CARRY ON OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE IN A CREATIVE WAY

CARRY ON OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE IN A CREATIVE WAY*

September 24, 2014

This year marks the 2565th anniversary of Confucius’ birth. The school of thought he founded and the Confucian doctrines are an integral part of traditional Chinese culture, and have had an immense impact on the Chinese civilization. Along with other schools of thought that emerged during the creation and evolution of the Chinese nation, Confucianism encapsulates the inner feelings, rational thinking, and cultural achievements of the Chinese people over many millennia. It shows the intellectual leanings of our people, and is one of the main sources of strength that have enabled our nation to survive and thrive. The Chinese civilization has profoundly shaped China’s development and has made a tremendous contribution to human civilization and progress. 

The gestation and evolution of traditional Chinese culture, especially its core components, can be roughly divided into the following phases: the pre-Qin period prior to 221 BC when a constellation of prominent thinkers founded numerous schools of thought that contended with each other; the Western and Eastern Han dynasties (206 BC-AD 220) when study of Confucian classics blossomed; the period (220-589) from the Three Kingdoms to the Southern and Northern Dynasties when the Chinese metaphysical philosophy Xuanxue prevailed; the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907) when Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism all flourished; and the period (960-1644) from the Song to Ming dynasties when neo-Confucianism emerged and grew. 

From this process, spanning over 2,000 years, we can draw three conclusions. First, Confucianism is both antithetical to and compatible with other schools of thought in Chinese history. They competed with but also learned from each other. Despite its long predominance, Confucianism always coexisted with other doctrines, maintaining harmony in diversity. Second, Confucianism and other schools of thought have evolved with the times and adapted to new circumstances. This continuous development and self-renewal in response to social progress and changing times is the reason for their enduring vitality. Third, Confucianism and other schools of thought all emphasize practicality, and are dedicated to edifying the people with their teachings. The goal is to ensure that the education of individuals and the general public goes hand in hand and in mutual reinforcement with the governance of the state.

Looking back in history, we can see that the finest components of traditional Chinese philosophy and culture, including Confucianism, have played a critical role in the formation and uninterrupted development of the Chinese civilization. They have been critical in attaining and maintaining political unity and solidarity, in keeping all ethnic groups in China together as one close family, in fostering and enriching the national ethos, and in rallying the people to defend national independence and resist foreign aggression. They also play a critical role in social progress, balancing interests, and social equilibrium.

Human civilization today has come to a point of great material and cultural progress. In particular the material abundance we enjoy is beyond the wildest imagination of our ancestors. At the same time humanity is facing a number of prominent problems, including a widening wealth gap, an insatiable desire for luxury and extravagance, expanding egotism, declining public integrity, moral degradation, and growing tension between humanity and nature. To solve these problems, we need to apply not only the knowledge and resources of today, but also those garnered in the past. 

Some visionary people around the world believe that Confucianism and other aspects of China’s traditional culture offer perspectives that can help solve the tough issues of our time. They include the following ideas:

• Human beings are an integral part of nature and should follow the laws of nature.
• One should pursue the common good and worldwide harmony.
• One should seek perpetual self-improvement and embrace the world with virtue.
• The people are the foundation of a state, and ensuring them a life of peace, prosperity and fulfillment is of paramount importance.
• The state should be governed by virtue and integrity.
• One should seek self-renewal each and every day, discard the outdated to make room for the new, and keep pace with the times.
• One should stay grounded in reality and seek truth from facts.
• One should acquire practical knowledge and combine knowledge with action and practice.
• A mission should be accomplished by soliciting opinions extensively, pooling ideas and efforts, and benefiting all.
• The benevolent person loves others, and virtue makes decent people.
• One should treat others with sincerity, honor one’s commitments, and promote amity.
• Officials must be clean and diligent in their work.
• One should practice economy and restraint and abstain from extravagance.
• Humanity should live by the principles of pursuing balance and peace, seeking common ground while reserving differences, and maintaining harmony in diversity and peaceful coexistence.
• Even in time of peace and stability, a state should always be prepared for potential threats that may cause disorder or even social collapse. 

In this abundance of humanistic, philosophical, educational and moral principles in traditional Chinese culture, we can find inspiration for better understanding and transforming the world, managing state affairs, and promoting ethical progress. Some elements of traditional Chinese culture lubricate social relations and motivate people to become better selves. They should be carried forward in today’s world while taking on new meanings in the new circumstances. I hope that scholars all over the world will carry out fruitful studies and extensive exchanges on this subject, so that humanity can benefit from China’s traditional culture as well as the cultures of all other countries. 

Over the millennia of human civilization, all countries and peoples have come to where they are today by building on the past and paving the way for the future. It is intercultural communication and integration that has created the world as we know it. Exchanges, integration, and mutual learning between civilizations are therefore the essential way to build a better world and create a happier life for people in all countries.

Having the right attitude towards different civilizations and towards the relationship between traditional and contemporary cultures is an issue of great importance. We must observe the following principles in this respect: 

First, safeguarding the diversity of civilizations. “It is only natural for things to be different.” Harmony in diversity is the law governing the creation and evolution of all beings. All things in the universe are different, in a million ways, and splendid in their own right. If they were all the same, the entire world would be stagnant. As the civilization of every country and every people is rooted in its national reality, it of course has distinctive features and strengths. All countries and peoples should maintain this diversity of civilizations by increasing exchanges and mutual learning, rather than being estranged from, excluding, or trying to take over each other. Only in doing so can we build a world with an exuberance of color and vigor like a garden in full bloom. 

All civilizations have their value. We should show good sense in addressing the differences between our own and other civilizations, with the understanding that they are all special in their own way. We should focus on commonality while respecting differences, learn from others’ merits to make up for our deficiencies, and never disparage or attack other civilizations. That a civilization is dissimilar from one’s own is no justification for others to think ill of it, conspire to change it to their liking, or even attempt to replace it with theirs. History has made it clear time and again that any coercive method to handle the differences between civilizations will fail, and to make things worse, cause catastrophe for human civilization as a whole. 

Second, respecting the civilizations of all countries and peoples. The soul of a country and a people resides in its civilization, and especially in its philosophy and culture. If they are not fully cherished or well preserved, the country or people cannot stand tall. All countries and peoples should cherish and uphold their philosophies and cultures, and at the same time recognize and respect those of others. The philosophies and cultures in our world are as varied as the colors of flowers. Each has its own merits, and none is superior to others. All deserve due recognition and respect – those of nations that are large and powerful or those of nations that are not. 

Honoring the fruits of one’s own civilization nevertheless does not mean retreating into isolation, seeking superiority, or becoming complacent and arrogant. All countries and peoples should be humble enough to learn from each other and draw on the best of other philosophies and cultures. This is key to building intellectual and cultural self-respect, self-confidence, and self-reliance. 

Third, taking the right approach to mutual learning between civilizations. Civilizations are enriched by exchanges and mutual learning. All civilizations, born under whatever social conditions, are open and fluid. This is a crucial rule underlying their dissemination and evolution. During its long history, the Chinese civilization has obtained rich nourishment from its exchanges with other civilizations, and in return made significant contributions to human progress. Cases in point include the ancient Silk Road, the large number of international delegations to China during the Sui and Tang dynasties, the westbound pilgrimages of Faxian and Xuanzang in search of Buddhist scriptures, and the seven maritime expeditions by Zheng He. Confucianism – a body of knowledge indigenous to China – has long been shared by the entire world to become part of human civilization. 

There is a Chinese maxim: “Learning alone without exchanges with others will lead to ignorance.” We should learn from all civilizations, both of old times – those of ancient China, Greece, Rome, Egypt, Mesopotamia and India, and of present times – those of Asia, Africa, Europe, America and Oceania. We should imbibe the wholesome ingredients in them, adapt the fine elements of all civilizations to today’s cultures and societies, and promote the cultures and ethos of perpetual worth and contemporary relevance that transcend temporal limits and national boundaries. When learning from other civilizations, a country or a people must stay grounded in its own realities, draw on others’ strengths to mend its weaknesses, and choose good qualities to emulate. This learning must be inclusive. But inclusiveness does not mean indiscriminate acceptance; we should separate the wheat from the chaff and sift the true from the false. 

Fourth, adopting a balanced view of cultural traditions. We must never forget our history; only then can we open up a new era. We should know how to inherit before we become good at innovation. Outstanding traditional culture is the root of the heritage and development of a nation. Renouncing it is tantamount to severing our cultural lifeline. We should learn how to best carry forward our cultural traditions, and at the same time promote contemporary culture. We should put emphasis on both inheriting and development.

During its formation and progress, traditional culture is inevitably subjected to restraint and influence by the limitations in people’s mindset, in the conditions of the times, and in social systems. Consequently, it is natural that it contains things outdated or even undesirable. This requires us to adhere to the principle of making the past serve the present, weeding through the old to bring forth the new when learning, studying and applying traditional culture. We must make judgments in accordance with today’s reality and the requirements of our time, instead of putting things into practice mechanically without thinking.

We should make the past serve the present and take the past as a mirror for today, distinguishing what can be used and what cannot, and choosing wisely what to inherit; we should not value the past over the present and use the past to negate the present. We should try to transform and boost traditional culture in a creative way, to integrate the old and the new, and let both of them serve our current mission of cultivating the people.

Fine culture conveys great truths and cultivates high character. Contemporary China has developed out of ancient China; contemporary Chinese philosophy and culture are built out of traditional Chinese philosophy and culture. To understand present-day China and the Chinese people, one needs a good knowledge of the cultural traditions that have sustained our growth as a nation. 

Studying Confucius and Confucianism is an important avenue to understanding the character of the Chinese people and the provenance of our national psyche. In the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period (770-221 BC), many schools of thought – including Confucianism, Legalism, Taoism, Mohism, Agrarianism, and Military Strategy – learned from and contended with each other, creating a vibrant culture that broadened the vision of the people of that time. Although Confucianism later rose to dominance and remained so for much of Chinese history, Chinese philosophy and culture have continued to diversify in many directions, conveying the worldview, outlook on life, values and aesthetics that the Chinese people have developed and passed on from generation to generation. Their core elements have become the fundamental cultural heritage of the Chinese nation, and shaped our unique identity as we strive to achieve self-improvement, family harmony, good national governance, and universal peace, perform our duties in accordance with the needs of the times, adapt to specific conditions while observing general rules, identify the underlying laws of development and act accordingly, and secure ever more achievements. 

The ideal, pursuit, values and ethos of the Chinese people are deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture. At the same time they have advanced with the times to provide new context. 

The Chinese Communists are Marxists who uphold the scientific doctrine of Marxism in developing Chinese socialism. But we are not historical or cultural nihilists. It is our long-held belief that China must integrate the basic tenets of Marxism with its specific realities, adopt the right approach to both its traditional culture and cultures of other countries, and gain strength by imbibing the best of intellectual and cultural achievements of humanity. Over the many decades of leading the Chinese people in revolution, construction and reform, China’s Communists have remained faithful inheritors and advocates of fine traditional Chinese culture, drawing on the wisdom of an array of luminaries in history ranging from Confucius to Sun Yat-sen.

Today the Chinese people are working towards our Two Centenary Goals, the first to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Moderate prosperity is a concept raised in the Confucian classic Book of Rites 2,000 years ago, which has since been pursued by the Chinese people as an ideal state of society. A national development goal framed in this concept conforms to the reality of China’s development. It is well accepted and supported by the people. 

To sum up, we must stay rooted in our history as we embrace the future, and carry on our cultural heritage as we press ahead. Only by doing so can we succeed in the missions of our time. 

* Part of the speech at the opening ceremony of the International Conference Commemorating the 2565th Anniversary of Confucius’ Birth and the Fifth Congress of the International Confucian Association.

(Not to be republished for any commercial or other purposes.)