This paper first explores how the issue of Confucianism and democracy has been discussed since the founding of the Republic of China in 1912. It reveals the emergence of an established pattern of approaches to the issue. However, with the gradual corrosion of democracy in the face of the globalization of capital, the author argues that new ways of thinking about the issue are desperately needed. As one part of world civilization, Confucianism offers an important frame of reference for reestablishing democracy as a common global value. The paper also looks into the basic mindsets that will be necessary to complete this transition and the important theoretical questions where Confucianism can make a contribution.