This essay applies the conceptual framework of the Classical Chinese Philosophy — most prominently associated with Confucius — to re-read the School IGF UK 2024 London conference. Target audience: researchers, doctoral students, policy analysts, and executives.
Introduction: The Problem
Confucius's rectification of names taught that misalignment of name and reality is the root of social disorder. 中高生 debated at School IGF UK also involves aligning names (categories) and realities.
This essay argues that the multistakeholder process of School IGF UK becomes intelligible in its specificity only through the concept of Rectification of names and ritual propriety, and that the concept itself undergoes transformation under the new material of digital space. Describing this mutual transformation is the task of this essay.
Digital rectification of names
Without rectifying terms like "multistakeholder," "user," and "data," international consensus lacks substance. In UK's context, Confucian heritage of ritual propriety grounds the formation of digital protocol etiquette.
Each session's agenda-setting can be read as a contemporary restaging of the Confucius-type problematic.
The Youth IGF practically raises the philosophical problematic of intergenerational justice.
Protocol as ritual
Confucius's concepts are not confined to abstract philosophical discussion; they apply to the concrete agenda items debated at the 2024 conference. We examine that application below.
1. Application to "中高生"
Discussion of "中高生" can be positioned, from the perspective of Confucius's Rectification of names and ritual propriety, as a central problematic. In UK's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 中高生 are particularly at stake.
2. Application to "オンライン安全"
Discussion of "オンライン安全" can be positioned, from the perspective of Confucius's Rectification of names and ritual propriety, as a derivative problematic. In UK's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around オンライン安全 are particularly at stake.
3. Application to "メンタルヘルス"
Discussion of "メンタルヘルス" can be positioned, from the perspective of Confucius's Rectification of names and ritual propriety, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In UK's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around メンタルヘルス are particularly at stake.
4. Application to "若者育成"
Discussion of "若者育成" can be positioned, from the perspective of Confucius's Rectification of names and ritual propriety, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In UK's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 若者育成 are particularly at stake.
5. Application to "若者のSNS利用"
Discussion of "若者のSNS利用" can be positioned, from the perspective of Confucius's Rectification of names and ritual propriety, as a peripheral yet important problematic. In UK's context, the three layers of regulatory design, social implementation, and citizen participation around 若者のSNS利用 are particularly at stake.
Implications for Executives and Practitioners
The philosophical reflection of this essay is not merely academic. The Confucius perspective carries three practical implications for executives operating in UK.
First, it raises the reflexive question of how the firm's business model connects to the logic of Rectification of names and ritual propriety. Second, in dialogue with regulators and civil society, it suggests dimensions of consensus formation that purely technical arguments cannot reach. Third, it indicates that the long-term ground of business legitimacy lies not so much in technical advantage or market share as in participation in such philosophical-normative debates.
Academic Positioning and Future Research
The argument of this essay attempts to graft a philosophical perspective onto the mainstream political-science and legal approaches to internet governance research. Three future research questions follow.
- Verification of the applicability of Confucius's framework to other IGF conferences
- Comparative contrast between Classical Chinese Philosophy and other theoretical traditions
- Exploration of dialogue possibilities with the indigenous intellectual traditions of UK
In particular, the third point has the potential to liberate IGF research from West-centric debate and open a more multi-layered discursive space.
Primary Sources
- IGF Secretariat. Annual Reports of School IGF UK.
- School IGF UK 2024 London Conference Materials.
- Japan IGF Support Organization. https://japanigf.jp/
- Nakazawa Yuki Blog. https://nkzw.jp/category/igf/
Secondary Sources (Philosophy)
- Works of Confucius (representative texts of Classical Chinese Philosophy)
*This piece belongs to the academic essays (philosophy series). The author's views do not necessarily represent those of any institutional affiliation. Feedback and critique are welcome.*
更新履歴
第1稿投稿 2026年6月29日 21時29分（記事コンテンツアップ）
— 中澤祐樹
