I don't buy into this mindset that some CEO should be rewarded and not questioned for doing bad at his job like as if all these things we bought were gifts from them.
Ideally, as I understand it (and please correct me if my understanding is flawed), the
Neo-Confucian ideal that motivates the "top-down" command structure is one that mirrors the old Western social philosophy of "
noblesse oblige": both are philosophies held by their respective cultures in less democratic eras of history that reinforced two notions. First, those without power were expected to implicitly trust those that had power. Secondly, those with power were expected to make wise decisions that protected those beneath them.
I know noblesse oblige colors contemporary Western thought in subtle ways. As a resident of the American South, I can vouch for the continued presence of "sacred hospitality," particularly toward those beneath you in the social hierarchy and particularly by those in positions of authority. To other residents of America, hopefully I need say nothing else about the area's past interactions with its own citizens of lower socioeconomic strata. (Talking about those times troubles me.)
The analogue, roughly, would be the combination of
ren (which includes those above acting with beneficience to those below) and
li (which emphasizes acting with propriety at all levels, including when interacting with those above you socially). What I don't know is the extent to which these influence modern Korean thought. I know they were embraced wholeheartedly--if somewhat secularly--during the
Joseon Dynasty, which ended
after the American Civil War. Again, to those that live in America, hopefully I need say little more about the echos of that event in modern times.
Plug: for a Western writer's take on some of the issues during Joseon Korea, I recommend the visual novel
Analogue: A Hate Story on Steam. I came across it after constructing my own criticism of the South's spotty human rights record in a similar speculative setting with a character in a little game called
City of Heroes.
