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17 Critical Soc. Pol'y 5 (1997)

handle is hein.journals/critsplcy17 and id is 1 raw text is: ARTICLES O JULIA TAO & GLENN DROVER City University of Hong Kong Chinese and western notions of need Abstract In this article, we compare Chinese and western notions of need, by look- ing at the theoretical underpinnings of need in western and Chinese moral thought. We do so, first, by outlining a theory of need developed by Doyal and Gough (1984, 1991), second, by examining the notion of autonomy, third, by considering social obligations, and, fourth, by look- ing at the social construction of need. We conclude by arguing for a con- sideration of a theory of need based upon Confucian principles of con- nectedness. Our needs are made of words: they come to us in speech, and they can die for lack of expression. Without a public language to help us find our own words, our needs will dry up in silence. It is the words only, the common meanings they bear, which give me the right to speak in the name of the strangers at my door. (Michael Ignatieff, 1990: 142) Introduction The concept of need is at the heart of welfare state provision in many western societies. It is one of two broad principles (the other being rights) upon which the allocation and distribution of resources, particularly public resources, are based. Writers in the social welfare policy field have highlighted the importance of need in determining societal priorities, aiding professional judgement, grounding entitle- ments and reconciling claims (Smith, 1980). Some talk of normative, Copyright @ Critical Social Policy 50 ISSN 0261-0183 SAGE Publications (London, Thousand Oaks, CA and New Delhi), Vol. 17 (1997): 5-25. 5

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