The Confucian renaissance
By Todd Crowell

In his 19th-century classic, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of
Capitalism, German sociologist Max Weber argued that Asian values were
incompatible with the development of a modern economic system. He saw
in the brand of Christianity practiced in northern Europe the only
ethical system with the attributes needed to make capitalism work.

At the beginning of the 20th century, many Asian intellectuals might
have agreed with him. Commenting on Confucianism, the Chinese leftist
thinker, Chen Duxiu, said in 1916, "If we want to build a new society
on the Western model in order to survive in the world, we must
courageously throw away that which is incompatible with the new
belief, the new society, the new state."

History, of course, has proved Weber and Chen wrong. It is now plain
that the most dynamic practitioners of capitalism at the dawn of the
21st century are to be found in Asia. More strikingly, all of them are
located within what might be called a Confucian cultural zone.

It is clear the success of Japan and the "Four Tigers" (Korea, Taiwan,
Hong Kong and Singapore) owe much to such essential Confucian precepts
as self-discipline, social harmony, strong families and a reverence
for education. That has led to unprecedented - and increasingly broad-
based international interest in the creed. Yet the Confucian
renaissance may only be in its early phases.

For most of the last century, Confucius (or Kongfuzi - Master Kong)
has been under a cloud in his homeland. Everyone from late Qing
dynasty reformers to revolutionary communists blamed his teaching for
a host of ills, ranging from feudal oppression to economic
backwardness. But recently, Beijing's leaders have begun to
characterize the sage's philosophy as a national treasure that will
benefit today's Chinese.

September's official celebration of the birth of Confucius was the
biggest since the People's Republic of China was established in 1949.
The state-controlled television broadcast festivities surrounding his
2,556th birthday on September 28 on a scale never before seen in
China. More than 2,500, including many fairly high-ranking Communist
Party cadres, made a pilgrimage to the philosopher's birthplace at
Qufu in Shandong province.

The latest government line is that Confucianism can serve as a moral
foundation to help build a more "harmonious society" in keeping with
President (and Communist Party General Secretary) Hu Jintao's efforts
to address social problems such as the polarization of society and a
wide spread "money first" mentality.

It is little surprise that Chinese leaders are seeking to rehabilitate
their country's most famous and influential thinker. In the moral void
opened by the decline of Marxism and the abundance of material
temptations, Confucianism can help provide the nation with a much-
needed ethical anchor. And success in these endeavors would allow
China's leaders to strengthen their hold on another Confucian bequest
- the "mandate of heaven", or the right to rule.

What is the relevance of Confucianism in modern times? Which tenets
have served East Asia well - and could help other nations and
cultures? What are the pitfalls to be avoided? Of all the world's
great canons, Confucianism is the most practical. What concerned him
most were people's relationships with one another and with the state.
He also focused on social justice and good government. Ren or
benevolence was the pillar of the master's thought.

Another was learning. Whether East Asian countries include The
Analects (sayings of Confucius) in their social curriculums, they all
understand that education is the root of national strength and
prosperity. The ingrained respect for knowledge - and for the teacher
who imparts it - is the key factor in the outstanding academic
performance of East Asians on a global basis.

One can see Confucianism alive in a modern way in Singapore when a
secondary student is reprimanded for blogging about his teacher in a
negative light. For that matter, the Pennsylvania court that upheld a
school district for expelling a student who, ranting on the Internet,
called his teacher a range of bad names and displayed a picture with
her head cut off was also, knowingly or not, upholding Confucian
values.

Yet the long-time preoccupation with reciting the Nine Classics
(ancient musical pieces) has also produced educational systems in Asia
that stress memorization at the expense of creative thinking. This is
a distortion of Confucian philosophy, which emphasized both knowledge
and thought. The master said: "He who does not think is lost. He who
thinks but does not learn is in great danger."

To the master, the family was fundamental to the social order. "If the
family is properly regulated, the state will be too," he reasoned. No
amount of legislation, Confucius taught, could either take the
family's place or perform its function as the linchpin of a well-
ordered society. In the master's world, children defer to parents,
wives to their husbands and subjects to rulers in a natural
progression.

He tended to relegate women to the margins of public affairs, though
he may merely have been reflecting the prevalent values of his time.
Today a nation shortchanges itself if it does not follow a saying of
another Chinese thinker, Mao Zedong, "women hold up half the sky".

In return for the loyalty of subjects, Confucius demanded that a ruler
display benevolence and unstintingly serve their interests. If he
didn't, citizens had the right to remonstrate. Mencius, the second-
most influential Confucian philosopher, later developed the concept of
a "divine right of rebellion". If an emperor became a tyrant, he would
lose the mandate of heaven and people would overthrow him. Today they
might simply throw the leader out of office in an election. Confucius
and democracy are not incompatible.

Throughout history, the rigid and unthinking application of Confucian
principles repeatedly produced complacent closed societies that were
unable to make progress. They paid a terrible price: foreign
subjugation and internal upheaval. Modern Confucians must guard
against repeating such mistakes. If they succeed in adapting their
time-tested heritage to contemporary challenges, Master Kong's
teaching may blossom beyond East Asia to enrich all mankind in the
next century.

Veteran Asia correspondent Todd Crowell comments on Asian affairs.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/GK16Ad01.html

On Jul 29, 7:18 am, "Observer" yahoo1.com> wrote: