Confucianism has guided China’s moral and political life for over 2000 years. Confucian values underlie the respect generally given to parents, teachers (foreigners are exempt…respect my arse, although, in fairness, students do give respect but as far as most schools are concerned it’s like “Respect? Respect who? Foreign teacher? Erm, no!” ) And finally, old people as a whole are revered.
The days in which Confucius lived were, compared to the past, a time of moral chaos, in which common values were widely rejected or simply disregarded. Crime was on the rise, with robbery and theft increasing in the countryside and murder a serious problem in the cities and at court; there was a general lack of interest in trying to reintegrate criminals into society (“Just shoot them…yeah, that’s the answer…shoot the bastards…too many people anyway”).
The gap between rich and poor was (and is) broad and growing, with the rich living extravagantly in enormous mansions (and driving their black V.W Passats) while an abundance of food somehow failed to reach the hungry who needed it. Government was (and is) routinely corrupt and distrusted by the people, who didn’t (and don’t) fail to observe the lack of productivity among the rich and powerful. The economy was (and is) changing as well. The productive class, mostly farmers, was(and is) shrinking, while the commercial sector was (and is) growing. The marketplaces were (and are being) flooded with goods described as being costly and of “no real utility.”
Part of the growing middle class was a sector of scholars, who had great difficulty finding employment. While reformers such as Confucius existed, they were a minority. Even in such apparently barren philosophical ground, Confucianism not only took root, but flourished, eventually transforming Chinese society with its values, and dominating it for centuries. So I ask you, what has changed since then? It seems Confucius, with all his wise words, has been forgotten in modern day China. As with most other “capitalist” countries, the focus has gone off these philosophical values that were once hailed.
What we are seeing is a return to the “barren philosophical ground” that once prevailed when Confucius began to speak so wisely. It’s all gone full circle it would seem, so, who’s the next Confucius going to be??
Using Confucianism to understand why nothing has changed!
Confucianism has guided China’s moral and political life for over 2000 years. Confucian values underlie the respect generally given to parents, teachers (foreigners are exempt…respect my arse, although, in fairness, students do give respect but as far as most schools are concerned it’s like “Respect? Respect who? Foreign teacher? Erm, no!” ) And finally, old people as a whole are revered.
The days in which Confucius lived were, compared to the past, a time of moral chaos, in which common values were widely rejected or simply disregarded. Crime was on the rise, with robbery and theft increasing in the countryside and murder a serious problem in the cities and at court; there was a general lack of interest in trying to reintegrate criminals into society (“Just shoot them…yeah, that’s the answer…shoot the bastards…too many people anyway”).
The gap between rich and poor was (and is) broad and growing, with the rich living extravagantly in enormous mansions (and driving their black V.W Passats) while an abundance of food somehow failed to reach the hungry who needed it. Government was (and is) routinely corrupt and distrusted by the people, who didn’t (and don’t) fail to observe the lack of productivity among the rich and powerful. The economy was (and is) changing as well. The productive class, mostly farmers, was(and is) shrinking, while the commercial sector was (and is) growing. The marketplaces were (and are being) flooded with goods described as being costly and of “no real utility.”
Part of the growing middle class was a sector of scholars, who had great difficulty finding employment. While reformers such as Confucius existed, they were a minority. Even in such apparently barren philosophical ground, Confucianism not only took root, but flourished, eventually transforming Chinese society with its values, and dominating it for centuries. So I ask you, what has changed since then? It seems Confucius, with all his wise words, has been forgotten in modern day China. As with most other “capitalist” countries, the focus has gone off these philosophical values that were once hailed.
What we are seeing is a return to the “barren philosophical ground” that once prevailed when Confucius began to speak so wisely. It’s all gone full circle it would seem, so, who’s the next Confucius going to be??
>Mmmmmm…… Da Kuan?!!