Res Chinese traditions in modern context
e of one’s life, one could nt kinds of cultural traent stages. But in the ew that typically comes an tradition that there’s nd universal religious
of that view, then you xport it to the rest of etimes by force, such s in the Middle Ages. longer so strong in here is still this kind ur view about moralis the one universal d be exported abroad ns, sometimes includans. angerous view. My own o have some universal ple: Don’t kill innocent ture people. Slavery is so what we call positive to basic material wellK to try to universalize t on how to select pod how to organize one’s e can be very particular ures and societies. y dangerous if the West hose kinds of values. At re should be more seriderstand the political motivate people here of Confucius” is well known to all Chinese intellectuals.
So we can translate he as “diversity in harmony” rather than uniformity, sameness or even conformity. But in the West, there’s not that clear distinction between he and tong.
So when people in the West hear that China values harmony, they often think that it means that everybody should try to think and act in the same way. It’s almost exactly the opposite meaning of he.
That’s why we should translate terms in a way that doesn’t lead to such misunderstandings because clearly the Chinese idea of he values and, in fact, celebrates diversity.
So those are some of the terms that literally are lost in translation. There are lots of things that need to be improved in intercultural communication.
Q: Do you think Confucianism is still important for China or the rest of the world, for that matter? What should be done to spread its message? A: Confucianism is one of many traditions in China, and it’s the one that has been most influential, at least politically. It was devalued for much of the 20th century, because Chinese intellectual reformers blamed it for China’s poverty and relative backwardness compared with Western countries. But more recently, there’s a view that countries with Confucian heritage, including China, South Korea and Singapore, actually developed quite rapidly in an orderly and peaceful way. And maybe Confucian heritage has something to do with that.
For example, Confucianism is a very diverse tradition but, generally speaking, it’s this-worldly. And it promotes constant self-improvement, with high value placed upon education and concern for future generations. All these values probably contribute to a relatively peaceful and orderly form of modernization.
The Confucian tradition should not be studied in isolation. In China, it has often been mixed with other traditions, including Buddhism and Taoism. It’s important to examine these traditions. If the concern is intellectual history, fine. You just look at what people said and why they said it. But if the concern is about thinking what lessons Confucianism offers today, then it’s important to interpret these traditions in a comparative context. And sometimes the traditions need to be modernized in a way that adheres to central values.
I think it’s very dangerous if the West seeks to export those kinds of values. At the very least, there should be more serious effort to understand the political ideals that often motivate people here in China.
A: I’m now at the University of Hong Kong, where I am writing a book and teaching. If you really want to promote ancient traditions, including Confucianism, in a way that engages modern university students, it’s best if we present them as though they are part of larger debates. I’m trying to show that fascinating ancient debates on issues like what counts as a “just war” or how to minimize corruption in government are still relevant today.
I’m currently writing a book showing how these debates in the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) are diverse and engaging, but also have some lessons for dealing with contemporary challenges.
A: Probably the title will be “Talking about Politics,” with the subtitle “Why Ancient Chinese Political Debates Matter Today.” I hope to finish a draft this year.