] [Amazon]
Sun Tzu (2023). The Art of War by Sun Tzu (L. Kong, Ed. & Trans. to English). 131 pages. Istanbul Institute of Political Strategy. ISBN: 978-1-7392712-2-0.
Althusius, J. (2023). Politics Methodically Set Forth and Illustrated with Sacred and Profane Examples (L. Kong, Ed. & Trans. to Chinese). 284 pages. Open Democracy & Stettbach Press. ISBN: 978-1-7393257-2-5. [In Chinese: 约翰内斯·阿尔图修斯 (2023). 政治：系统地阐述，以神圣和世俗的例⼦说明 (孔令恺，编辑 & 翻译为中文). 284页. 开放民主&施泰巴赫出版社. ISBN: 978-1-7393257-2-5]
[ISBN] [Hal-science] [PhilPapers] [Amazon]
Proudhon, P.-J. (2023). The Principle Of Federation and the Need to Reconstitute the Party of Revolution (L. Kong, Ed. & Trans. to Chinese). 276 pages. Open Democracy & Stettbach Press. ISBN: 978-1-7393257-4-9. [In Chinese: 皮埃尔-约瑟夫·蒲鲁东 (2023). 联邦原则，和重建革命党的必要性 (孔令恺，编辑 & 翻译为中文). 276 页. 开放民主&施泰巴赫出版社. ISBN: 978-1-7393257-4-9]
[ISBN] [Hal-science] [PhilPapers] [Amazon]
Ilyenkov, E. V. (2023). Leninist Dialectics and the Metaphysics of Positivism (L. Kong & J. Ma, Eds. & Trans. to Chinese). 182 pages. Karl-Marx Verlag. ISBN: 978-3-9825536-0-3. [In Chinese: 埃瓦尔德·瓦西里耶维奇·伊林柯夫 (2023). 列宁主义辩证法和经验主义形而上学 (孔令恺&罗托，编辑 & 翻译为中文). 182页. 卡尔·马克思出版社. ISBN: 978-3-9825536-0-3]
Kong, L., & Akpinar, M. (2023). The Philosophical Reviews of International Politics. 132 pages. Istanbul Institute of Political Strategy. ISBN: 978-1-7392712-0-6.
Working Papers
An Analytical Comparison of the Theoretical Parallels in Arendt's and Proudhon's Federalism
(Progress: Writing) Devrim Sezer & Lingkai Kong
Abstract: Contemporary political theorist Hannah Arendt and anarchist Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, despite both being very famous, their federalist ideas have a hidden common normative core that has not been fully explored. This research attempts to fill this gap. The research propose two hypotheses. The first hypothesis is that their federal vision highlights the normative cores of radical democratic orientation and protection of minorities. The second hypothesis is that to achieve two normative cores, they both propose a flexible, non-territorial treaty-based federal-council system. Moreover, they regard this system as a coordination of revolutionary spirit and institutionalized form. Through comparative analysis, we verified our hypotheses. Our research contributes to existing studies in two ways. First, by comparing the hidden anarchist connotations in Arendt's political theory, it enriches the study of Arendt's thoughts. Second, it contributes the theories of Arendt and Proudhon to the field of federalism studies and points out their relevance.
Proudhon's Mutualist Agro-industrial Federation and his Philosophy of Communicative Justice
(Progress: Writing) Devrim Sezer & Lingkai Kong
Abstract: This article meticulously examines the foundational elements of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon's federalist doctrine and the philosophical underpinnings that inform his political thought, and delineates the structural composition of Proudhon's envisioned federation, which unites laborers and peasants, with a particular emphasis on the seamless integration of economic and administrative functions. Proudhon's political federalism, with his concept of economic mutualism, reveals a holistic framework designed to address the socio-economic challenges of his time. Set against the tumultuous context of the French Revolution, Proudhon's federalist proposal is analyzed in light of his profound engagement with Rousseau's theory of sovereignty. Departing from Rousseau's model, Proudhon's philosophical approach, anchored in communicative justice, envisions the construction of a society predicated on open, contract-based collaboration. It uncovers the implicit contract-based philosophical system that underlies his federalism and offers a theoretical foundation for the evolution of contemporary federalism in response to the intricate dynamics of pluralistic societies. The discourse presented in this article provides an in-depth exploration of Proudhon's underappreciated contributions to federalist research.
The Neglected Understanding of Natural Law: Althusius' Theory of Symbiosis
(Progress: Submitting) Lingkai Kong & Zeyuan Wang
Abstract: The long-standing tradition of natural law in Christian theology offers a unique perspective on the understanding of rights and social communities. In the first half of this article, the authors introduce the interpretations of natural law by Heraclitus, Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Thomas Aquinas, as well as Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau. Although these theorists have divergent views on natural law, they generally center on instrumental rationality and understand how individuals live within collectives within the scope of distributive justice—a philosophy that acknowledges a top-down distribution mechanism of power. There is little recognition that associations, communities, and families, as social institutions with their own fundamental purposes, are necessary forms for building connections between the state and individuals. Then, in the transitional part of this article, the theory of Pufendorf is introduced. Although different from previous theorists, Pufendorf's natural law theory introduces the concept of sociability, but it still does not completely break away from the advocacy of sovereign authority and has inherent contradictions. Finally, this article focuses on an overlooked political theorist and theologian, Johannes Althusius. His natural law is based on a non-sovereign theory of symbiosis, which infers broader associations from the natural family structure, ultimately forming a multi-level, intermediary federal structure guided by the principle of subsidiarity. In Althusius's view, the emergence of politics and government is not a violation of nature, nor a tool of governance, but is deeply rooted in the natural order and extends it. Politics is not delineated from natural law but generated out of it.
The Erosion of the Spirit of Primitive Federalism of Confucianism
(Progress: Submitting) (Preprints Version: https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.0790.v2) Lingkai Kong
Abstract: This study examines the decline of the spirit of primitive federalism within Confucianism, tracing its trajectory from the Duke of Zhou and Confucius to the reinterpretations by Dong Zhongshu. The Duke of Zhou's establishment of a quasi-federal system and the "Zhou ritual norms" laid the groundwork for a political structure that embraced diversity and autonomy. Confucius continued this legacy, advocating for a return to the systems of the Duke's era. However, Dong Zhongshu distorted the original Confucianism and reinterpreted it. We find the textual evidence in his monograph The Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals. He re-envisioned the role of feudal lords, invented by Duke of Zhou, as administrative extensions of a centralized government. Confucianism was then transformed from a theory reflecting primitive federalism, promoting diversity and autonomy, to one that legitimized a centralized system.
Fragile Democratization When Military Forces Fear Losing Control over Transition: The Cases of Thailand and Myanmar
(Progress: Submitting) (APSA Preprints Version: https://doi.org/10.33774/apsa-2024-r8l3w-v2) Lingkai Kong
Abstract: Some studies have pointed out that the military's motivation to hinder the democratization process is due to considerations of security and interests. However, how such considerations make the military feel anxious, and how the disruption of the balance of power between the military and pro-democratic parties leads to fierce confrontation, lack specific and nuanced exploration. Based on the theories of authoritarian transition and democratization, this study analyzes the critical moments of confrontation between the military and pro-democratic parties in Thailand and Myanmar from the perspectives of soft-liners and hard-liners. Through a comparative study of military rule in the two countries, and by comparing the parliamentary seats through tables and figures, we demonstrate the key moments when the military stages coups. The military tends to intervene when they find that the democratic parties have gained advantage that they are likely to undermine the military's substantive power.
Editorial Responsibility
Editor in Cheif: Journal of Politics and Strategy (JOPS). Visit the journal: https://jops-home.com/ojs/index.php/journal
