This book examines the origins and resources of the idea of consultative democracy in Western civilization and Confucian thought from the perspective of intellectual history. The book is divided into three parts: the first part explores the intellectual origins of consultative democracy in Western civilization; the second part examines the tradition of consultation in Confucian thought in China; and the third part places the concepts of democracy and consultative democracy in the context of dialogues between the East and West.The distinctive feature of this book is that it directly confronts the challenges facing democracy in the 21st century, is concerned with the long-term foundations of the development of consultative democracy in China, and transforms this anxiety into a profound academic exploration, seeking intellectual resources for the further deepening of democracy from cultural traditions. This research not only helps to break away from Western-centrism on the issue of democracy, but also lays a more solid foundation for the development of consultative democracy in China.